Grizzlies Gameday: Festivus at Maverik Center

Grizzlies Gameday: Saturday Night Showdown at Maverik Center

Idaho Steelheads (20-5-0-1, 41 points, .788 Win %) @ Utah Grizzlies (8-16, 16 points, .333 Win %)

Date: December 23, 2023  Venue: Maverik Center

Game Time: 7:10 pm.

Streaming/TV: FloHockey - https://www.flohockey.tv/events/11054327-2023-idaho-steelheads-vs-utah-grizzlies

Audio/Radio: Utah Grizzlies YouTube channel. - https://www.youtube.com/@THEUTAHGRIZZLIES

Saturday’s Matchup

The Utah Grizzlies are back at Maverik Center for the opener of a 4 game homestand. It’s also the final game before the Christmas break. The Grizzlies have been good on home ice this season as they are 8-5 and have outscored the opposition 47 to 37 at Maverik Center. Nathan Burke, Brandon Cutler and Brett Stapley are in a three way tie for the club lead with 18 points this season. Both Burke and Cutler have 9 goals and 9 assists. Stapley has 3 goals and 15 assists. Cole Gallant has 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in his last 8 games. Mick Messner has 5 goals in his last 8 games. For Idaho, watch out for Wade Murphy, who has 15 goals and 21 assists in 26 games this season. Mark Rassell leads the league with 18 goals.  It’s the fourth of 14 meetings in the regular season between Utah and Idaho.

Games This Week

Friday, December 22, 2023 – Utah 2 Idaho 3 – Jacob Semik had 1 goal and 1 assist. Dante Giannuzzi stopped 38 of 41. J.C. Campagna scored his first goal in a Utah uniform. Idaho was led by 1 goal and 2 assists from Patrick Kudla and Wade Murphy’s game winning goal 13:39 into the third period. Idaho outshot Utah 41 to 24.

Saturday, December 23, 2023 – Idaho at Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center.

All Times Mountain.

Tickets for every Grizzlies home game is available at utahgrizzlies.com or by calling (801) 988-8000.

Games Next Week

Friday, December 29, 2023 – Tulsa @ Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center. AFCU Friday.

Saturday, December 30, 2023 – Tulsa @ Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center.

Sunday, December 31, 2023 – Tulsa @ Utah. 7:10 pm. Maverik Center.

Jersey Number Switches

Defenseman Kyle Mayhew has changed his number from 6 to 27. Forward J.C. Campagna changes from number 26 to number 23.

Grizzlies Player Notes

Kyle Mayhew is tied for the league lead for goals among defensemen with 6.

J.C. Campagna has 1 goal and 3 assists in 3 games with Utah. He signed with the club on December 16. J.C. has 77 goals and 68 assists in his ECHL career.

Quinn Wichers has a point in 3 of his 4 games in Utah (1g, 2a). Wichers is a +2 in 4 games with Utah.

Tyler Penner has appeared in 168 straight regular season games for Utah, 192 if you count the playoffs.

Cole Gallant has 11 points (4g, 7a) in his last 9 games.

Brandon Cutler has 5 goals and 2 assists in his last 8 games. Cutler has 3 power play goals in his last 5 games. Cutler has a point in 3 of his last 4 games. Cutler leads Utah with 83 shots on goal.  

Brett Stapley has 10 assists in 11 games in December.

Mick Messner has 5 goals in his last 8 games.

Dylan Fitze returned to the Grizzlies lineup on December 22^nd for the first time since suffering an injury at Iowa on November 18. Fitze has 3 goals and 2 assists in 9 games this season.

Jacob Semik scored his first multiple point game in his career with 1 goal and 1 assist on December 22^nd at Idaho.

Bear Bites (Grizzlies Team Notes)

Utah is 6-3 when scoring first. Utah is the only team in the league who has not played a game past regulation. Utah is 8-5 at home this season, outscoring opponents 47 to 37. Utah has 4 shorthanded goals this season. Utah has outshot opponents 266 to 230 in the third period. Utah is 5-2 when leading after 1 period and 7-2 when leading after 2 periods. Utah had a season high crowd of 7,644 on December 9. They set a team record for Teddy Bears Tossed with 3,647 on December 9. 

