Finding a Captain: Utah Hockey’s Leadership Search

Lawson Crouse and Clayton Keller Celebrating a Goal

It’s a time for new beginnings in Utah, and the list of decisions that need to be made is long. Besides the hunt for a team name, uniform, and regular pre-season roster decisions, the Utah Hockey Club has been fielding questions about the franchise’s empty Captain position.

No one has worn the “C” since Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s departure in 2021 despite other teams like Chicago and Tampa Bay filling their vacancies, Utah seems to be in no rush to name their man.

On the “All Utah Hockey” Podcast earlier this week, Coach André Tourigny was asked about the discussion regarding naming a captain for the season. His response was simple, “Not this season. That’s a topic we talk [about] all the time.”

Throughout the podcast, Tourigny was very clear in stating that a decision will be made when they are sure they have found the man who will be right to lead this team for a long time. They don’t want someone in the interim.

Tourigny is a player’s coach through and through. All of his decisions are made in the interest of his team and every man on it. He is approaching this vacant captaincy with the same mindset, saying “People think it’s a press conference. That’s [at] the bottom.” The Hockey Club won’t name a captain just for the sake of having someone wear the letter.

The general consensus inside the Utah Hockey Club is one that airs on the side of caution. While it is clear that the captaincy is an ongoing discussion, it is also evident that it will not be a rushed decision.

General Manager Bill Armstrong commented on the topic at Wednesday’s media day saying, “There’s nothing worse than if you go down the road and you name somebody and then you’re not happy with him six months later and you have to undo that […] So, we’re going to take our time and when we get to that point, we’ll (name) a captain. It will be done through due diligence.”

While there is no exact timeline for the decision, there are certainly likely candidates to speculate about.

Clayton Keller

Perhaps the most popular recommendation for the position is in the 26-year-old winger Clayton Keller. He was certainly the face of the Arizona Coyotes over their past few seasons and it appears he is carrying the same notoriety in Utah.

Over his later years in Arizona, Keller has not only become a representative of the club on the ice but also at league events. He has attended NHL media day for the past three years, answering many of the press’ burning questions about the organization.

Even this year, he shared what might be some insider knowledge on the front-runner for the new Hockey Club’s incoming name, hinting at the “Yeti.”

It seems that he is always at the center of the team news and already carries the weight as the face of the organization. However, after Tourigny’s words and general philosophy of putting his team far ahead of media, could Utah be looking for more of a locker room guy to lead the team?

Lawson Crouse

Known as the “Sherrif” around the locker room, Crouse already has a certain status on the team. On the ice, he is known for protecting his guys at any lengths, a quality that might put him higher up in the talks for wearing the “C” for the club.

Crouse was also the longest-serving Coyote when the team relocated to Utah, so he could be a familiar face in the new colors. As far as the ins and outs of the relationships in the locker room, there’s nothing we can do but speculate. However, Crouse was the first player to appear for the Hockey Club at Wednesday’s media day, perhaps transitioning him into the frontman for the organization.

Other Names

Ian Cole, Mikhail Sergachev, and Nick Schmaltz are also all possibilities, but for their own reasons are less likely candidates. Because of the fact that Utah is leaning strongly away from the idea of an interim captain, they’ll need someone likely to stick around for the long term and Ian Cole is not looking like he’ll be that guy.

A guy like Sergachev would bring great experience, having won two Cups in Tampa Bay. However, they are more likely to go with a more home-grown option, someone who will make the already daunting transition from Arizona to Utah easier.

While the list may appear long when it comes to leadership options, the real “race” is between Keller and Crouse, two very different directions this new team could go in. But, if one thing is clear, this young team looking to find its footing will benefit from a strong veteran leadership core as soon as they can get it.