© Rob Gray-Imagn ImagesYesterday, the Utah Hockey Club held their end-of-season exit interviews, and today we’re going over some key takeaways from what the players had to say.
We heard from a lot of players — they touched on areas they want to work on this summer, some of the things they liked from the season, and in a few rare cases, they even talked about their futures with the team. So, let’s get into it.
Starting with captain Clayton Keller. He confirmed he’ll be joining Team USA at the World Championships in May.
Keller also talked about setting the standard moving forward — making the playoffs is something the team expects now. He said, “I think we all got a little taste of it this year. How hard it is to win.”
And while he hit the 90-point mark, he made it clear he’s not chasing individual numbers. His focus is on winning.
Next up — the team’s MVP, Karel Vejmelka. He’s also heading to the World Championships, where he’ll represent Czechia.
Vejmelka shared how much he loved living in Utah, especially because of the nature. When asked about being a fan favorite, he said, “It means a lot to me. I’ve never had support like that from the fans.”
Dylan Guenther confirmed his nose, which he broke earlier this month, is totally fine. He’ll have a healthy summer — great news for a young player with tons of upside.
He’s likely on the radar for Team Canada at the Worlds, though nothing is confirmed yet.
When asked about Utah potentially becoming a free-agent destination, Guenther said, “The impact of the city and how much people care. The building is sold out every night. We're losing by 3 or 4 some game and people are still there.”
Logan Cooley was asked about the dream of winning a Stanley Cup in Utah. His answer: “That’s what you play for. That’s what you train for in the summer. It’s something that everyone wants to do & accomplish.”
He’s another Utah player who’s drawn interest for the Worlds. Cooley said he’s “still deciding” but confirmed he’s been in talks with Team USA.
There were also a few noteworthy conversations with pending free agents.
Nick Bjugstad was honest about his future. He mentioned that GM Bill Armstrong still has some tough decisions to make. With so many young players coming up, he’s not sure if there will be room for him — but he’s really enjoyed his time in Utah.
The most honest interview of the day came from Michael Carcone. It was likely his final one with the team. Carcone told reporters he doesn’t expect to be back and that he’s looking to go in a different direction.
“I don't think we're going to agree on anything. I spoke to the coaching staff & management & I think we're gonna go in a different direction,” he said.
He added that he’s looking for a more consistent role and more playing time moving forward.
Here the quick hits from other players and their interviews:
- John Marino – Suffered an upper-body injury, but will be good to go for summer training.
- Sean Durzi – Loves Utah and how welcoming it’s been. Believes if the team stayed healthy, they would’ve made the playoffs.
- Barrett Hayton – Says they’re a “night and day different team” from Game 1 to 82.
- Kevin Stenlund – Thinks Utah could absolutely become a free-agent destination. Believes they’re ready to take the next step.
- Matias Maccelli – Loved his time here. With one year left on his deal, he says he wants to stay.
- Liam O'Brien – Blown away by how passionate and invested the fans already are.
- Jack McBain – Believes Utah is already a destination for players. Says the rebuild is over — “It’s go time here.”
- Ian Cole – Disappointed with how the season ended. Says sometimes you have to lose to figure out how you want to win.
- Lawson Crouse – Praised the fanbase and believes there’s big-time potential in the room.
- Mikhail Sergachev – Loves living in Utah. Plans to skate this summer with Utah HC prospect Dmitry Simashev.
- Robert Bortuzzo - Talked about how if his time playing hockey is done, he'd love to stay in the game with a different role.
- Nick DeSimone - Would love to come back, feels he is a fit both on and off the ice.
- Michael Kesselring - Nothing confirmed as of right now, but will likely be joining Team USA at the Worlds.
- Nick Schmaltz - Has had conversations with Team USA but hasn't decided on if he is going to play or not.
- Olli Määttä - Thinks the move to Utah was great. Thinks the team has taken big steps and grown together.
- Alex Kerfoot - Thinks it was an awesome experience to be apart of the inaugural season. Mentioned that the team isn't happy with the way that the season ended.
- Josh Doan - Happy that the team allowed him to grow and find his game at this own pace.
You can watch all the exit interviews here.
With exit interviews now wrapped up, we may hear from GM Bill Armstrong once or twice before the NHL Draft. In the meantime, the front office will stay busy — between scouting for prospects and keeping tabs on the free-agent market.
