Grizzlies Gameday: Black Friday Battle at Maverik Center

Indy Fuel (6-6-0-1, 13 points, .500 point %) @ Utah Grizzlies (5-9-1, 11 points, .367 point %)

Date: November 29, 2024 Venue: Maverik Center Game Time: 7:10 pm.

Streaming: FloHockey – https://www.flohockey.tv/events/12617212-2024-indy-fuel-vs-utah-grizzlies?nav_id=75

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

Next Home Game: November 29, 2024 – Indy at Utah. 7:10 pm.

Friday’s Matchup

It’s the second of a three-game series between the Grizzlies and Fuel. Utah is 5-3 all-time vs Indy.

The Indy Fuel are in their 14^th game of their season long 15 game road trip to start the season as they recently finished building their new arena, Fishers Event Center.

The Grizzlies have the fewest penalty minutes in the league with 110 and they have the lowest penalty minutes per game average at 7.33. Utah has 19 goals in 5 home games this season.

Cole Gallant has 8 assists in his last 9 games. Mick Messner has 51 shots on goal in 12 games in November. Kabore Dunn scored his first pro goal at Wichita on Nov. 22. Tyson Upper scored his first pro goal vs Indy on Nov. 27.

Grizzlies Among League Leaders

Adam Scheel leads the league in minutes (793) and saves (411). Gianni Fairbrother leads all league defenseman with 6 goals. Derek Daschke is tied for 2^nd among league defensemen with 15 points and is 3^rd with 12 assists.

Games on the Grizzlies Homestand at Maverik Center

Wednesday, November 27, 2024 – Indy4 Utah 2 – Gianni Fairbrother and Tyson Upper each scored a goal for Utah. Indy was led by a 2 goal and 1 assist performance from Nathan Burke and 3 assists from Bryan Lemos. Indy went 1 for 3 on the power play, Utah was 0 for 5.

Friday, November 29, 2024 – Indy @ Utah. 7:10 pm. Black Friday “White Out”

Saturday, November 30, 2024 – Indy @ Utah. 7:10 pm. Pickleball Night.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024 – Kansas City @ Utah. 7:10 pm.

Friday, December 6, 2024 – Kansas City @ Utah. 7:10 pm. Health Care Appreciation Weekend Presented by U of U Health.

Saturday, December 7, 2024 – Kansas City @ Utah. 7:10 pm. Health Care Appreciation Weekend Presented by U of U Health.

All Times Mountain.

Tickets for every Grizzlies home game are available at utahgrizzlies.com or by calling (801) 988-8000. Every Grizzlies game can be streamed on FloHockey and audio coverage is available on the Grizzlies YouTube channel.

Recent Transactions: Grizzlies Sign Savenkov, Release Hartje

November 29 – Grizzlies sign defenseman Dilan Savenkov. Savenkov played with Trois-Rivieres, Cincinnati, Orlando and Reading last season. Savenkov is 23 years old and he is from Estonia.

November 29 – Grizzlies release Chase Hartje. Hartje appeared in 8 games with Utah and had 1 assist.

November 27 – Grizzlies sign defenseman Cody Corbett.

November 26 – Grizzlies released forward Nick Pastorious.

The Indy Fuel’s Very, Very Long Road Trip Ends This Weekend

The Indy Fuel are off to a unique start to the 2024-25 season. The Fuel start the season with 15 straight road games as they just completed construction on the new Fishers Event Center. The Fuel’s home opener in their new arena will be on December 6^th vs Iowa.

On the ice it’s also been a unique start of the season for the Fuel, who have a record of 6-6-0-1 on the season. Fuel games this season are bringing back the days of the “Dead Puck Era” as Indy has scored 21 goals through 13 games (1.62 goals per game). The Fuel have allowed 24 goals this season (1.85 per game). Indy is 19^th in the league in averaging 28.85 shots per game and they lead the league in shots allowed per game at 23.69. Indy has outshot opponents in 10 of 13 games this season. Indy’s team save percentage is .925.

Nathan Burke, Bryan Lemos and Brandon Saigeon are each tied for the club lead with 7 points. Burke leads Indy with 4 goals and Lemos leads the way with 7 assists, including 3 on November 27^th vs Utah.

