The Utah Hockey Club named star left winger Clayton Keller as the first captain in team history. Adam Proteau says this move is the finishing touch on a new era. Clayton Keller [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA5NzU3MDIyMjQ0MDU0Njk3/usatsi_24362068_168400847_lowres.jpg] Clayton Keller The Utah Hockey Club named star forward Clayton Keller captain Friday [https://www.nhl.com/news/clayton-keller-named-1st-captain-in-utah-history], giving the new organization its first official leader in the dressing room. The 26-year-old led the Arizona Coyotes in goals (33), assists (43) and points (76) last season, and on an up-and-coming Utah HC team, he is a no-brainer to wear the ‘C’ in the team’s inaugural season in Utah. Keller’s ascent to the captaincy is the finishing touch on a new era for the beleaguered former Coyotes franchise, which hasn’t had a captain since veteran Oliver Ekman-Larsson was traded to Vancouver in July 2021. The relentless roster turnover in Arizona since that time was no doubt part of team management’s choice to go without an official captain until now. But given the fact the team added Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino as part of their summer moves, and considering Keller is under contract until the summer of 2028, this honor was a wise move that signalled the team’s rebuild is over. It’s now time for Keller to lead this group to at least secure a Stanley Cup playoff berth this year. Keller’s $7.1-million annual salary makes him one of the NHL’s better bargains, and in a young Utah dressing room, he’s going to be leaned on to set an example for his less-experienced teammates. Utah GM Bill Armstrong waited patiently to name a captain for the team, but this feels like the perfect time to do it, and Keller seems like the ideal guy for the job. Keller is just entering his prime as a player, and his new responsibilities should help him reach a new level for himself and for the team. There will be hell to pay if Utah fails to make the playoffs, and Keller will have to take his share of the blame for that failure. But we’re getting a little bit ahead of ourselves here. The real news is that Keller is entering a new phase of his career, and he’s obviously shown enough to be worthy of the accolade. Not every NHLer has what it takes to be their team’s top leader, but with this latest move, Utah has revealed exactly how important Keller was to their rebuild and what they expect of him from this point on.
