Clayton Keller speaks on being named captain of Utah Hockey Club

It’s official: Clayton Keller is the first captain in Utah Hockey Club history.

The announcement came Friday morning in the form of a post on X.

Keller then joined head coach Andre Tourigny and general manager Bill Armstrong for a press conference in Park City to discuss what he hopes to do for his teammates.

“I came into the league when I was 18, 19 years old and I was so focused on myself,” Keller said. “As I’ve gotten older and grew up a little bit more, I started to realize the impact that a guy can have on their team and their team’s success and making guys feel comfortable. I think I’ve taken big steps in that direction.”

What makes a good captain in the NHL?

At the team’s press conference to begin training camp, Tourigny stated that a captain is not chosen by just the coaches or management. The captain, he said, is only decided upon when the coaches, managers, players, fans and media all agree that a specific player fits the role.

Armstrong has said that being a captain is about thinking of others, not just yourself.

“The definition, for me, of a good captain is leading for the good of the team, not for yourself,” Armstrong said.

Some of Keller’s teammates spoke about their relationship with him after practice on Friday.

“Kells is a great competitor and a great leader for our team,” said Lawson Crouse. “I believe he can take us where we need to be, and more importantly, he’s a great person. He has a lot of respect in our locker room.”

“Can’t say enough good things about him,” said Sean Durzi. “(He’s) just the kind of guy you want on your team. I feel like a captain has so many different ways of leading and a big part of his leadership is going to be stepping up in those big moments like he’s done so many times before.”

As far as leadership qualities go, Durzi believes Keller has the right ones.

“I think it’s just having the confidence to be able to hold everyone accountable,” Durzi said. “He’s tough on his teammates in the right times, (he) pushes his teammates, he expects the best out of everybody.”

“They made the right pick,” Crouse said.

The team has not yet announced the group of alternate captains for the season, but Armstrong said the announcement is coming. Last season’s alternates were Keller, Crouse and Nick Schmaltz.