Grizzlies Captains Named for the 2024-25 Season

Grizzlies Announce Captains for the 2024-25 Season 

West Valley City, Utah – The Utah Grizzlies have announced their captains for the 2024-25 season. Defenseman Gianni Fairbrother has been named captain of the Grizzlies and will wear the “C” for the 2024-25 campaign. Dylan Fitze and James Shearer have been named home assistant captains for Grizzlies home games. Cole Gallant and Mick Messner will be assistant captains for Grizzlies away games. 

Fairbrother played in 8 games with the Grizzlies in the 2023-24 season, scoring 1 goal and 2 assists. He played with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips for 5 full seasons from 2016-2021. In 160 games with Everett, he scored 83 points (18 goals, 65 assists). Fairbrother was the captain of the Silvertips in the 2020-2021 season. He was drafted in the 3^rd round (77^th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2019 NHL Draft. 

In 137 games with the Grizzlies Fitze has 41 goals and 45 assists. In 24 playoff games with Utah he has 9 goals and 3 assists. Fitze was acquired by Utah in a trade with the Orlando Solar Bears on March 24, 2022. Fitze scored 41 points (21 goals, 20 assists) in 55 games with the Grizzlies during the 2023-24 season. Fitze was an assistant captain for the Grizzlies during the 2022-23 season. 

Shearer returns to the Grizzlies this season after spending the 2023-24 campaign with the EIHL’s Coventry Blaze. In 81 career regular season games with the Grizzlies, Shearer has 9 goals and 25 assists. Shearer has been a team leader wherever he has played. He was the captain of the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings during the 2017-18 season. He was also an assistant captain his senior season at the University of Calgary during the 2021-22 season and he was an assistant captain for the Grizzlies during the 2022-23 season, where he scored 6 goals and 17 assists in 54 games. 

Gallant finished third on the Grizzlies in assists (35) and was fourth in points (47) during the 2023-24 season. Gallant was the captain of the USHL’s Omaha Lancers during the 2017-18 season, where he scored 15 goals and 37 assists in 59 games. Gallant was an assistant captain at Western Michigan University for his 2022-23 senior season. 

Messner scored a goal for Utah in the regular season opener at Idaho on October 18^th. Messner scored 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists) in 72 regular season games for the Grizzlies during the 2023-24 season. Messner was the captain of the USHL’s Madison Capitals during the 2017-18 season where he scored 16 goals and 29 assists in 60 games. Messner was an assistant captain at Merrimack College during the 2022-23 season. 

The Grizzlies home opener is on Friday, November 1^st at 7:10 pm. Tickets for every Grizzlies home game are available at utahgrizzlies.com or by calling (801) 988-8000.