Grizzlies Gameday: Wright Recalled to Colorado. Grizz in Boise for Weekend Set

Utah Grizzlies (8-8, 16 points, .500 Win %) at Idaho Steelheads (13-2-0-1, 27 points, .844 Win %) 

Friday, December 2, 2022. 7:10 pm. Arena: Idaho Central Arena

Broadcast: FloHockey.TV - https://www.flohockey.tv/events/7759864-2022-utah-grizzlies-vs-idaho-steelheads

Audio: YouTube.com/UTAHGRIZZLIES.

It’s the first of a 2 game weekend series at Idaho Central Arena between the Grizzlies and Steelheads. It’s the 6th of 18 regular season meetings between the clubs. Watch out for Zach Tsekos, who has a point in 8 of his last 11 games. Dakota Raabe had 3 straight multiple point games last weekend vs Trois-Rivieres. Raabe was a runner-up for the league’s Player of the Week award. Utah is 16 for 53 on the power play over the last 10 games.

Games This Week

Friday, December 2, 2022 – Utah at Idaho. 7:10 pm. Idaho Central Arena.

Saturday, December 3, 2022 – Utah at Idaho. 7:10 pm. Idaho Central Arena.

You can catch every game on FloHockey and audio on the Grizzlies YouTube channel.

Utah begins a 5 game road trip on December 2 at Idaho. Utah is 5-3 on the road this season.

Games Last Week 

November 25, 2022 – Trois-Rivieres 6 Utah 4 – Dakota Raabe and Zach Tsekos each had 1 goal and 1 assist. Andrew Nielsen had 2 power play assists. Johnny Walker and Tarun Fizer added goals in the loss. For the Lions John Parker-Jones had 2 goals and 1 assist, Nicolas Lariviere had 2 goals and Anthony Beauregard had 1 goal and 1 assist. Utah outshot Trois-Rivieres 31 to 26. 

November 26, 2022 – Trois-Rivieres 4 Utah 5 – Zach Tsekos scored the game winner 13:34 into the third period. Tsekos and Andrew Nielsen each had 1 goal and 1 assist. Dakota Raabe and Victor Bartley each had 2 assists. Keaton Jameson, Brycen Martin and Tyler Penner added goals for Utah, who ended a 5 game losing streak. Utah went 3 for 7 on the power play and Trois-Rivieres was 2 for 6. Garrett Metcalf got the victory in net as he saved 30 of 34.

November 27, 2022 – Trois-Rivieres 0 Utah 4 – Trent Miner earned a 30 save shutout. Dakota Raabe and Victor Bartley each had 1 goal and 1 assist. Cameron Wright had 3 assists.

Recent Transactions

December 2 – Cameron Wright Recalled to Colorado (AHL) – Cameron Wright was recalled to Colorado. Wright signed an AHL contract on July 27, 2022. Wright is tied for 2nd in the league lead with 3 game winning goals. All 3 of his professional goals have been game winners. Wright leads all rookies with 67 shots on goal (2nd overall). Wright has 2 goals and 11 assists in his last 11 games. Wright has 25 shots on goal over his last 5 games.

December 2 – Grizzlies Sign Forward Vladislav Mikhalchuk – Mikhalchuk played in 12 games with Adriondack earlier this season and had 1 goal. He has previous pro experience with Jacksonville in the 2021-2022 season and with Wheeling in the 2020-2021 season. Mikhalchuk had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick vs Utah on Feb. 28, 2021 when he was with Wheeling. He spent his junior hockey career with the WHL’s Prince George Cougars.

November 29 – Andrew Nielsen Loaned to San Diego (AHL) - 2nd in the league with 16 assists. Nielsen leads the league in power play assists (12) and power play points (13). Nielsen is 2nd in points among defenseman with 18 points. Nielsen has 1 goal and 4 assists in his last 3 games. 

November 29 – Zach Tsekos Recalled to Colorado (AHL) - Tied among all league rookies with 4 power play goals. Tsekos has 6 goals and 6 assists in his last 11 games. Tsekos leads the club with 8 goals. Tsekos scored his first professional game winner on Nov. 26 vs Trois-Rivieres. 

November 26 – Grizzlies Acquire Aaron Thow in Trade with Norfolk - Grizz add defenseman Aaron Thow as he comes over from the Norfolk Admirals in a trade for future considerations. Thow made his Grizzlies debut on November 27 in a 4-0 win. This season Thow appeared in 2 games with the Savannah Ghost Pirates and in 8 games with Norfolk, where he scored 1 goal and 1 assist. Last season Thow played with the EIHL’s Nottingham Panthers, where he scored 17 points (3 goals, 14 assists) in 48 games. Thow also played in Slovakia in 6 games in the 2021-2022 season.

