Grizzlies Gameday: Pucks and Pups Night at Maverik Center

Grizzlies Gameday: Pucks and Pups Night at Maverik Center 

Tahoe Knight Monsters (3-1-1, 7 points, .700 point %) @ Utah Grizzlies (3-2, 6 points, .600 point %) 

Date: November 9, 2024 Venue: Maverik Center Game Time: 7:10 pm. 

Streaming: FloHockey – https://www.flohockey.tv/events/12609685-2024-tahoe-vs-utah-grizzlies?nav_id=75 

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

Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com/utah-grizzlies-vs-tahoe-knight-monsters-west-valley-city-utah-11-09-2024/event/1E006109AD8D2DD4 

Saturday’s Matchup

It’s the first ever meeting between the Utah Grizzlies and Tahoe Knight Monsters. It is the first road game in Knight Monsters history. Utah has won 3 of their last 4 games. Luke Manning leads all league rookies with 6 assists and 2 power play assists.

Games This Week

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 

November 1, 2024 – Allen 1 Utah 5 – Neil Shea led Utah with 1 goal and 2 assists. Adam Scheel saved 25 of 26 in the win. Cade Neilson and Briley Wood each scored their first pro goals. Wood had 1 goal and 1 assist. Mick Messner and Gianni Fairbrother each added a goal. 

November 2, 2024 – Allen 6 Utah 4 – Gianni Fairbrother had 2 goals and 1 assist to lead the Utah attack. Reed Lebster had 1 goal and 1 assist. Luke Manning and Mick Messner each had 2 assists. 

Recent Transactions (Grizzlies Sign Forward Reed Morison) 

November 9 – Grizzlies sign forward Reed Morison. Morrison played at the University of Western Ontario in USports, scoring 33 points (17 goals, 16 assists) in 85 games from 2019-2024. Morrison is a native of Calgary, Alberta. Morrison played five seasons of junior hockey wotj the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks and Fort McMurray Oil Barons, and the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks and Kootenay Ice. Morrison signed with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on September 12, 2024 and was released on October 30, 2024. 

November 4 – Forward Neil Shea was recalled to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. 

October 24 – Utah signed forward Cameron Buhl. 

October 20 – Utah acquired forward Reed Lebster and futures considerations as well as the playing rights to forward Matthew Wedman from the Florida Everblades for the playing rights of forward Kyle Betts. 

Grizzlies Player Notes 

#3 Craig Armstrong has 9 shots on goal through 5 games, including 5 shots in his last 2 games. 

#4 Bryan Yoon has a point in 4 of his first 5 games this season (1g, 3a). 

#5 Derek Daschke has 5 points in 5 games (1 goal, 4 assists). Daschke has a point in 4 of his 5 games. He is tied for the club lead with a +3 rating. Daschke is second on the team with 18 shots on goal. 

#10 Mick Messner has 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games this season. Messner has a point in 4 of his 5 games. He had 2 assists vs Allen on November 2, 2024. 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. Buhl is averaging 3 shots per game (12 shots). 

#12 Blake Wells is out with an upper body injury. 

#13 Dylan Fitze is tied for 3^rd on the club with 14 shots on goal. 

#14 Briley Wood scored his first multiple point game with 1 goal and 1 assists vs Allen on Nov. 1. Wood has a point in 3 of his last 4 games. 

#15 Aaron Aragon has missed the last 4 games with a lower body injury.

#16 Luke Manning leads all league rookies in assists (6) and power play assists (2).

#17 Reed Lebster had 1 goal and 1 assist vs Allen on Nov. 2. Both of Lebster’s goals have come on the power play. 

#20 Chase Hartje has played in 2 games this season, both of them as a forward.

#22 Neil Shea has a goal in all 5 games in the regular season. Shea has scored goals in 4 different ways (empty net 5 on 6, 5 on 5, 5 on 4 power play and 4 on 5 shorthanded). Shea was recalled to Colorado (AHL) on November 4. 

#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 has 3 goals and 1 assist in his last 2 games. 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 an assist in 3 of his last 4 games. 

#26 Tyson Upper has 3 shots on goal this season. 

#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 has a +1 rating and a 100 % shooting percentage (1 for 1). 

#28 Kabore Dunn has 1 assist this season (Oct. 26 at Rapid City). Dunn has 6 shots on goal this season, with 4 coming on Oct. 26 at RC. 

#34 Adam Scheel has won 3 straight games and is 5^th in the league with 122 saves. 

#42 Nick Pastorious leads Utah with 11 penalty minutes this season. He has 5 shots on goal, 1 assist and a +1 rating. 

