With its reputation for winter sports, the Beehive State was primed to embrace hockey, says University of Utah Hockey president AJ Boldan BA’04. “All we needed was something to break the dam,” he comments. That something was the Utah Hockey Club. The state’s new NHL team has sparked a surge of enthusiasm for the sport that’s sure to intensify when the Winter Games return to Salt Lake in 2034. It all comes as welcome news to the U’s hockey program. “I’ll use the proverbial ‘A rising tide lifts all boats,’ ” says Boldan.
Competing in the American Collegiate Hockey Association with three teams—men’s D1 and D2, and women’s D1—University of Utah Hockey has been steadily skating its way to success. Though not an NCAA varsity sport at the U, the program operates like one, recruiting talent from across the globe and building championship contenders.
The women’s D1 team, added in 2019, has made the playoffs every year and is chasing a spot in nationals this season. “My first year, we barely had enough players for a full roster. Now, we have a ton of potential,” says Halle Hansen, team captain and all-time leading scorer with 47 goals and 49 assists. Hansen will also represent Team USA at the 2025 World University Games.
The men’s D1 team, led by captain Michael Urtis, is on a similar upward trajectory. Urtis, last season’s MVP, led the team to its highest-ever national ranking—12th out of 73 teams—and an appearance in the national tournament. “We’ve gotten better every year,” says Urtis. “I believe we’re destined for nationals again.”
With the growing hockey culture in the state, the U program hopes to one day earn NCAA status. Says Boldan, “I’m extremely optimistic about the future of hockey in Utah.”
Learn more and purchase tickets at utahhockey.com.
I played on the Universities first club team when it started up in the fall of 1973. Players were recruited in the U’s Daily Chronicle newspaper and I tried out and made the team in my freshman year as the starting goalie. I lived in Austin Hall at the time and was studying to get my BS in Meteorology. I came from Leominster, MA (west of Boston) where I played goal for our high schools varsity team. I played all four years on the club team and we had a very good team. Besides me, several came from the on campus dorms from various hockey states like Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. We mostly played our games in the Salt Lake City mens A league, but did play some college club teams in Wyoming and Colorado. Glad to see the program has grown and hopefully it will be a scholarship/full time NCAA varsity sport soon.