The Utah Hockey Club finally had the blue line intact that they expected to start the season. They got goalie Connor Ingram back from injury. They even got the first hat trick in franchise history courtesy of center Barrett Hayton, his first at any level since he scored three goals with Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League on March 15, 2019.
Hayton’s effort alone wasn't enough in a 5-3 loss to the Kings in Utah’s first game back from the 4 Nations Face-Off break at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Hayton recorded his first career hat trick at the 11-minute mark of the third period to cut the LA lead to 4-3, but Mikey Anderson scored into an empty net at 18:30 to ice the game. Hayton, who scored his three goals on three shots, has 14 points (seven goals) in his past 14 games.
"It's just frustrating losing that game," said Hayton. "I feel like we kind of put our heart and soul into that game. Our effort was there. Obviously, there were some mistakes that cost us."
With the loss, Utah fell 10 points behind the Kings, who have three games in hand, in an important game in the Western Conference playoff race.
Salt Lake City native Trevor Lewis had a key goal for Los Angeles in the third period.
Durzi returns: Utah defenseman Sean Durzi returned to the Utah lineup 131 days after suffering a shoulder injury against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 14. As fate would have it, his return came in Los Angeles against the Kings, the team that drafted him 52nd overall in 2018.
"I enjoyed my time here; it was special," Durzi told Utah Hockey Club Rinkside Reporter Sarah Merrifield prior to Saturday’s game. "I still have a lot of great friends on the other side but [when] the puck drops it's the old hockey cliché: no friends out there.
"I'm coming back at a pretty critical point of the season. Coming back to hockey at this pace, at this time of year, is not going to be easy."
Durzi said he has been champing at the bit to return. With his return, the principal pieces of the Utah blue line are all in place for the first time this season, following the recent return of John Marino.
"I've had injuries before; just never this long in a season," Durzi said. "The worst part is seeing the guys out there, day in, day out, leaving their heart on the ice and not being able to do it with them. You want to be a part of it as much as you can. At the same time, you have your own journey to kind of be dealing with."
Durzi had an assist, four shots on goal, and he logged 21:37 of ice time in Los Angeles.
The first virtual draft: One of the charms of the NHL Draft has always been its ability to bring the hockey community together in one place. For years, the top prospects, their agents, NHL personnel, GMs, scouts, coaches, and national and local media were always in the same city and venue for the event.
That will change with the 2025 Draft in Los Angeles. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman held a media availability in LA on Saturday evening to discuss the long-expected change. The top draft-eligible prospects will still be in attendance at the Peacock Theater from June 27 to 28. They'll be joined by fans and some media, but NHL club executives, scouts and coaches — and many of the local media who need access to them — will participate in the event virtually from their home cities.
While the down-home charm of the draft may be lost with the new, virtual-draft format, Utah GM Bill Armstrong said it will help his staff maximize its time and better prepare for both the draft and free agency. The NHL Draft and the start of free agency often come within a week of each other, putting a great strain on the staff.
Quotable: "I like the fact that he got rewarded," Utah coach André Tourigny said of Hayton's hat trick. "I often talk about how much Hayts plays the right way. He does everything right, on and off the ice. He has the right attitude. He competes so hard. You cannot not cheer for him."
Up next: Utah hosts the Vancouver Canucks at 6 p.m. at Delta Center on Sunday. Vancouver currently holds a six-point lead for the second wild card spot that Utah is chasing in the Western Conference. Utah leads the season series, 1-0. Mikhail Sergachev scored with 12 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Utah to a 3-2 victory on Dec. 19 at Delta Center.
