Cole Perfetti scored three goals for his first NHL hat trick and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Utah Hockey Club 5-2 on Friday night. Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists to reach 500 points for his …
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Cole Perfetti scored three goals for his first NHL hat trick and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Utah Hockey Club 5-2 on Friday night.
Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists to reach 500 points for his career, and David Gustafsson also scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck had 17 saves.
Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz scored for Utah, and Connor Ingram stopped 25 shots.
Perfetti gave Winnipeg a 3-2 when he lifted the puck over a fallen Ingram on a pass from Vladislav Namestnikov at 5:51 of the third.
Ehlers scored on a breakaway with 7:44 left, and he reached the 500-point mark with an assist on Perfetti’s empty-net goal that completed his hat trick with 1:45 to go.
Perfetti opened the scoring with a one-timer past Ingram with 2:08 left in the first period.
Utah tied it as Schmaltz deflected Michael Kesselring’s point shot past Hellebuyck at 1:13 of the second.
Gustafsson took advantage of a bad bounce off the boards on a shot by Dylan DeMelo that drew Ingram out of position and fired the puck into an open net at 8:48.
Hayton tied it 2-2 at 1:19 of the third.
Takeaways
Utah: Utah relied on Ingram to make many saves as the Jets just kept firing and managed to score on their rare chances. They may have tired in the third after playing in Minnesota on Thursday night.
Jets: Winnipeg came out firing pucks and it paid off with a pair of slumping forwards scoring. They kept the pressure on, even after Utah tied the score early in the third period.
Key moment
Ehlers stole the puck at his own blue line and raced down the ice on a breakaway and beat Ingram by sliding in a backhand with little more than seven minutes left in regulation to give Winnipeg a 4-2 lead.
Key stat
Perfetti snapped a 14-game scoring slump.
Up Next
Utah visits Ottawa on Sunday, and Jets host Calgary.
The University of Utah has made headlines by being ranked as the second most valuable football program among Big 12 teams …
The University of Utah has made headlines by being ranked as the second most valuable football program among Big 12 teams and 28th nationally, according to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal.
This valuation, conducted by Indiana University Columbus finance professor Ryan Brewer, highlights Utah’s rise in the college football landscape and underscores its robust financial health. The analysis considered several critical factors, including revenue, growth, cash flow, and sustainability, while also reflecting recent changes in college sports, particularly the advent of player compensation.
Utah’s football program was valued at $425 million, placing it behind Kansas in the Big 12 rankings. Kansas secured the 17th spot nationally with a valuation of $649 million, solidifying its position as the most valuable Big 12 program. The rankings reflect not only current financial metrics but also a program’s potential for long-term sustainability in an era of increased financial scrutiny and evolving operational landscapes in collegiate athletics.
The report highlights the growing influence of private equity investment in college athletic departments, which could prove transformative for programs like Utah’s. This influx of capital could help schools manage rising expenses associated with player compensation and other operational costs. As colleges adapt to this new financial reality, investment from private sources may be a critical lifeline for maintaining competitiveness on and off the field.
Valuation in a New Financial Era
Brewer’s study approaches college football programs like professional franchises, evaluating their financial performance and sustainability. This comprehensive analysis incorporates top-line revenues, cash flow drivers, and the broader operational ecosystem. Brewer’s methodology includes a multi-year review of financial data, accounting for trends in television viewership, enrollment, and fan engagement. This thorough process allows for a realistic estimate of a program’s market value if it were ever put up for sale.
The introduction of player compensation, or name, image, and likeness deals, has added a new dimension to college sports economics. In Brewer’s study, this shift was a crucial factor. Schools now face the dual challenge of compensating athletes through NIL deals and direct payments while maintaining financial stability. Utah’s position in the rankings suggests the program is well-prepared to navigate this new landscape.
At the top of the national rankings, Ohio State emerged as the most valuable program in college football, with an estimated value of $1.96 billion. Texas ($1.9 billion) and Michigan ($1.66 billion) rounded out the top three. These powerhouse programs, alongside others like Georgia, Notre Dame, and LSU, have built brands with massive appeal, bolstered by strong revenues and consistent on-field success.