November 26 – Tarun Fizer Reassigned to Colorado (AHL) - Forward Tarun Fizer was reassigned to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Fizer is currently on an AHL contract with the Eagles.

November 24 – Brandon Cutler Loaned to Belleville - Forward Brandon Cutler was loaned to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Cutler is the 2nd Grizzlies skater to be loaned to Belleville this season as Kyle Betts was loaned in late October and Bettis is still there.

8 Players in the AHL

There are 8 players who have appeared in 2 or more games with the Grizzlies this season who are now in the American Hockey League. This week Cameron Wright and Zach Tsekos each went to the Colorado Eagles and Andrew Nielsen was loaned to the San Diego Gulls. Last Week Tarun Fizer went to Colorado and Brandon Cutler was loaned to Belleville. Ben Tardif and Nate Clurman each went up to Colorado in early November and are still with the Eagles and Kyle Betts is still in Belleville, where he is a teammate with Cutler.

Grizzlies Player Trends

Johnny Walker – Walker has 5 goals in his last 10 games. Walker leads all league rookies with 56 penalty minutes. 3 of his 5 goals have come on the power play.

Dakota Raabe – Raabe has 2 goals and 4 assists in his last 3 games. Raabe has 3 straight multiple point games.

Victor Bartley - Bartley has 2 straight multiple point games (1 goal, 3 assists).

Brycen Martin – Has a point in 3 of his last 4 games.

Tyler Penner – Penner has a goal in 2 straight games.

Bear Bites: Grizzlies Team Notes

Utah is 16 for 53 on the power play over the last 10 games. Utah is 5-2 in one goal games. Utah is 6-2 when scoring first. Utah has outscored opponents 18 to 14 in the second period this season. Utah is 4-0 when leading after 1 period. Utah is 5-1 when leading after 2 periods. Utah is 2-0 in overtime this season. Utah is 5-3 on the road this season. 

Match-Up With Idaho

It’s the 6th of 18 meetings this season between Utah and Idaho. Utah is 1-1 at Idaho this season. Idaho swept a 3-game series at Utah on November 17-18, 20. Colton Kehler leads Idaho with 8 points vs Utah (2 goals, 5 assists). Ryan Dmowski, Ty Pelton-Byce and Janis Svanenbergs each has 3 goals vs Utah.

2022-2023 Utah Grizzlies Regular Season Totals (league rankings)

Overall record: 8-8

Home record: 3-5

Road record: 5-3

Win percentage: .500

Streak: Won 2

Standings Points: 16

Last 10: 5-5

Goals per game: 2.88 (19th) Goals for: 46

Goals against per game: 3.25 (Tied 16th)  Goals Against: 52

Shots per game: 30.13 (19th) 

Shots against per game: 31.88 (17th) 

Power Play: 18 for 82 – 22.0 % (12th) 

Penalty Kill: 44 for 56- 78.6 % (17th)

Penalty Minutes: 210. 13.13 per game.

Shorthanded Goals: 0

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 1.

Record When Scoring First: 6-2.

Opposition Scores First: 2-6.  

Record in One Goal Games: 5-2. 

Team Leaders (2022-23 Regular season)

Goals: Zach Tsekos (8). 

Assists: Andrew Nielsen (16). 

Points: Nielsen (18).

Plus/Minus: Dakota Raabe/Tsekos (+4). 

PIM: Johnny Walker (54)

Power Play Points: Nielsen (13)

Power Play Goals: Tsekos (4)

Power Play Assists: Nielsen (12).  

Shots on Goal: Cameron Wright (67).  

Shooting Percentage: Tsekos (21.1 %) 8 for 38.   

Game Winning Goals: Wright (3)

Wins: Garrett Metcalf (4)

Save %: Lukas Parik (.917).

Goals Against Average: Parik (2.51)

Active Streaks 

Goal Streaks: Tyler Penner (2) Victor Bartley, Dakota Raabe, Cam Strong (1)

Assist Streaks: Bartley, Dylan Fitze, Andrew Nielsen, Raabe, Tsekos, Cameron Wright (3)

Point Streaks of 2 or more: Bartley, Fitze, Nielsen, Raabe, Tsekos, Wright (3) Penner (2).

Multiple Point games (2021-2022 Regular Season)

5: Andrew Nielsen

4: Zach Tsekos

3: Dakota Raabe, Cameron Wright

2: Victor Bartley, Ben Tardif

1: Brandon Cutler, Tarun Fizer, Johnny Walker