By Greg James | [email protected] 

The Utah Grizzlies can’t wait to get back on the Maverik Center ice, but it will have to wait.

“We are extremely hopeful that we will have hockey in Utah this season,” Grizzlies head coach and general manager Tim Branham said. “The support we get from our fans is tremendous. We could not do it without them. The passion they bring each and every night really energizes the boys.”

The East Coast Hockey League Board of Governors, in conjunction with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association, approved a revised season start date for the 2020-21 season. The anticipated start date is Dec. 4 and will include a full 72 game season.

“We are eager to return to hockey,” ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin said in the leagues released statement. “At this time it is prudent for our players, employees and fans. We remain optimistic about the safe reopening of our venues across the continent. We appreciate our partners and fans continued support and patience.”

The season was originally scheduled to begin in early October. The complete schedule will be announced at a later date. The Grizzlies will celebrate their 25th season in Utah this year. 

In 1994, Salt Lake experienced its first winter without professional hockey. The Golden Eagles had fled to become the Detroit Vipers. The International Hockey League awarded a franchise to Denver which became the Grizzlies. They produced the best record in the league and captured the Turner Cup in their inaugural season in Denver, but their success opened the door for the NHL Quebec Nordiques to relocate to Denver (Colorado Avalanche) and the Grizzlies left town for Utah.

In the 1995-96 season, the Grizzlies repeated as the best team in the IHL and, in 1997, they moved into their current state-of-the-art home, the Maverik Center. 

Branham will begin his eighth season as the team’s head coach. It will be the third year as an affiliate of the Avalanche. In the club’s 25-year history, they have enjoyed NHL connections with several teams including the Islanders, Ducks and Flames. Over 200 former Grizzly players have played in the NHL. 

At the time of last season’s suspension and eventual cancellation, the Grizzlies were tied for second place in the ECHL Mountain Division. Their .637 winning percentage was the best in franchise history. 

Last season forward Ty Lewis led the team with 25 goals. 

They have signed several players to its current roster, including Jared Pike, a native of Sandy, Utah. The 6-foot-4, 215 lb. forward scored 29 goals in his collegiate career at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. 

Pike was awarded the 2020 Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award, given annually to the NCAA Division 1 judged to best exemplify sportsmanship, competitiveness, intelligence, and work ethic.

The Grizzlies have also resigned Mitch Maxwell to its current roster.