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ECHL Utah Grizzlies

Grizzlies Gameday: Series Opener in the Black Hills

October 25, 2024 - ECHL (ECHL)
Utah Grizzlies News Release


Utah Grizzlies (0-1, 0 points, .000 Win %) @ Rapid City Rush (0-2, 0 points, .000 Win) Date: October 25, 2024 Venue: The Monument Game Time: 7:05 pm.

Streaming: FloHockey - https://www.flohockey.tv/events/12618041-2024-utah-grizzlies-vs-rapid-city rush?nav_id=75

Audio/Radio: Utah Grizzlies YouTube channel. - https://www.youtube.com/@THEUTAHGRIZZLIES

Friday's Matchup

It's the first of 10 meetings this season between the Grizzlies and Rush. Utah went 5-3-1 last season vs Rapid City. Neil Shea and Mick Messner each scored a second period goal for Utah in their regular season opener at Idaho on October 18. Both clubs are looking for their first win of the 2024-25 season. It is Rapid City's home opener. They began the season with 2 losses at Tulsa. This week Utah signed forward Cameron Buhl and acquired forward Reed Lebster in a trade with Florida. Both players will be making their Grizzlies debut on Friday night.

Games on First Road Trip

Friday, October 18, 2024 - Utah 2 Idaho 7 - Mick Messner and Neil Shea each scored a second period goal for Utah. Idaho got 2 goals from Ty Pelton-Byce and 1 goal and 1 assist from Thomas Caron, Connor MacEachern and Connor Punnett. Utah went 1 for 3 on the power play, Idaho was 1 for 2. Idaho outshot Utah 39 to 28. Utah goaltender Adam Scheel stopped 32 of 39. Idaho's Ben Kraws saved 26 of 28.

Friday - Utah at Rapid City. 7:05 pm. The Monument.

Saturday, October 26, 2024 - Utah at Rapid City. 7:05 pm. The Monument.

Every Grizzlies game can be streamed on FloHockey and audio coverage is available on the Grizzlies YouTube channel.

Grizzlies Announce Captains for 2024-25 Season

Gianni Fairbrother has been named captain of the Utah Grizzlies for the 2024-25 season. Dylan Fitze and James Shearer will be assistant captains for home games and Cole Gallant and Mick Messner will act as assistant captains for road games.

Fairbrother played in 8 games with the Grizzlies in the 2023-24 season, scoring 1 goal and 2 assists. He played with the WHL's Everett Silvertips for 5 full seasons from 2016-2021. In 160 games with Everett, he scored 83 points (18 goals, 65 assists). Fairbrother was the captain of the Silvertips in the 2020-2021 season. He was drafted in the 3rd round (77th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2019 NHL Draft.

In 137 games with the Grizzlies Fitze has 41 goals and 45 assists. In 24 playoff games with Utah he has 9 goals and 3 assists. Fitze was acquired by Utah in a trade with the Orlando Solar Bears on March 24, 2022. Fitze scored 41 points (21 goals, 20 assists) in 55 games with the Grizzlies during the 2023-24 season. Fitze was an assistant captain for the Grizzlies during the 2022-23 season.

Shearer returns to the Grizzlies this season after spending the 2023-24 campaign with the EIHL's Coventry Blaze. In 81 career regular season games with the Grizzlies, Shearer has 9 goals and 25 assists. Shearer has been a team leader wherever he has played. He was the captain of the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings during the 2017-18 season. He was also an assistant captain his senior season at the University of Calgary during the 2021-22 season and he was an assistant captain for the Grizzlies during the 2022-23 season, where he scored 6 goals and 17 assists in 54 games. Gallant finished third on the Grizzlies in assists (35) and was fourth in points (47) during the 2023-24 season. Gallant was the captain of the USHL's Omaha Lancers during the 2017-18 season, where he scored 15 goals and 37 assists in 59 games. Gallant was an assistant captain at Western Michigan University for his 2022-23 senior season. Messner scored a goal for Utah in the regular season opener at Idaho on October 18th. Messner scored 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists) in 72 regular season games for the Grizzlies during the 2023-24 season. Messner was the captain of the USHL's Madison Capitals during the 2017-18 season where he scored 16 goals and 29 assists in 60 games. Messner was an assistant captain at Merrimack College during the 2022-23 season.