#74 James Shearer has 1 assist this season. He has been paired up with Gianni Fairbrother to start the season. In 72 career games with Utah he has 9 goals, 26 assists and a +11 rating. 

Grizzlies Team Notes 

Utah had a crowd of 5800 on opening night vs Allen on November 1. Utah is 2-1 on the road this season. Utah has the 2nd fewest penalty minutes per game at 7.20. Utah went 2 for 11 on the power play in 2 games vs Allen last week. Utah outscored its opponents 9 to 5 in the second period(s). Utah is outshooting its opponents 69 to 48 in the second period(s) this season. Utah is 3rd in the league in goals per game (4.00). Utah is 2nd in the league in shots on goal per game (36.20). 

Grizzlies/Knight Monsters Connections

Tahoe defenseman Ryan Orgel played in 2 games with the Grizzlies to begin his professional career in the 2021-22 season. 

Tahoe forward Logan Nelson has been a bit of a Grizzlies killer over the years. In 25 regular season games with Rapid City against Utah over the past 3 seasons Nelson has 26 points (9 goals,17 assists). Nelson had 4 goals and 4 assists in 6 games vs Utah in the 2022 Kelly Cup playoffs, including 3 goals in game 4 of the series, which Utah won 4 games to 2. Nelson has played in 42 career regular season games vs Utah, scoring 10 goals and 24 assists. Tahoe forward Anthony Collins has 2 goals and 3 assists in 25 games all-time vs Utah. 

Tahoe forward Jake Johnson played in 3 games for Fort Wayne vs Utah in the 2023-24 season. 

Tahoe defenseman Nate Kallen played in 2 games for Rapid City vs Utah in the 2020-21 season. 

Tahoe defenseman Brennan Kapcheck played in 2 games for Newfoundland (R.I.P) vs Utah in the 2023-24 season, scoring 1 assist. 

Tahoe defenseman Elijah Villo played in 1 game for Savannah vs Utah on Feb. 17, 2023, a game Utah won 6-3. Tahoe head coach Alex Loh faced Utah 3 times in the 2021-22 season when he was the head coach of the Adirondack Thunder. Loh is 2-1 all-time vs Utah.

Utah Grizzlies 2024-2025 Roster

Forwards (14): Aaron Aragon, Craig Armstrong, Cameron Buhl, Dylan Fitze, Cole Gallant, Reed Lebster, Luke Manning, Mick Messner, Reed Morison, Cade Neilson, Nick Pastorious, 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

2024-2025 Utah Grizzlies Regular Season Totals 

Overall record: 3-2

Home record: 1-1 

Road record: 2-1

Win percentage: .600 

Standings Points: 6

Last 10: 3-2 

Goals per game: 4.00 (4.00) Goals for: 20

Goals against per game: 3.80 (25^th) Goals Against: 19

Shots per game: 36.20 (2^nd)  

Shots against per game: 31.40 (18^th)

Power Play: 4 for 19 – 21.1 % (Tied 13^th) 

Penalty Kill: 8 for 12 – 66.7 % (29^th)

Penalty Minutes: 36. 7.20 per game. 

Shorthanded Goals: 1.  

Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 1. 

Record When Scoring First: 2-0

Opposition Scores First: 1-2. 

Record in One Goal Games: 1-0 

Games Decided Past Regulation: 1-0 

Team Leaders 

Goals: Neil Shea (5) 

Assists: Luke Manning (6) 

Points: Shea (8) 

Plus/Minus: Derek Daschke/Cole Gallant (+4) 

PIM: Nick Pastorious (11) 

Power Play Points: Manning (3)

Power Play Goals: Reed Lebster (2) 

Power Play Assists: Manning (3)

Shots on Goal: Shea (31) 

Shooting Percentage: Messner (25.0 %) - Minimum 10 shots. 

Game Winning Goals: Gianni Fairbrother/Kade Jensen (1) 

Wins: Adam Scheel (3)

Save %: Adam Scheel (.885) 

Goals Against Average: Scheel (3.54) 

Shutouts: (0)

Streaks 

Goals: Neil Shea (5) Gianni Fairbrother (2) Reed Lebster (1)

Assists: Luke Manning (4) Briley Wood (2) Lebster/Mick Messner (1)

Points (2 or more): Shea (5) Daschke/Manning (4) Messner (3) Fairbrother/Wood (2)

Multiple Point Games

2 – Luke Manning, Neil Shea

1 – Derek Daschke, Gianni Fairbrother, Kade Jensen, Reed Lebster, Mick Messner, Briley Wood.