Grizzlies Gameday: Thanksgiving Eve at Maverik Center

Grizzlies Gameday: Indy Fuel are in Town for a Three-Game Series 

Indy Fuel (5-6-0-1, 11 points, .458 point %) @ Utah Grizzlies (5-8-1, 11 points, .393 point %) 

Date: November 27, 2024 Venue: Maverik Center Game Time: 7:10 pm. 

Streaming: FloHockey – https://www.flohockey.tv/events/12609901-2024-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.

Wednesday’s Matchup

It’s the opener of a three-game series between the Grizzlies and Fuel. These teams last met for a three-game series at Maverik Center on November 14, 16-17, 2018. Utah won 2 out of 3 games in the series, outscoring the Fuel 10 to 6. 

Utah is back after a seven-game road trip where they went 1-5-1. The Indy Fuel are in the 13^th game of their season long 15 game road trip to start the season as they finished building their new arena, Fishers Event Center. 

The Grizzlies have the fewest penalty minutes in the league with 92 and they have the lowest penalty minutes per game average at 6.57. 

Grizzlies Standout Performers

Adam Scheel leads the league in minutes (734) and saves (427). Scheel is tied for the league lead for goalies with 12 games played. Gianni Fairbrother is tied for the league lead for goals among defensemen with 5. Derek Daschke has a point in 5 straight games (He missed the Nov. 24 game at Tulsa) Daschke is 2nd among league defenseman with 15 points and is 3rd with 12 assists. Daschke leads Utah with a +3 rating. Cole Gallant has 8 assists in his last 8 games. Mick Messner has 47 shots on goal in 11 games in November. Kabore Dunn scored his first pro goal at Wichita on Nov. 22. 

Games on the Grizzlies Homestand 

Wednesday, November 27, 2024 – Indy @ Utah. 7:10 pm. 

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. 

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

The Indy Fuel are off to a very unique start to the 2024-25 season. The Fuel started 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 5-6-0-1 on the season. Fuel games this season are bringing back the days of the “Dead Puck Era” as Indy has scored 17 goals through 12 games (1.42 goals per game). The Fuel have allowed 22 goals this season (1.83 per game). Indy is 20^th in the league in averaging 28.58 shots per game and the lead the league in shots allowed per game at 23.58. Indy has outshot opponents in 9 of 12 games this season. Indy’s team save percentage is .926. 

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). 

Recent Transactions: Grizzlies Sign Cody Corbett, Barczewski reassigned to Utah. 

November 27 – Grizzlies sign defenseman Cody Corbett. Goaltender Jake Barczewski reassigned to Utah from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. 

November 26 – Grizzlies released forward Nick Pastorious. 

Grizzlies Player Notes 

#3 Craig Armstrong took a season high 6 shots at Wichita on Nov. 20. Armstrong has 10 shots in his last 4 games and 21 shots in 11 games in November. Armstrong is a +2 in 3 different games this season. 

#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 4 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 missed his first game of the season with a lower body injury at Tulsa on November 24. 

#10 Mick Messner leads Utah in shots on goal with 52 (3.71 per game). Messner has 31 shots in his last 9 games. He is tied for the club lead with 5 goals. Messner has a point in 8 of his 14 games. He has 8 points (3g, 5a) in 11 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 13 games this season. Buhl has 12 shots in his last 6 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 2 games due to an upper body injury. 

#14 Briley Wood has a point in 7 of his last 13 games. Wood has 1 goal and 3 assists in his last 5 games. 

#15 Aaron Aragon has 2 goals in his last 5 games. 

#16 Luke Manning has a point in 7 of his last 13 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 10 of his 13 games with Utah and 3 or more shots in 7 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. 

#20 Chase Hartje has played in 7 games this season and has 2 shots on goal and 4 penalty minutes.

#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 1 assist in 14 games this season. 

#24 Gianni Fairbrother has 5 goals and 3 assists in his last 11 games. His 5 goals are tied for the league lead among blueliners. All 5 of his 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 8 games and an assist in 5 of his last 8 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 23 shots in his last 9 games. 

#26 Tyson Upper scored his first pro point with an assist at Wichita on November 21, 2024. 

#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 11 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 (383) and minutes (734). Scheel has started 12 of Utah’s 14 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. 

#39 Jake Barczewski was reassigned to Utah from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles on Nov. 27, 2024. 

#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. 

#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. 

Grizzlies Team Notes 

Utah has scored 17 goals in 4 home games this season. The Grizzlies have the fewest penalty minutes in the league with 92. 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.

Grizzlies Fun Facts

In the last 5 seasons where the Grizzlies played on Thanksgiving week, they have a record of 10-3-1. Last season current Fuel forward Nathan Burke scored the overtime game winning goal for Utah at Idaho on February 10, 2024 as the Grizzlies won 6-5. 

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, 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: 5-8-1

Home record: 2-2 

Road record: 3-6-1

Win percentage: .393

Standings Points: 11

Last 10: 2-7-1

Goals per game: 2.93 (Tied 15^th) Goals for: 41

Goals against per game: 4.07 (28^th) Goals Against: 57

Shots per game: 33.36 (5^th) 

Shots against per game: 35.57 (28^th)

Power Play: 7 for 37 – 18.9 % (15^th)

Penalty Kill: 16 for 31 – 51.6 % (29^th)

Penalty Minutes: 92. 6.57 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: 2-6. 

Record in One Goal Games: 2-0-1 

Games Decided Past Regulation: 2-0-1 

Team Leaders 

Goals: Gianni Fairbrother/Mick Messner/Neil Shea (5) 

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 (52) 

Shooting Percentage: Gianni Fairbrother (16.7 %) - Minimum 20 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) 

Shutouts: (0)