Recent Transactions

October 24 - Utah signs forward Cameron Buhl. Buhl played at St. Lawerence University for five seasons from 2019-2024. He scored 23 goals and 29 assists in 139 games. Buhl led St. Lawrence in assists (10) and points (15) in 17 games in the 2020-21 season and was a key pice to St. Lawrence's 2020-21 ECAC Championship club. Buhl led St. Lawrence with six power play goals in the 2022-23 season. Buhl was on the Kalamazoo Wings training camp roster prior to the 2024-25 season.

October 20 - Utah acquired forward Reed Lebster and futures considerations as well as the playing rights to forward Matthew Wedman from the Florida Everblades for the playing rights of forward Kyle Betts. Lebster appeared in 5 playoff games for the 2024 Kelly Cup champion Everblades. Lebster played at UMass Amherst for four seasons from 2019-2023, scoring 28 goals and 29 assists. Lebster transferred to Michigan State University for the 2023-24 season, scoring 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists) in 35 games.

October 19 - Forward Keaton Mastrodonato was recalled to the AHL's Colorado Eagles.

October 15- Goaltender Adam Scheel joined the Grizzlies as he comes over from the AHL's Colorado Eagles.

Grizzlies/Rush Connections

Utah head coach Ryan Kinasewich was a teammate with Rapid City head coach Scott Burt with the Grizzlies during the 2007-08 season. Both players tied for the club lead with 60 points that season. Burt had 27 goals, 33 assists and 144 penalty minutes in 70 games. Kinasewich had 23 goals, 37 assists and a +11 rating in 44 games that season.

Rush captain Ryan Wagner played in 23 games with the 2019-20 Grizzlies, scoring 20 points (9 goals, 11 assists). Wagner has spent the past 7 seasons in the AHL, scoring 34 goals and 38 assists in 294 games. Wagner was an alternate captain for the AHL's Colorado Eagles for three seasons from 2020-2023.

Rush forward Garrett Klotz played in 35 games with the 2019-20 Grizzlies, scoring 4 goals and 5 assists and 73 penalty minutes.

Games In First Homestand

November 1, 2024 - Allen at Utah. 7:10 pm. Opening Weekend presented by Smith's.

November 2, 2024 - Allen at Utah. 7:10 pm. Dia De Los Muertos (Hispanic Heritage Night).

November 9, 2024 - Tahoe at Utah. 7:10 pm. Pucks and Pups (Bring your dog to the game).

November 10, 2024 - Tahoe at Utah. 3:10 pm.

Tickets for every Grizzlies home game are available at utahgrizzlies.com or by calling (801) 988-8000.

Big Time Scoring Defenseman

The Grizzlies have had quite a few high goal scoring defensemen in recent years. Josh Wesley led all league defensemen with 18 goals during the 2023-24 season. New Grizzlies D-man Derek Daschke was tied for 2nd in the league with 16 goals last year for Kalamazoo as a first year pro.

In the 2021-22 season Charles-Edouard D'Astous had 26 regular season goals, which ranks tied for 3rd most in league history for a single season. D'Astous had a legendary run in the 2022 playoffs, scoring a league record 19 goals in 18 games. It took D'Astous only 14 playoff games to break the single season record. D'Astous also broke the record for power play goals in a single postseason with 11.

Taylor Richart was a big scoring defensemen in his time with the Grizzlies. Richart had 12 goals in the shortened 2019-2020 season. Richart tied for the league lead for goals among defenseman with 17 goals during the 2017-18 campaign.

Grizzlies Player Notes

#10 Mick Messner scored 2 goals in the Grizzlies preseason game at Idaho Falls on October 13, 2024. Messner scored a goal with 15 seconds left in the second period at Idaho on October 18.

#13 Dylan Fitze led all returning Grizzlies skaters with 21 goals last season.

#22 Neil Shea scored a power play goal in his Grizzlies debut on October 18 at Idaho.