Grizzlies/Fuel Connections

There are 3 former Grizzlies skaters on the Indy Fuel’s roster. Indy’s leading scorer Brandon Saigeon was with Utah in the 2019-20 season. Saigeon scored 8 goals and 10 assists in 51 games with the Grizzlies. Saigeon was a 5^th round pick (140^th overall) by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2018 NHL draft. Nathan Burke scored 38 points (18 goals, 20 assists) in 64 games with Utah in the 2023-24 season. Luc Salem appeared in 2 games with the Grizzlies at the end of the 2023-24 season. Salem played at St. Lawerence University from 2020-24 and was a college teammate with Grizz forward Cameron Buhl.

It may not be a Grizzlies connection, but Fuel forward Matus Spodniak is a local junior hockey legend. Spodniak played for the Ogden Mustangs for three seasons when they were in the WSHL. In 146 games with the Mustangs he scored 135 goals and 153 assists (288 points). Spodniak averaged 1.97 points per game in his time in Ogden. In his final season in Ogden he scored 146 points (69 goals, 77 assists) in just 44 games (3.31 points per game).

Grizzlies Player Notes 

#3 Craig Armstrong took a season high 6 shots at Wichita on Nov. 20. Armstrong has 10 shots in his last 5 games and 21 shots in 12 games in November. Armstrong is a +2 in 3 different games this season. He had 1 assist vs Indy on Nov. 27.

#4 Bryan Yoon has a point in 6 of his first 10 games this season (3g, 3a). Yoon has a 17.6 shooting % (3 for 17). Yoon has missed the last 5 games due to injury.  

#5 Derek Daschke leads the team in assists (12), points (15) and is second on the club in shots on goal (44).  Daschke has 15 points in 13 games (3 goals, 12 assists). Daschke has a current 5 game assist streak. He has a point in 10 of his 13 games. He leads Grizzlies defenseman with a +3 rating. Daschke leads Utah with 5 power play points (1g, 4a). Daschke has 3 or more shots in 8 of 13 games. Derek has missed the past 2 games due to a lower body injury.

#10 Mick Messner leads Utah in shots on goal with 56 (3.73 per game). Messner has 35 shots in his last 10 games. He is tied among all Grizzlies forwards for the team lead with 5 goals. Messner has a point in 8 of his 15 games. He has 8 points (3g, 5a) in 12 games in November.

#11 Cameron Buhl was the number 1 star on Nov. 9 vs Tahoe as he scored the game tying and game winning goals in the third period. Buhl has 3 goals this season, all of them assisted by Dylan Fitze. Buhl has 2 or more shots in 8 of 14 games this season. Buhl has 13 shots in his last 7 games.

#12 Blake Wells was injured on opening night at Idaho (October 18^th) and is out with an upper body injury.

#13 Dylan Fitze scored three points in the third period on November 9 vs Tahoe (1 goal, 2 assists). Fitze has assisted in all 3 of Cameron Buhl’s goals. Fitze has 5 points (2g, 3a) in his last 7 games. Fitze has missed the last 3 games due to an upper body injury.  

#14 Briley Wood has a point in 7 of his last 14 games. Wood has 1 goal and 3 assists in his last 6 games.

#15 Aaron Aragon has 2 goals in his last 6 games.  

#16 Luke Manning has a point in 7 of his last 14 games (2g, 7a). Manning is second in the club with 3 power play assists. Manning has 3 or more shots in 6 different games this season.

#17 Reed Lebster leads Utah with 2 power play goals. Lebster has 2 or more shots in 11 of his 14 games with Utah and 3 or more shots in 8 different games.

#19 Adam Berg scored a goal in his first shift in his return to the club 3:08 into the first period on Nov. 15 at Allen. Berg reunites with Utah after playing in 9 games with the EIHL’s Nottingham Panthers. Berg scored 9 goals and 14 assists in 50 games with the Grizzlies last season.

#23 Kade Jensen scored his first pro goal at Rapid City on October 25, 2024. That night Jensen had 1 goal and 1 assist. Jensen has 2 goals and 2 assists in 15 games this season.

#24 Gianni Fairbrother has 6 goals, which leads the Grizzlies as well as all league defensemen. 5 of his 6 goals this season have come against Allen. Fairbrother had 2 goals, 1 assist and 8 shots on goal vs Allen on Nov. 2. He was named Grizzlies Captain on October 23rd. It's the third straight season that a defenseman has been named Grizzlies captain (Josh Wesley 2023-24, Connor McDonald 2022-23). Fairbrother scored a goal which turned out to be the game winner in his first game as Utah’s captain on Nov. 1.

