SALT LAKE CITY- The Utah Hockey Club and Winnipeg Jets are in the midst of a defensive battle with a Connor in each net. Connor Hellebuyck for Winnipeg and Connor Ingram for Utah were both brick walls between the pipes in the first period as each stopped at least ten shots to keep the game scoreless going into the first intermission.
The stout defense slowed the play a bit throughout the first period, but in the last few minutes, the Jets made a push to draw first blood, and Connor Ingram made an exceptionally important save to keep Winnipeg off the board.
With about a minute and a half remaining in the period, Utah had just put a shot on goal that was stopped by Hellebuyck. Winnipeg possessed the rebound and tried to clear the puck, but it never left the zone.
Logan Cooley put his stick on the puck before it crept out of the zone, but a miscommunication led to a turnover. David Gustafsson took the puck the other way for the Jets, beating two Utah defenders on his way to the net.
Gustagsson tried to send a shot through Ingram’s five-hole, but Ingram was able to deflect it just enough to keep it out of the net.
After the initial shot, the puck snuck behind the net for Morgan Barron to grab. Barron attempted to wrap around the other side of the net, but a dive from Connor Ingram dive affected the shot as Barron lost control just enough to once again keep the game scoreless
Great initial save on the breakaway and then I don’t even know how he kept that wrap around out.
Simply brilliant.pic.twitter.com/YqFpNjmfjl
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 21, 2025
Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka was sporting a new dinosaur-themed mask at morning skate on Monday ahead of the team’s matchup with the Winnipeg Jets.
Karel Vejmelka has a new helmet inspired by Utah’s history of dinosaurs.
He also loved dinosaurs as a kid and is very pleased with how it turned out. pic.twitter.com/yK5xeU3O92
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 20, 2025
Now minding the net for the Utah Hockey Club after the team’s relocation from Arizona, Vejmelka drew inspiration for his new mask from Utah’s rich history of dinosaurs.
Known for its dinosaur fossils and other related discoveries, including Dinosaur National Monument near Vernal, UT, the beehive state boasts an impressive number of dinosaur parks and museums.
With an appreciation for dinosaurs since he was a child, Vejmelka seized the opportunity to include them on his new mask.
“I heard all about the history of Utah and dinosaur fossils. I liked dinosaurs when I was child and played a lot with them,” Vejmelka said.
“It was a good inspiration for me and a good chance to do it here. I like it a lot. There’s a lot of detail on the mask with a big raptor on the top.”
The helmet also features a similar design to the Jurassic Park logo on the right side and “Utah Hockey Club” wrapped around the bottom in a similar font.
His number 70 can also be found on the front below the actual cage.
