Utah Hockey Club On Verge of Playoff Spot

The Utah Hockey Club is on the verge of claiming a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Mar 12, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; The Utah Hockey Club celebrates a goal by center Jack McBain (22) against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Utah Hockey Club has impressed in their inaugural NHL season. Through 65 games, they've compiled a record of 29-25-11. With 68 points, they've climbed within reach of a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

With 17 games to go, the Utah Hockey Club is on the verge of claiming a spot in the postseason. Facing the Seattle Kraken in a Friday night matchup, Utah can move into a tie with the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames for the final playoff spot in the West.

Although the Kraken are one of the worst teams in the Western Conference this season, they dominated the team's first meeting earlier this year. Just before the new year, the Kraken defeated Utah by a score of 5-2.

Utah aims to repay the favor in this meeting and earn their 30th victory of the season. Leading the way is star winger and captain Clayton Keller. He's enjoying the best offensive production of his career, posting 23 goals, 51 assists, and 74 points. His previous career-best campaign was an 86-point performance in 2022-2023. With 17 games remaining, Keller should smash that number and could exceed 90 points for the first time in his career.

The team is also getting excellent goaltending from starter Karel Vejmelka. The 28-year-old is 18-16-6 record in 39 starts, with a goals-against average of 2.47 and a save percentage of .909.

There's still plenty of work to do. Even if they tie the Canucks and Flames in points, they trail in regulation wins. That could be the difference maker in this race, as wins in regulation are the first tie-breaker for the Wild Card spots.

Utah seems up to the hefty task. The entire team has bought in to the system, and they've managed to stay within contention for the past few months. Now that the pressure is on, Utah Hockey Club is just a few wins away from catapulting themselves from playoff bubble to claiming a Wild Card spot.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• Senators Pulling Away in Playoff Race
• Golden Knights Sign Star Goalie to Extension
• Islanders, Veteran Winger Closing In On New Contract
• Penguins' Tristan Jarry Nearly Perfect Since NHL Return
• NHL Considering Extending Regular Season