Grizzlies Gameday: Rivalry Night in Boise

Grizzlies Gameday: Rivalry Night in Boise 

Utah Grizzlies (8-15, 16 points, .348 Win %) at Idaho Steelheads (19-5-0-1, 39 points, .780 Win %) 

Date: December 22, 2023  Venue: Idaho Central Arena

Game Time: 7:10 pm. 

Streaming/TV: FloHockey - https://www.flohockey.tv/events/11054054-2023-utah-grizzlies-vs-idaho-steelheads 

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

Friday’s Matchup

The Utah Grizzlies are at Idaho Central Arena for the opener of a home and home series before the Christmas break.  Nathan Burke and Brandon Cutler are tied for the club lead with 18 points this season. Both Burke and Cutler have 9 goals and 9 assists. Mick Messner has 5 goals in his last 7 games.  For Idaho watch out for Wade Murphy, who has 14 goals and 20 assists in 25 games this season. Mark Rassell leads Idaho with 18 goals in 25 games. It’s the third of 14 meetings in the regular season between Utah and Idaho. 

Games This Week

Friday, December 22, 2023 – Utah at Idaho. 7:10 pm. Idaho Central Arena. 

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 Last Week

Wednesday, December 13, 2023 – Utah 2 Cincinnati 5 – Cole Gallant had 1 goal and 1 assist. Brett Stapley had 2 assists. Kyle Mayhew scored a third period goal. Nathan Burke had 1 assist. Dante Giannuzzi stopped 31 of 35. Cincinnati was led by Cristiano DiGiacinto, who had 1 goal and 2 assists. Cincinnati outshot Utah 36 to 21. Both teams went 0 for 2 on the power play. 

Friday, December 15, 2023 – Utah 2 Fort Wayne 5 - Tyler Penner and Mick Messner scored Utah’s goals. Komets outshot the Grizz 45 to 28. Utah was 0 for 2 on the power play and 4 for 5 on the penalty kill. Komets were led by Alexis D’Aoust and Xavier Cormier, who each had 2 goals and 2 assists. Matt Wedman had 1 goal and 2 assists. 

Saturday, December 16, 2023 – Utah 2 Fort Wayne 3 - Brandon Cutler scored both of Utah’s goals. Fort Wayne was led by Morgan Adams-Moisan and Shawn Szydlowski, who both had 1 goal and 1 assist. Fort Wayne was 2 for 4 on the power play. Utah was 1 for 6. 

Sunday, December 17, 2023 – Utah 3 Fort Wayne 6 – Aaron Aragon, Brandon Cutler and Quinn Wichers each scored a goal for Utah. J.C. Campagna had 2 assists in the third period. Fort Wayne was led by 3 goals and 1 assist from Carl Berglund and 1 goal and 4 assists from Jack Dugan. 

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 3 assists in 2 games with Utah after signing with them on December 16. 

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

Tyler Penner has appeared in 167 straight regular season games for Utah, 191 if you count the playoffs. 

Cole Gallant has 10 points (4g, 6a) in his last 8 games. 

Brandon Cutler has 5 goals and 2 assists in his last 7 games. Cutler has 3 power play goals in his last 5 games. Cutler has a point in 3 straight games. Cutler and Nathan Burke are tied for the club lead with 18 points as both players have 9 goals and 9 assists this season. 

Brett Stapley has 9 assists in 10 games in December. 

Mick Messner has 5 goals in his last 7 games. 

Bear Bites (Grizzlies Team Notes)

Utah is 6-2 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 256 to 216 in the third period. Utah is 5-1 when leading after 1 period and 7-1 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 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 Signed Forward J.C. Campagna

On December 16^th the Grizzlies signed forward J.C. Campagna. On Saturday night he played in his 200^th ECHL game and 201^st North American pro hockey game as he played in 1 game with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in the 2018-19 season. Campagna had 1 assist in Utah’s 3-2 loss. The Grizzlies are his 10^th different ECHL team that he has played with. In 200 league games he has 76 goals and 66 assists 

Grizzlies Captain Recalled to Colorado

Defenseman Josh Wesley was recalled to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Wesley has 4 goals and 5 assists in 20 games this season. He has 69 shots on goal, which ranks 4^th among all league defensemen.  

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

Overall record: 8-15

Home record: 8-5

Road record: 0-10

Win percentage: .348

Streak: Lost 4

Standings Points: 16

Last 10: 2-8

Goals per game: 2.86 (23^rd) Goals for: 66

Goals against per game: 3.43 (16^th) Goals Against: 79

Shots per game: 31.26 (16^th)

Shots against per game: 32.86 (23^rd)

Power Play: 12 for 74 – 16.2 % (23^rd)

Penalty Kill: 53 for 74 – 71.6 % (28^th)

Penalty Minutes: 259. 11.26 per game. 

Shorthanded Goals: 4 

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 4.   

Record When Scoring First: 6-2. 

Opposition Scores First: 2-13. 

Record in One Goal Games: 2-5. 

SCORING         1ST       2ND               3RD               OT/Shootout      TOTAL                      

Utah Grizzlies     16         27                   23                   0                               66

Opposition          27         29                   23                   0                               79

Team Leaders 

Goals: Nathan Burke/Brandon Cutler (9) 

Assists: Brett Stapley (14)

Points: Burke/Cutler (18)

Plus/Minus: Kyle Mayhew (+6)

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 (74) 

Shooting Percentage: Kyle Mayhew (17.1 %) - Minimum 20 shots.  

Game Winning Goals: Cutler (2) 

Wins: Trent Miner (4)

Save %: Miner (.916) 

Goals Against Average: Miner (2.52) 

Shutouts: Metcalf (1)

Multiple Point Games 

5 – Brandon Cutler, Brett Stapley

4 – Nathan Burke. 

3 – Cole Gallant, Mick Messner. – Gallant has 3 straight multiple point games. 

2- Kyle Betts, Jordan Martel, Kyle Mayhew, Dakota Raabe, Bryan Yoon. 

1 – Adam Berg, J.C. Campagna, Gianni Fairbrother, Dylan Fitze, Keoni Texeira, Josh Wesley. 

Streaks 

Goals: Brandon Cutler (2) Aaron Aragon, Quinn Wichers (1)

Assists: J.C. Campagna, Patriks Marcinkevics (2) Kyle Mayhew, Dakota Raabe, Jacob Semik (1)

Points (2 or more) – Cutler, Wichers (3) Campagna, Marcinkevics (2)

Utah Grizzlies 2023-2024 Roster

Forwards (13): Aaron Aragon, Adam Berg, Nathan Burke, J.C. Campagna, Cody Caron, Brandon Cutler, Dylan Fitze, Cole Gallant, Mick Messner, Tyler Penner, Dakota Raabe, Brett Stapley, Dean Yakura. 

Defenseman (8): Kyle Mayhew, Jacob Semik, Jordon Stone, Keoni Texeira, Cory Thomas, Michael Underwood, Quinn Wichers, Bryan Yoon. 

Goaltenders (3): Will Cranley, Dante Giannuzzi, Garrett Metcalf.