#25 Cole Gallant has 8 assists in his last 9 games and an assist in 5 of his last 9 contests. Gallant leads Utah forwards in assists (11). He had 3 assists at Allen on November 16 and 2 helpers vs Wichita on November 20. Gallant has 26 shots in his last 10 games.

#26 Tyson Upper scored his first pro goal vs Indy on Nov. 27.

#27 Cade Neilson scored a goal in his pro debut on Nov. 1^st vs Allen. Neilson got into a fight halfway through the first period on Nov. 2. Neilson got his first north American pro assist on Nov. 9 vs Tahoe. Neilson had 1 assist in 4 games with the EIHL’s Glasgow Clan this season. Neilson has a point in 4 of his 12 games with Utah.   

#28 Kabore Dunn scored his first pro goal 16:30 into the first period at Wichita on Nov. 22.  

#34 Adam Scheel leads the league in saves (411) and minutes (793). Scheel has started 13 of Utah’s 15 games.

#35 Vincent Duplessis made his first appearance of the season on November 21 at Wichita, stopping 29 of 32 in a 4-1 loss.

#41 Cody Corbett signed with Utah on Nov. 27, 2024. Corbett played in 7 games with Utah in the 2023-24 season, scoring 1 assist and taking 7 shots. Corbett had 1 shot vs Indy on Nov. 27.

#74 James Shearer has 3 assists this season. He has been paired up with Gianni Fairbrother to start the season. In 80 career games with Utah he has 9 goals, 28 assists and a +9 rating. Shearer has missed the last 2 games due to a lower body injury.

Grizzlies Team Notes 

Utah has scored 19 goals in 5 home games this season. The Grizzlies have the fewest penalty minutes in the league with 110. Utah is 3-0 when leading after 2 periods. Utah is 4-1-1 when outshooting opponents. Utah is 2-0-1 in one goal games.

Utah Grizzlies 2024-2025 Roster

Forwards (14): Aaron Aragon, Craig Armstrong, Adam Berg, Cameron Buhl, Dylan Fitze, Cole Gallant, Reed Lebster, Luke Manning, Mick Messner, Reed Morison, Cade Neilson, Tyson Upper, Blake Wells, Briley Wood.

Defenseman (9): Cody Corbett, Derek Daschke, Kabore Dunn, Gianni Fairbrother, Kade Jensen, Kyle Pow, Dilan Savenkov, James Shearer, Bryan Yoon.

Goaltenders (2): Vincent Duplessis, Adam Scheel.

2024-2025 Utah Grizzlies Regular Season Totals

Overall record: 5-9-1

Home record: 2-3

Road record: 3-6-1

Win percentage: .367

Standings Points: 11

Last 10: 2-7-1

Goals per game: 2.87 (15^th)  Goals for: 43

Goals against per game: 4.07 (Tied 28^th) Goals Against: 61

Shots per game: 32.80 (5^th)  

Shots against per game: 35.33 (27^th)

Power Play: 7 for 42 – 16.7 % (Tied 22^nd)

Penalty Kill: 18 for 34 – 52.9 % (29^th)

Penalty Minutes: 110. 7.33 per game. (Fewest penalty minutes in the league).

Shorthanded Goals: 1.  

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 1. 

Record When Scoring First: 3-2-1.

Opposition Scores First: 2-7. 

Record in One Goal Games: 2-0-1

Games Decided Past Regulation: 2-0-1

Team Leaders

Goals: Gianni Fairbrother (6) 

Assists: Derek Daschke (12) 

Points: Derek Daschke (15) 

Plus/Minus: Daschke (+3) 

PIM: Nick Pastorious (18) 

Power Play Points: Daschke (5)

Power Play Goals: Reed Lebster/Mick Messner (2) 

Power Play Assists: Daschke (4)

Shots on Goal: Mick Messner (56)

Shooting Percentage: Gianni Fairbrother (18.8 %) - Minimum 25 shots. 

Game Winning Goals: Cameron Buhl/Derek Daschke/Gianni Fairbrother/Kade Jensen (1) 

Wins: Adam Scheel (5)

Save %: Vinny Duplessis (.906) 

Goals Against Average: Duplessis (3.07)