This game was super fun! One of my best friends was in town from Pismo Beach, CA. He had only ever been to one NHL game before—Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights about a year ago in Las Vegas. It was awesome to take him to another game. And, of course, since he loves collecting things, he picked up a warmup puck and a Utah Hockey Club jersey to commemorate the trip. Since these are the inaugural jerseys, they’re pretty sick.

I started my day by heading down to the Delta Center early. It was the first day the jerseys were released, and they dropped at 8 a.m. I got there around 9:30 with my good friend Wolfey from Utah Hockey Pod. Since he didn’t have season tickets, he couldn’t get in, but they allowed you to bring a friend, so I hooked him up. When we got inside, they were already super low on jerseys—even the blanks. From what we heard, all the nameplate jerseys were gone in under 10 minutes. It was insane. The demand for hockey in Utah is real, and we’re all witnessing it firsthand. It was absolutely bonkers. I planned to get my blank jersey customized but decided against it when I saw the line—later, I found out it took almost six hours! After securing the jersey haul, I headed home to meet up with JR, who had flown in a few days earlier and was driving down from Logan.

JR and I then headed to the Patagonia outlet. We’re both major Patagonia fanboys, and one of the best things about visiting Salt Lake is that one of only five Patagonia outlets in the world is right here. The outlet is a goldmine—you can find gear that normally costs $500 marked down to under $200. I often score some great finds at 60% off or more. We spent about an hour at the outlet, then made a few rounds—stopping at my grandparents’ house, then my parents’ place. JR has a pair of Meta glasses, and my dad wanted to try them out.

After stopping at my parents’ house and driving around the beautiful Salt Lake Valley, I knew I had to introduce JR to Maverik. It’s one of the best places to stop when driving around the West, and since there aren’t many in California, I had to give him the experience. I think he was a little underwhelmed—granted, I probably hyped it up more than I should have.

After our Maverik stop, we headed to the Delta Center. Before the game, we grabbed food at HallPass. JR slyly used Apple Pay and sniped the bill from me—it was quite slick. We had some solid pulled pork sandwiches and fries, then made our way to the arena. A lot of people are still figuring out the value of getting in early, so we arrived right when the doors opened. We made sure to get down close to the bench like we did during the Hawks game, but this time, we realized the side behind the bench was less favored. After five games, fans had figured out that the other side of the bench was slightly closer to the ice. Unfortunately, we learned that lesson the hard way—none of the players threw us a puck, and they all got off the ice.

Let me tell you, kids—when you’re at a hockey game, never give up on getting a puck. Even after the players leave the ice. I jammed my sister Rachel into the corner of the seats and told her to keep yelling at the few trainers left on the bench. I had spotted a couple of spare pucks stashed under the boards earlier. A few moments later, one of the trainers came over and handed her one of the last pucks. You’re never out till you’re out. Another puck collected.

The rush and excitement of seeing Rachel get a puck is unexplainable. Am I benefiting from her getting them? Absolutely. But we’re both having fun and building a forever collection that started years ago in D.C., and we’re just getting started during this inaugural season.

Game 5 - VGK @ UTA

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Game 5 - VGK @ UTA

Game 6 - WSH @ UTA

Game 1 - CHI @ UTA

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