Grizzlies Gameday: Opening Night at Maverik Center

Grizzlies Gameday: Opening Night at Maverik Center 

Tulsa Oilers (22-41-8-1) - 2022-23 at Utah Grizzlies (35-33-4) – 2022-23

Date: October 21, 2023  Venue: Maverik Center. 

Game Time: 7:10 pm. 

Streaming/TV: FloHockey - https://www.flohockey.tv/events/11051998-2023-tulsa-oilers-vs-utah-grizzlies

Audio/Radio: Utah Grizzlies YouTube channel. 

Opening Night at Maverik Center 

The Utah Grizzlies begin their quest for a Kelly Cup on a Saturday night at Maverik Center. Utah begins the regular season with 7 straight home games. 10 of their first 13 games will be at home. The Grizzlies are 13-13-2 all time in regular season openers. 

Utah Grizzlies 2023-2024 Roster

Forwards (13): Kyle Betts, Nathan Burke, Cody Caron, Brandon Cutler, Dylan Fitze, Cole Gallant, Jordan Martel, Mick Messner, Tyler Penner, Jared Power, Dakota Raabe, Ryan Sandelin, Dean Yakura. 

Defenseman (10): Gianni Fairbrother, Kade Jensen, Kyle Mayhew, Jacob Semik, Jordon Stone, Keoni Texeira, Cory Thomas, Michael Underwood, Josh Wesley, Bryan Yoon. 

Goaltenders (3): Dante Giannuzzi, Garrett Metcalf, Trent Miner.

Josh Wesley Named Grizzlies Captain

Defenseman Josh Wesley has been named captain of the Grizzlies for the 2023-2024 season. Keoni Texeira and Kyle Betts will be the assistant captains for Grizzlies home games. Tyler Penner and Dylan Fitze will be assistant captains for away games. 

Wesley is entering his eighth full season as a professional. He has 163 games of AHL experience with 5 different clubs. He has also spent time with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, Tulsa Oilers and Maine Mariners. His best statistical season in the ECHL was with Florida, where he scored 29 points (9 goals, 20 assists) and was a +19 in 48 games in the 2016-2017 season. 

Texeira brings leadership and experience to the club for the 2023-2024 campaign. Texeira was the captain of the Indy Fuel in the 2021-2022 season. Last year with Indy he led the club in plus/minus at +19. He is entering his 6^th season as a professional. 

Betts was a standout performer in the 2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs for Utah as he scored 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 6 games. Betts was 3 for 11 shooting in the playoffs. Last year Betts spent the majority of the time with the AHL’s Belleville Senators, where he appeared in 40 games. 

Penner has appeared in every game for the Grizzlies since the start of the 2021-2022 season. Penner led all Grizzlies forwards in plus/minus in the 2021-2022 campaign at +22. In 144 regular season games with the Grizz he has 24 goals and 32 assists. 

Fitze and Penner were each the only Grizzlies skaters to play in all 72 games in the 2022-2023 season. Fitze had 17 goals and 21 assists last season. In the last 27 games of the regular season he scored 23 points (9 goals, 14 assists). 

Remembering Dave Elmore

Grizzlies Co-Founder and Co-Owner Dave Elmore passed away on June 7, 2023 at the age of 88. He created the Elmore Sports Group, a conglomerate of Minor League Baseball teams, professional hockey clubs, facility, concessions and special event management companies. 

David Elmore's passion for professional baseball was exemplified through his ownership of numerous minor league teams across the country.

As the founder and owner of several minor league baseball teams, including the Eugene Emeralds, Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Inland Empire 66ers, Amarillo Sod Poodles, San Antonio Missions, Idaho Falls Chukars and Lynchburg Hillcats, David Elmore established a lasting legacy in the world of sports. He was inducted into the Pacific Coast League and Texas League Halls of Fame and was recognized as King of Baseball in 2016.  

