Utah Hockey Club picks Keller as first captain
Published
The Utah Hockey Club has chosen forward Clayton Keller as its first captain in franchise history.
The team made the official announcement Friday morning on social media. The Coyotes did not name a captain in each of their previous three seasons.
Keller, 26, had 33 goals and 43 assists for 76 points in 78 games last season with the Arizona Coyotes, his eighth with the organization.
“As a leader, Clayton exemplifies the values of our organization and the identity we want to build for our franchise here in Utah. Indeed, we are proud to name him the first captain in the history of Utah Hockey Club,” said president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong in a news release. “On the ice, he leads by example as one of the game’s premier players. Off the ice, he earns the respect of his peers, coaches, and our training staff every day through his relentless desire to get the most out of himself and his teammates. He is ready for the responsibility and will be an excellent captain.”
“I’m extremely honored to be named captain of Utah Hockey Club,” said Keller in the same release. “I’m grateful for this opportunity and want to thank the entire organization for believing in me. I understand it’s a privilege to be a captain in the NHL, and a huge honor to know that management, coaches, and my teammates have the belief in me to lead this team. It's a huge responsibility and one I have prepared my whole life for. We have a room full of great leaders and together, we will work hard to achieve our goal of becoming a playoff team.”
The Chesterfield, Mo., native was taken No. 7 overall in the 2016 NHL Draft and has put up two straight 30-plus goal seasons. In 520 career regular season games, he has 166 goals and 252 assists for 418 points.
The four-time All-Star is heading into the fifth year of an eight-year, $57.2 million contract he signed in September of 2019.