#24 Gianni Fairbrother was named Grizzlies captain for the 2024-25 season.

#25 Cole Gallant was 3rd on the team with 35 assists and was 4th in points (47) during the 2023-24 season.

Grizzlies Team Notes

Utah's home opener is on November 1 vs Allen. It is the first time in team history that the home opener will take place in the month of November.

It's the Grizzlies 20th season in the ECHL and 30th season of professional hockey in the state of Utah (6 in the IHL, 4 in the AHL and 20th ECHL season). Utah was 1 for 3 on the power play on October 18 at Idaho. The Grizzlies went 21-12-3 at home during the 2023-24 season. They outscored opponents 121 to 115 at Maverik Center last season. 45 of Utah's 67 standings points during the 2023-24 season came at home.

2024-2025 Utah Grizzlies Regular Season Totals

Overall record: 0-1

Home record: 0-0 (Utah was 21-12-3 in the 2023-24 season).

Road record: 0-1

Win percentage: .000

Standings Points: 0

Last 10: 0-1

Goals per game: 2.00 (Tied 18th) Goals for: 2

Goals against per game: 7.00 (29th) Goals Against: 7

Shots per game: 28.00 (17th)

Shots against per game: 39.00 (28th)

Power Play: 1 for 3 - 33.3 % (Tied 5th)

Penalty Kill: 1 for 2 - 50.0 % (Tied 26th)

Penalty Minutes: 4. 4.00 per game.

Shorthanded Goals: 0

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 1.

Record When Scoring First: 0-0 (Utah was 23-5-4 last year when scoring first).

Opposition Scores First: 0-1.

Record in One Goal Games: 0-0 (Utah was 12-9-5 last season).

Games Decided Past Regulation: 0-0 (Utah was 6-0-5 last season).

Team Leaders

Goals: Mick Messner/Neil Shea (1)

Assists: Keaton Mastrodonato/Bryan Yoon (1)

Points: Mastrodonato/Messner/Shea/Yoon (1)

Plus/Minus: Craig Armstrong/Tyson Upper (0)

PIM: Dylan Fitze/Nick Pastorious (2)

Power Play Points: Mastrodonato/Shea/Yoon (1)

Power Play Goals: Shea (1)

Power Play Assists: Mastrodonato/Yoon (1)

Shots on Goal: Shea/Briley Wood (4)

Shooting Percentage: Messner (50.0 %) - Minimum 2 shots.

Game Winning Goals: (0)

Wins:0

Save %: Adam Scheel (.821)

Goals Against Average: Scheel (7.00)

Shutouts: (0)

Streaks

Goals: Mick Messner/Neil Shea (1)

Assists: Keaton Mastrodonato/Bryan Yoon (1)

Points (2 or more):

Utah Grizzlies 2024-2025 Roster

Forwards (14): Aaron Aragon, Craig Armstrong, Cameron Buhl, Dylan Fitze, Cole Gallant, Reed Lebster, Luke Manning, Mick Messner, Cade Neilson, Nick Pastorious, Neil Shea, Tyson Upper, Blake Wells, Briley Wood.

Defenseman (8): Derek Daschke, Kabore Dunn, Gianni Fairbrother, Chase Hartje, Kade Jensen, Kyle Pow, James Shearer, Bryan Yoon.

Goaltenders (3): Jake Barczewski, Vincent Duplessis, Adam Scheel

Grizzlies 2024-2025 Games by opponents

Allen Americans - 9 games (5 home, 4 away).

Bloomington Bison - 3 games (3 Away)

Cincinnati Cyclones - 1 game (1 Away)

Idaho Steelheads - 9 games (6 home, 3 away).

Indy Fuel - 3 games (3 Home)

Kansas City Mavericks - 10 games (5 home, 5 away)

Rapid City Rush - 10 games (5 home, 5 away)

Tahoe Knight Monsters - 10 games (7 home, 3 away)

Tulsa Oilers - 8 games (2 home, 6 away)

Wichita Thunder - 9 games (3 home, 6 away).

Check out the Utah Grizzlies Statistics



ECHL Stories from October 25, 2024


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