Blackhawks Central Division Opponent Preview: Utah Hockey Club

The Chicago Blackhawks are in a tough Central Division that has seen some change this offseason. The Arizona Coyotes are now the Utah Hockey Club, with the franchise being sold to new owners this summer.

With the 2024-25 NHL Season less then a month away, now is the perfect time to scout the Blackhawks divisional opponents. What better team to start with then the newcomers in Utah?

Blackhawks 2024 Central Division Opponent Preview: Utah Hockey Club

Utah is an interesting team going into the season. For starters, it hasn’t been a year since the club was announced. Fans are still getting used to the organization now being in Utah after the Coyotes arena downfall and subsequent sale. This is a roster that looked like it was ready to take a step forward in Arizona. Now with some big additions this offseason, they may take that next step in the rebuild.

Top Players:

Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Matias Maccelli, Mikhail Sergachev and Sean Durzi highlight Utah’s roster. This summer Utah made their first ever draft pick, selecting Tij Iginla with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Adding Sergachev from Tampa Bay and John Marino from New Jersey instantly makes Utah’s blueline better. Utah looks like a team that can finally take that next step in it’s rebuild – potentially contending for a playoff spot.

Last Season Matchup:

Last season the Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes played against one another three times. Chicago won the regular season series going 2-1 against the Yotes. Arizona won the first matchup on Oct. 30, 2023 winning 8-1 in a bad showing in Arizona.

The Hawks rallied in the next two games, winning 5-3 on March 5 and 7-4 on March 10 to close out the series.

The Blackhawks March 5 win ended Chicago’s 22 game road losing streak. The Hawks scored four power play goals in the win and Arvid Soderblom made 37 saves. All in all, last season’s games between the Coyotes and Chicago resulted in some fun matchups. It will be exciting to see how Chicago does against the new look opponent in Utah.

Season Outlook:

While the Hawks have never played Utah, these two organizations could be heading towards a rivalry in the years to come. Both teams could be good during a similar stretch if Chicago and Utah’s rebuilds continue to develop as expected. Utah looks to be a step ahead, with this season potentially seeing them contend for a playoff spot. Last season Arizona went 36-41-5, good enough for 77 points and seventh in the central. Potentially Utah could break the 85 to 90 point mark this season finishing in sixth or seventh place.

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