Grizzlies Gameday: Home Opener for 30th Season of Grizzlies Hockey

Grizzlies Gameday: Home Opener at Maverik Center 

Allen Americans (0-3-1, 1 point, .125 point %) @ Utah Grizzlies (2-1, 4 points, .667 point %) 

Date: November 1, 2024 Venue: Maverik Center Game Time: 7:10 pm. 

Streaming: FloHockey – https://www.flohockey.tv/events/12609541-2024-allen-americans-vs-utah-grizzlies?nav_id=75 

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

Friday’s Matchup

It’s the home opener for the Utah Grizzlies as they host the Allen Americans. It’s the first time in team history that the Grizzlies will have their home opener take place in the month of November. The Grizzlies were a good home team last year as they went 21-12-3 at Maverik Center during the 2023-24 campaign. Utah went 4-3 last season vs Allen. Neil Shea has led the Utah attack early in the season as he has scored a goal in each of his first 3 games. Shea leads Utah with 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist). Bryan Yoon has a point in all 3 games this season (1 goal, 2 assists). Adam Scheel has won 2 games in a row in net. Former Grizzlies defenseman Andrew Nielsen is on the Allen roster. Nielsen was a 2023 ECHL all-star with Utah. In 83 games with Utah, Nielsen had 17 goals and 51 assists. 

Games This Homestand 

November 1, 2024 – Allen at Utah. 7:10 pm. Opening Weekend presented by Smith’s. 

November 2, 2024 – Allen at Utah. 7:10 pm. Dia De Los Muertos (Hispanic Heritage Night). 

November 9, 2024 – Tahoe at Utah. 7:10 pm. Pucks and Pups (Bring your dog to the game). 

November 10, 2024 – Tahoe at Utah. 3:10 pm. 

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. 

Games Last Week

Friday, October 25, 2024 – Utah 4 Rapid City 3 (Shootout) – Neil Shea, Bryan Yoon and Reed Lebster each scored a goal for Utah. Lebster added the shootout game winner. Utah outshot RC 45 to 35. Utah went 1 for 3 on the power play, Rapid City was 1 for 2. Adam Scheel saved 32 of 35 and 3 of 4 in the shootout. 

Saturday, October 26, 2024 – Utah 5 Rapid City 2 – Kade Jensen had 1 goal and 1 assist, Luke Manning had 2 assists and the Grizz also got goals from Cameron Buhl, Derek Daschke, Mick Messner and Neil Shea. Adam Scheel saved 33 of 35 in the win. 

Save That Puck, It’s Their First Pro Goal

Last weekend in Rapid City there were three different instances where a player scored his first professional goal. Reed Lebster scored a third period goal as well as the shootout game winner in Utah’s 4-3 win at Rapid City on October 25^th. Lebster was acquired in a trade with Florida on October 20^th. Cameron Buhl and Kade Jensen each found the back of the net for the first time as professionals in Utah’s 5-2 win at Rapid City on October 26^th. Buhl signed with Utah on October 24^th and he made a strong first impression in 2 games last week. Jensen had 1 goal and 1 assist in the Saturday night victory. October 26^th as also the night where Craig Armstrong and Kabore Dunn each scored their first pro points with an assist. 

Grizzlies/Americans Connections 

Allen defenseman Andrew Nielsen spent 2 seasons with the Grizzlies. He scored 27 points (8 goals, 19 assists) in 36 games with Utah in the 2021-22 season. The following year he was named to the 2023 ECHL All-Star team and he scored 41 points (9 goals, 32 assists) and had 166 penalty minutes in 47 games for Utah in the 2022-23 season. 

Grizzlies goaltender Adam Scheel and Allen forward Harrison Blaisdell were teammates at the University of North Dakota for two seasons from 2019-2021. Allen defenseman Ryan Gagnon played at the University of Calgary, where he was a teammate with Grizzlies defenseman James Shearer for 3 seasons and forward Tyson Upper for 1 year. Allen forward Nolan Orzeck and Utah defensemen Chase Hartje and Kyle Pow were teammates with the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice during the 2019-20 season.

Grizzlies Trivia: Record in Home Openers 

It’s the Grizzlies 30^th all-time home opener. Utah is 14-13-0-2 all-time in regular season home openers. Utah went 5-1 in home openers during the IHL era from 1995-2001. Utah was 1-2-0-1 in home openers in the AHL era from 2001-2005. The Grizz are 8-10-0-1 in home openers in the ECHL era. 

Grizzlies Player Notes 

#4 Bryan Yoon has a point in all 3 games this season (1g, 2a). 

#10 Mick Messner has 2 goals in 3 games this season. Messner had 15 goals in 72 games during the 2023-24 season.

#11 Cameron Buhl made his pro debut on October 25 at Rapid City and he scored his first pro goal on October 26 at Rapid City.

#16 Luke Manning leads Utah with 3 assists in 3 games this season. 