Among Big 12 teams, Utah’s valuation of $425 million is noteworthy, especially given its relatively recent transition into the conference. While Kansas, ranked 17th nationally, leads the Big 12, Utah’s ranking places it ahead of traditional football powerhouses such as Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, showcasing the Utes’ growing influence and stability in the sport.
The report also sheds light on broader financial trends in college football. Brewer noted that coaching salaries, which had ballooned in recent years, are beginning to stabilize as schools allocate funds toward player compensation. Programs like Utah, which have balanced revenue growth with financial responsibility, are well-positioned to thrive in this new era.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Brewer’s findings is the potential role of private equity investment in supporting smaller schools. As larger programs benefit from their established brands and lucrative television contracts, smaller schools often struggle to keep up with rising costs. Private investment could provide these institutions with much-needed resources to fund NIL deals, improve facilities, and maintain competitive athletic programs.
For Utah, this external funding could help sustain its upward trajectory. The program’s success on the field, combined with its financial health, has made it an attractive option for investors looking to enter the college sports market.
By leveraging private equity, Utah could further enhance its recruiting efforts, improve its facilities, and solidify its position as a top-tier football program. The University of Utah’s football program has demonstrated remarkable financial growth and sustainability, earning it a top spot among Big 12 programs and national recognition.
As college sports continue to evolve, Utah is positioned to thrive in a competitive landscape shaped by player compensation, private investment, and increasing operational demands. With a solid foundation and forward-thinking leadership, the Utes are poised to remain a major player in the ever-changing world of college football.
On Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, Gov. Spencer Cox delivered his State of the State address based on the theme of “built here.” One word — why? — was on many of their lips.
Michael Fanone, a former Washington, D.C., police officer who was attacked during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, cursed out Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the anti-government group the Oath Keepers, during an appearance Wednesday on CNN. As Fanone was appearing on the network to discuss President Trump’s pardon of the Jan. 6…
At first glance, the Utah Hockey Club played a perfect game on Thursday. But the stats suggest there was lots of room for improvement.
Don’t look now, but the Utah Hockey Club is on a three-game winning streak.
That’s thanks, in large part, to a 26-save shutout from Karel Vejmelka against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.
Vejmelka has been one of Utah’s biggest difference-makers this season. It was highlighted by a post-to-post save on Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov, who doesn’t miss from that spot often. But when a goalie is hot, it takes a lot to get pucks past him.
Barrett Hayton tallied two goals, bringing his totals to five points in his last two games and seven in his last four. Nick DeSimone had a pair of assists, marking his first two-point night since Nov. 7, 2023.
“I really liked our pace starting the game,” said head coach André Tourigny. “I liked our composure as well, during the game.”
Utah is now four points shy of a playoff spot. They still have to jump ahead of the Calgary Flames, the Vancouver Canucks and the St. Louis Blues, but that seems more manageable this week than it did last week.
How this works
This is a three-part article geared toward three different audiences.
First, we’ll have “Utah hockey for dummies” for all you new hockey fans. Welcome, by the way — we’re glad you’ve taken an interest in the greatest sport in the world.
Next, we’ll have a section titled “Utah hockey for casual fans,” aimed at those who have a basic understanding of the sport.
Finally, we’ll have “Utah hockey for nerds.” That will be for those of you who, like me, think about nothing but hockey all day, every day.
Feedback is welcome, so let me know what you think in the comments of this article or the comments section on “X.”
Utah Hockey for dummies
I’ve written about this a few times already, but I’ll say it again for the people in the back: Clayton Keller seems to have a chip on his shoulder after being excluded from the Team USA 4 Nations Face-Off roster.
In three games this year against the Wild, who are managed by USA GM Bill Guerin, Keller now has three goals and four points. That’s a goal per game — much higher than his season average of 0.37 goals per game.
Keller talked about how it feels to be left off the squad after Utah’s first game against the Wild, a 5-4 shootout loss at the Delta Center on Dec. 10 — six days after the rosters were announced.
“That’s a team that everyone wants to be a part of and when you’re not selected, you look yourself in the mirror and you go to work the next day with a little extra jump,” he said.