Beyond his involvement in professional baseball, David Elmore's visionary leadership extended to various sports ventures. Dave Elmore had a passion for hockey, owning the Utah Grizzlies and the Idaho Falls Spud Kings.  Dave along with his wife, Donna Tuttle, moved the Grizzlies from Denver to Utah, and aided West Valley City in the development of the Maverik Center, a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment arena which hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. This multi-purpose facility became a hub for sporting events, concerts, and community gatherings, providing an unforgettable experience for attendees and contributing to the local economy.

Grizzlies – Oilers Connections

Utah will face Tulsa 10 times in the 2023-2024 regular season with both teams hosting the other 5 times. These teams met in the first round of the 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs, where Utah won the series 4 games to 3. Grizzlies captain Josh Wesley played in 26 games with Tulsa in the 2019-2020 season, where he scored 8 goals and 9 assists. Tulsa forward Ryan Olsen played in 34 games with the Grizzlies in the 2017-2018 season and scored 8 goals and 17 assists. It’s Olsen’s second stint with Tulsa as he appeared in 3 games at the end of the 2016-17 campaign. Utah went 5-1 vs Tulsa in the 2022-2023 regular season. Utah is 32-18-6 all time vs Tulsa in the regular season. 

About the Tulsa Oilers 
Oilers head coach Rob Murray enters his 7^th season with the club. He enters the 2023- 24 season sixth in ECHL history with 854 games coached and ninth with 421 wins. In 2018-19, Murray was runner-up for the ECHL Coach of the Year award and was named ECHL General Manager of the Year after leading to the Oilers to their first division title since the 1975-76 season,

Eddie Matsushima returns to the Oilers lineup. He led Tulsa with 47 points last season (28 goals, 19 assists) in 65 games. Defenseman Mike McKee is their longest tenured player as it’s his 7^th season with the club. Forward Tyler Poulsen is back for another season in Tulsa after a 10 goal 30 assist 2022-2023 campaign. 

2023-2024 Games by Opponents

Idaho Steelheads – 14 (7 home, 7 away)

Tulsa Oilers – 10 (5 home, 5 away)

Wichita Thunder – 4 (3 home, 1 away)

Iowa Heartlanders – 3 (Away)

Newfoundland Growlers – 6 (3 home, 3 away)

Allen Americans 7 (3 home, 4 away)

Cincinnati Cyclones – 1 (Away)

Fort Wayne Komets – 3 (Away)

Kansas City Mavericks – 9 (3 home, 6 away)

Rapid City Rush – 9 (6 home, 3 away)

Wheeling Nailers – 3 (Home)

Norfolk Admirals – 3 (Home)

2023-2024 Games by Day of the Week

Monday – 3 home, 0 away

Tuesday – 0 home, 1 away

Wednesday – 6 home, 4 away

Thursday – 0 games

Friday – 11 home, 12 away

Saturday – 13 home, 12 away

Sunday – 3 home, 7 away

2022-2023 Grizzlies Players Who Are Elsewhere

Forward Cameron Wright signed an AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors. He will start the 2023-24 year with the Fort Wayne Komets. Wright had 29 goals and 34 assists (63 points) in 64 games with Utah last season. Wright led the Grizz in goals, points and game winning goals (9). Wright had 21 power play points (8 goals, 13 assists). 

Defenseman Andrew Nielsen signed with a team in Norway. 

Keaton Jameson is now with the Norfolk Admirals. Jameson had 15 goals and 22 assists with Utah in 71 games last season. 

Johnny Walker is with the Dundee Stars in Great Britain. Kyle Pouncy is also in Dundee. 

Ben Tardif signed with KooKoo in Finland. Same team that Charle-Edouard D’Astous played on last season and is signed on to play this year. The dynamic duo of Tardif and D’Astous are reunited. 

Nolan Ritchie is playing for Meran/Merano in Italy. 

James Shearer signed with the EIHL’s Coventry Blaze. 

Lukas Parik signed with HC Stadion Litoměřice / Czechia2 - 23/24

Zach Tsekos signed with the Florida Everblades.

Tarun Fizer is in the AHL with the Belleville Senators. 

Luke Martin is with HIFK Helsink in Finland. 

Brycen Martin is with the Trois Rivieres Lions. 

Joey Colatarci is in the SPHL with the Birmingham Bulls.