#17 Reed Lebster scored a goal in his regular season pro debut on October 24 at Rapid City. Lebster also scored the shootout game winner on October 24 at Rapid City. 

#22 Neil Shea has a goal in all 3 games in the regular season. All 3 of Shea's goals have come in the second period's. Shea has scored goals in 3 different ways (5 on 5, 5 on 4 power play and 4 on 5 shorthanded). Shea leads Utah with 4 points (3g, 1a). 

#23 Kade Jensen scored his first pro goal at Rapid City on October 25, 2024. That night Jensen had 1 goal and 1 assist.  

#24 Gianni Fairbrother 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).

#34 Adam Scheel has won 2 straight games and is 2nd in the league with 97 saves. 

Grizzlies Team Notes 

Utah's home opener is on November 1 vs Allen. It is the first time in team history that the home opener will take place in the month of November. The Grizzlies went 21-12-3 at home during the 2023-24 season. Utah is 2-1 on the road this season. Utah has the fewest penalty minutes in the league with 10 (3.33 per game). Utah is 2 for 8 on the power play this season. Utah has outscored opponents 7 to 4 in the second periods.

Great Crowds at Maverik Center During 2023-24 Season

With a big crowd of 9,007 on Fan Appreciation Night at Maverik Center on April 6^th the Grizzlies completed what turned out to be a memorable season with many big home crowds. The Grizzlies averaged 6,003 fans per game, which is the biggest average attendance since the Grizzlies joined the ECHL at the start of the 2005-06 season. It’s the largest average attendance in team history since the 2002-03 campaign where the AHL’s Grizzlies averaged 6,353 fans per game. The Grizzlies had 7 games with crowds larger than 8200 and 11 games of more than 7500. Since December 9, 2023 the Grizzlies averaged 6,762 fans per game (24 games). 

Utah Had Success at Home in 2023-24 Season

The Grizzlies went 21-12-3 at home during the 2023-24 season. They outscored opponents 121 to 115 at Maverik Center this season. 45 of Utah’s 67 standings points have come at home. Utah’s penalty kill is 8^th in the league at home (90 for 110, 81.8 %). Utah is 11-0 at home when leading after 1 period and 14-1 when leading after 2 periods. The Grizz were 8-1-3 at home in one goal games. Utah was 17-1-2 at home when scoring first. 

2024-2025 Utah Grizzlies Regular Season Totals 

Overall record: 2-1

Home record: 0-0 (Utah was 21-12-3 in the 2023-24 season).   

Road record: 2-1

Win percentage: .667 

Standings Points: 4

Last 10: 2-1 

Goals per game: 3.67 (Tied 8^th) Goals for: 11

Goals against per game: 4.00 (Tied 24^th) Goals Against: 12

Shots per game: 32.33 (Tied 10^th)  

Shots against per game: 36.33 (27^th)

Power Play: 2 for 8 – 25.0 % (Tied 7^th) 

Penalty Kill: 3 for 5 – 60.0 % (Tied 28^th) 

Penalty Minutes: 10. 3.33 per game. 

Shorthanded Goals: 1.  

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 1. 

Record When Scoring First: 2-0 (Utah was 23-5-4 last year when scoring first).  

Opposition Scores First: 0-1. 

Record in One Goal Games: 1-0 (Utah was 12-9-5 last season).  

Games Decided Past Regulation: 1-0 (Utah was 6-0-5 last season). 

Team Leaders 

Goals: Neil Shea (3) 

Assists: Luke Manning (3) 

Points: Shea (4) 

Plus/Minus: Craig Armstrong/Derek Daschke (+2) 

PIM: Nick Pastorious (4) 

Power Play Points: 6 tied with 1 

Power Play Goals: Lebster/Shea (1) 

Power Play Assists: Daschke/Manning/Keaton Mastrodonato/Bryan Yoon (1)

Shots on Goal: Shea (15) 

Shooting Percentage: Messner (50.0 %) - Minimum 4 shots. 

Game Winning Goals: Kade Jensen (1) 

Wins: Adam Scheel (2)

Save %: Adam Scheel (.890) 

Goals Against Average: Scheel (3.85) 

Shutouts: (0)

Streaks 

Goals: Neil Shea (3) Cameron Buhl/Derek Daschke/Kade Jensen/Mick Messner (1)

Assists: Cole Gallant/Luke Manning (2) Craig Armstrong/Kabore Dunn/Dylan Fitze/Jensen (1)

Points (2 or more): Shea/Yoon (3) Gallant/Manning (2)

Multiple Point Games

1 – Kade Jensen, Luke Manning, Neil Shea

Utah Grizzlies 2024-2025 Roster

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

Defenseman (8): Derek Daschke, Kabore Dunn, Gianni Fairbrother, Chase Hartje, Kade Jensen, Kyle Pow, James Shearer, Bryan Yoon. 

Goaltenders (3): Jake Barczewski, Vincent Duplessis, Adam Scheel