Utah Hockey for casual fans
As mentioned, Vejmelka recorded his first shutout since Dec. 16, 2023, and his first in blue, black and white. “The boys played well in front of me and they helped me a lot,” Vejmelka said after the game. “It’s a big team win tonight.” His excellence was enough to earn him the game ball, UHC’s award for the player of the game, as chosen by the previous player of the game (Josh Doan, in this case).
Tending the other net was Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson. It was his first game since Jan. 15, having missed the last two with an illness. Allowing two goals (and one that was eventually overturned) in the first period is not the way he wanted to return. He gained his rhythm by the time the second period rolled around, but the bulk of the damage was already done.
Utah Hockey for nerds
As good as Utah has been in second periods recently in terms of the score sheet, their second period on Thursday was not sustainable. The second period has plagued Utah all season, so it’s been a central focus of the coaching staff for some time now.
Per Natural Stat Trick, Utah’s second period consisted of the following:
20% of the shots
8.33% of the scoring chances
20% of the high-danger scoring chances
An expected goal differential of -1.44
22.58% of the shot attempts
18.18% of the face-off wins
Utah has managed a net-positive goal differential in the second period during its current winning streak, but these numbers should scare the coaching staff.
“We knew, starting the second, they (would) have a push,” Tourigny said. “They had a push, but we kept them on the outside pretty good.”
Tourigny called a team meeting just after the new year to talk about their second period play. Among his solutions was taking shorter shifts — especially when a player is deciding whether to participate in an offensive rush.
What’s next?
They’re back at it tomorrow for a rematch with the Winnipeg Jets.
Utah HC beat the Jets 5-2 on Monday at the Delta Center. It’s no easy task to beat the best team in the Western Conference, so don’t expect it to be easy — but they proved on Monday that it’s possible.
The game starts at 6 p.m. MST and will be streamed on Utah HC+ and Utah 16.
Utah law requires a “cooling off period” for former lawmakers looking to become lobbyists. But a loophole lets them leave office one day and lobby the Legislature the next.
Days after wrapping up a 24-year run as a force in the Utah Senate, Curt Bramble has filed to lobby the Utah Legislature, despite a law on the books since 2009 intended to prevent legislators from becoming revolving-door lobbyists.
Bramble said there is a provision in the law that allows him to represent clients through his accounting and business consulting firm, Bramble & Company, which he has owned for decades.
“If lobbying or government relations isn’t your primary business then there’s an exception,” Bramble told The Salt Lake Tribune in an interview this week.
In 2009, lawmakers passed a bill that imposed a one-year “cooling off period” for elected statewide officials and legislators before they can become lobbyists. The bill passed during the same session that former House Speaker Greg Curtis returned to the Capitol as a lobbyist after losing his 2008 reelection bid and days after his term as speaker ended.
But the law does not apply if the legislator lobbies on behalf of “a business with which he is associated,” provided the business’ primary activity is not lobbying or governmental relations.
Bramble said he met with representatives of the lieutenant governor’s office, which oversees lobbyist regulations, two weeks ago and lawyers for the office reviewed the issue and gave him approval to represent his clients in the Legislature.
In a Jan. 15 email to Bramble, the lieutenant governor’s office cited the statute and advised him that “If you meet the above exception” — referring to the business exception — ” you may register as a lobbyist with our office on lobbyist.utah.gov and proceed as allowed under state code.”
Bramble registered as a lobbyist the next day.
“Here’s the reality: Do I expect to be doing contract lobbying? No. For this session I expect it will be fairly limited,” Bramble said. “But I do have clients that do have tax issues and we may have clients who say, ‘Here is an issue we need to talk about’ and much of what I do this session will be consulting with other lobbyists where … they want some advice.”
A 36th, Missouri, had a two-year cooling-off period until last summer when a federal appeals court struck down part of that state’s voter-approved initiative that imposed the lobbying ban. The judges ruled that it violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and that the state could not show that it significantly curbed corruption.
Spendlove, who retired Jan. 1 last year, filed to lobby on behalf of Zions Bancorp, where he is a senior economist. Spendlove said he didn’t plan to register, but some of the economic work he provides could be considered advocacy, so he registered as a precaution.
For years, Sen. Howard Stephenson was a registered lobbyist for The Utah Taxpayers Association while he was a state senator. Stephenson said it was permissible because he only lobbied the executive branch, not the Legislature.
