KEARNS, Utah — With the preseason wrapped up, Utah Hockey Club players headed back to school Monday to rally some of the team's youngest fans ahead of the season opener.
Team captain Clayton Keller and center Barrett Hayton skated over to David Gourley Elementary School in Kearns. The duo signed autographs while talking with the kids, and even raised the Utah Hockey Club flag as special guests of the fifth graders.
"It's a new franchise here, we're growing the game of hockey ... it's getting younger kids into hockey, growing the game as much as we can," said Keller. "Super excited and super cool to raise the flag."
The team sent out more than 600 flags to every public elementary school in the state, with the hopes they fly them before the puck drops for real Tuesday night.
"A lot of chaos here to start the morning but we are obviously excited for tomorrow with the opening season for our hockey club," expressed school principal Briar Mattucci.
Even the players were impressed by the amount of excitement their appearance brought to the students.
"We felt this energy since we got here, and to see these kids and the excitement and this cool initiative as well," added Hayton.
The Utah Hockey Club faces off against Chicago at Delta Center on Tuesday to open the team's inaugural season in Salt Lake City.
