SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Hockey Club has added another player to its lengthy list of acquisitions this off-season after agreeing to terms with former Arizona Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton.
Utah HC announced the signing on Monday, July 8. The lefthanded Hayton ended the 2023-24 season with three goals and seven assists.
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𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗗 🩵🤍🖤
We have signed Barrett Hayton to a two-year contract!
🔗 https://t.co/ucgApBBgCf pic.twitter.com/QZavREpwyE
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) July 8, 2024
Arizona initially selected Hayton with the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 2018 draft. He made his NHL debut in the 2019-20 season, scoring one goal and registering three assists in 20 games. He was the seventh-youngest player in Coyotes history (19 years, 123 days) to make his debut.
During his second pro campaign, Hayton was limited to two goals and one assist in fourteen games.
The Peterborough, Ontario, Canada native began to scratch the surface of the potential that made him a first-round pick when he found the back of the net ten times and finished with 14 assists in 2021-22.
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After signing a two-year deal in September 2022, Hayton played all 82 games for the first time in 2022-23. The 24-year-old scored a career-high 19 goals and dished out a career-best 24 assists. Four of his goals went down as game-winners, with two coming in overtime.
Injuries held Hayton back last year, as he played in just 33 games. He finished the season with three goals and seven assists.
He has a career total of 35 goals and 49 assists and is -25 in 209 games played.
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Brian Preece is a KSLsports.com insider covering the Utah State Aggies, Locals in MLB, and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees, Beehive baseball, and Aggie athletics coverage here.
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