Josh Wesley Named Utah Grizzlies Captain for 2023-2024 Season
West Valley City, Utah – Defenseman Josh Wesley has been named captain of the Utah 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 6th 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).
The Grizzlies begin the 2023-2024 regular season with 7 straight home games, beginning with a 2 game series vs Tulsa on Saturday, October 21st at 7:10 pm and Sunday, October 22nd at 3:10 pm. Tickets for every Grizzlies home game are available at utahgrizzlies.com or by calling (801) 988-8000.
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