Recent Transactions

December 22 – Utah signed defenseman Anders Johnson.

December 21 – Defenseman Josh Wesley recalled to Colorado (AHL)

December 20 – Defenseman Josh Wesley reassigned to Utah from Colorado (AHL).

December 20 – Utah releases Patriks Marcinkevics.

December 16 – Utah signs forward J.C. Campagna. Campagna played in his 200^th ECHL game on December 16^th at Fort Wayne. Campagna has 3 assists in 2 games with Utah.

December 15 – Defenseman Josh Wesley recalled to Colorado (AHL). Wesley has 4 goals and 5 assists in 20 games for Utah.

December 13 – Utah trades forward Jordan Martel to the Wheeling Nailers for defenseman Quinn Wichers and Future Considerations. Wichers made his Utah debut on Dec. 15.

December 12 – Utah receives goaltender Will Cranley, who was reassigned from Springfield (AHL). Cranley saved 40 of 45 in his Utah debut on Dec. 15.

Grizzlies Sign Salt Lake City Native Anders Johnson

Johnson attended Skyline High School in Salt Lake City. He played in 26 games with the Ogden Mustangs in the 2018-19 season, scoring 5 goals and 7 assists.  

He played at SUNY-Fredonia for 3 seasons from 2019-2023. In 3 seasons at Fredonia he scored 2 goals and 9 assists. He has great size at 6’5” and 220 pounds. Johnson made his Grizzlies and professional debut on December 22, 2023 at Idaho.

Could We Finally See an Overtime Game?

The Grizzlies are the only team in the league who have yet to play a game past regulation. The Idaho Steelheads have had 4 games decided past regulation and they have a basic 3-1 record in those games. Last season the Grizzlies had 9 games decided past regulation. They were 3-4 when the game ended in OT and 2-0 when it ended in a shootout.

Penner Played in 168^th Straight Regular Season Game

On December 18^th the Grizzlies Ironman, Tyler Penner, played in his 168^th straight regular season game. Penner has appeared in every regular season and playoff game for Utah since the start of the 2021-22 season. The streak is currently 168 regular season contests and 192 games if you include the postseason. Penner’s consecutive game streak is the longest for the Grizzlies in the 21^st century. Penner has 27 goals and 33 assists in his Grizzlies career.

2023-2024 Utah Grizzlies Regular Season Totals (league rankings)

Overall record: 8-16

Home record: 8-5

Road record: 0-11

Win percentage: .333

Streak: Lost 5

Standings Points: 16

Last 10: 2-8

Goals per game: 2.83 (Tied 24^th) Goals for: 68

Goals against per game: 3.42 (20^th) Goals Against: 82

Shots per game: 30.96 (16^th)

Shots against per game: 33.21 (21^st)

Power Play: 12 for 78 – 15.4 % (24^th)

Penalty Kill: 54 for 76 – 71.1 % (28^th)

Penalty Minutes: 259. 11.26 per game. 

Shorthanded Goals: 4

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 4.    

Record When Scoring First: 6-3.  

Opposition Scores First: 2-13.

Record in One Goal Games: 2-6.

SCORING          1ST       2ND               3RD               OT/Shootout       TOTAL                     

Utah Grizzlies     17         28                   23                   0                               68

Opposition           27         30                   25                   0                               82

Team Leaders

Goals: Nathan Burke/Brandon Cutler (9)

Assists: Brett Stapley (15)

Points: Burke/Cutler/Stapley (18)

Plus/Minus: Kyle Mayhew (+5)

PIM: Burke (39)

Power Play Points: Cutler/Jordan Martel/Stapley (5)

Power Play Goals: Cutler/Martel (3)

Power Play Assists: Stapley (3) 

Shots on Goal: Brandon Cutler (83) 

Shooting Percentage: Kyle Mayhew (15.0 %) - Minimum 20 shots.   

Game Winning Goals: Cutler (2)

Wins: Trent Miner (4)

Save %: Miner (.916)

Goals Against Average: Miner (2.52)

Shutouts: Metcalf (1)