In recent years Bramble has advocated for keeping the herbal substance kratom legal and regulated. Kratom is a plant with origins in Southeast Asia that is promoted as a pain reliever and in low doses can act as a stimulant and in higher doses a depressant. It is also touted as helping ease opioid addiction.
Amid a series of reports of adverse effects, including lawsuits by families who alleged it was responsible for their loved ones’ deaths, some states looked to restrict the supplement and at least six banned the product.
In 2019, Bramble sponsored the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which passed the Legislature to become the first law in the country regulating the preparation, labeling and marketing of the product.
Bramble has testified in support of kratom legislation in Missouri, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin and Colorado. He was not identified in any of the legislative records as a representative of the industry and under Utah law did not have to disclose the consulting payments to his business.
Bramble said he is not sure if he will disclose his clients on his lobbying reports. He said he would prefer to disclose them for the sake of transparency, but many of the clients have tax issues that can require him to maintain the confidentiality of the companies he is representing.
SGA, with more efficiency and consistency and wins than one man needs, never found the reasons to chase it. Wednesday opened the window. Fifty-four points, to be exact. A …
SGA, with more efficiency and consistency and wins than one man needs, never found the reasons to chase it. Wednesday opened the window. Fifty-four points, to be exact. A …
The Thunder faithful were in for a surprise treat against the Jazz as OKC star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a career-high in points. He scored 54 points on 17-for-35 shoo …
The Thunder faithful were in for a surprise treat against the Jazz as OKC star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a career-high in points. He scored 54 points on 17-for-35 shoo …
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The Nevada Wolf Pack (11-7, 3-4 MWC) will try to continue a three-game winning stretch when visiting the Utah State Aggies (16-2, 6-1 MWC) on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. This matchup is at 9:00 PM ET on Fox Sports 1.
Watch men’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up.
Utah State vs. Nevada Viewing Options: Live Stream and TV Channel
SportsLine’s model just revealed its college basketball picks for the Utah Utes vs. Houston Cougars on Wednesday night …
USATSI
The No. 7 Houston Cougars (14-3) will try to extend their 10-game winning streak when they host the Utah Utes (11-6) on Wednesday night. Houston won the first nine games of its hot streak by double digits before sneaking past UCF in a 69-68 final on Saturday. The Cougars need a last-second layup to escape as 13.5-point favorites. Utah has won three straight games, including an overtime win against BYU on Saturday.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday at the Fertitta Center. Houston is favored by 19.5 points in the latest Houston vs. Utah odds, while the over/under is 135 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Utah vs. Houston picks, you’ll want to see the NCAA Basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 12 of the 2024-25 season on an 199-138 betting roll (+2692) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Houston erased a double-digit deficit and pushed its winning streak to 10 games when forward J’Wan Roberts scored a game-winning layup with 1.1 seconds remaining against UCF. The Cougars are riding a 32-game home winning streak, which is the longest of any team in the country. They outscored opponents by an average of 24.7 points per game during the first nine games of the current hot stretch.
Senior guard L.J. Cryer leads Houston with 13.8 points per game, while junior guard Emanuel Sharp is averaging 13.8 points. Their balanced lineup has three other players scoring more than eight points per game, and Sharp leads the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg). The Cougars have covered the spread in five of their last seven games, while the Utes are just 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games. See which team to pick here.
Why Utah can cover
Utah is playing its best basketball of the season, moving up to seventh place in the Big 12 standings with a three-game winning streak. The Utes crushed Oklahoma State on Jan. 11 as 7.5-point favorites, powered by a 21-point outing from junior forward Ezra Ausar. They added an upset win at TCU last Wednesday, notching a 73-65 win as 4-point underdogs.
Senior guard Gabe Madsen scored a team-high 17 points, while sophomore forward Keanu Dawes chipped in 16 points and six rebounds off the bench. Utah extended its hot streak with an overtime win against BYU on Saturday, despite closing as an underdog in that game as well. Ausar poured in a career-high 26 points on an efficient 11 of 15 shooting performance. See which team to pick here.
How to make Houston vs. Utah picks
The model has simulated Utah vs. Houston 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
