The Utah Hockey Club is set to begin its inaugural season in just a few days. The team moved from Arizona but did not carry their history with them. Before the first game, the team announced the first captain in franchise history. Clayton Keller is officially the first captain in Utah history.

There were a few solid choices for Utah to name as their captain. Keller has played his entire career with the Coyotes and will be a major selling point for the new team to bring fans in. They traded for Mikhail Sergachev in the offseason and his playoff experience made him a great candidate for the C as well.

While they do not have a mascot, Utah has a path to selling their team in a new market. The Coyotes left them some young stars, namely Keller, and a cupboard full of draft picks. General Manager Doug Armstrong already started to wheel and deal this off-season to get people in the door. They also drafted Tij Iginla, who is high on skill, name value, and marketability.

Utah plays their home opener at Delta Center against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, October 8. They will share a home for the Utah Jazz for now, until they get a home of their own.

Utah Hockey Club must get off to a great start

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The importance of building a fanbase cannot be stressed enough. The Vegas Golden Knights did that immediately by making a miracle run to the Stanley Cup Final. In Seattle, the Kraken have not had the same success, ranking in the bottom half of attendance last season. After the Coyotes finished last in 2023-24, there is nowhere to go but up for Utah.

To bring them even further up the attendance rankings, they have named a captain. It will help sell jerseys and give the fans a face of the franchise to rally around. Without a mascot, it is important to market the players and there may be no brighter star on their team than Keller.

The easiest way to gain a fanbase is to make the playoffs. That will be a difficult task in the strong Central Division and a Western Conference full of contenders. With the Avalanche, Stars, and Jets all having playoff aspirations, Utah has a tough track in front of them. Goalie Karel Vejmelka is the key to making the playoffs, as he can put up a ridiculous season that puts them into the dance.