Park City native Colten McIntyre becomes first Utah hockey player on a Mammoth roster for an NHL game

(One of) Park City High School's sports trophy cases displaying the three state championships awards from when Colten McIntyre joined his Ice Miners hockey team. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — The Mammoth’s No. 1 goaltender, Karel Vejmelka, was a late scratch with an upper-body injury. Utah signed Colten McIntyre to an amateur-tryout agreement to serve as Vanecek’s backup for the night in the last game before their holiday break in the season schedule.

“I’m born and raised in Park City, been there my whole life, I played for the Park City Ice Miners until I was a bout 16,” McIntyre said to Utah Mammoth Team Writer Catherine Bogart. “I got three State Championships with them, which was of course super fun.”

Scott Wedgewood made 32 saves for his second shutout of the season, and the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche beat the Utah Mammoth 1-0. 

Wedgewood’s 10th career shutout helped extend Colorado’s home winning streak to 13 games. The Avalanche have won six in a row overall and eight of nine. 

Colorado’s 61 points are the second most in the NHL after 36 games behind the 1929-30 Boston Bruins, who had 63 points at that stage.

Samuel Girard scored the lone goal for the Avalanche (27-2-7), who remain unbeaten in regulation at home (15-0-2). They have not lost on home ice since Carolina’s 5-4 shootout win on Oct. 23.

Vitek Vanecek stopped 25 shots for Utah, which had won two of three.

Vanecek had a strong performance against the NHL’s top-scoring team. The Avalanche averaged 4.6 goals in the five games heading into the game.

Girard stole the puck from Clayton Keller in the neutral zone, skated in ahead of Keller and beat Vanecek with a backhander at 7:57 of the second period.

Wedgewood kept the Mammoth off the scoreboard with big saves in the second period. He made a blocker save on Daniil But, stopped Dylan Guenther on a breakaway late in the frame and 30 seconds later made a glove save on Keller that stood after a review.

Utah turned up the pressure in the third period and pulled Vanecek for an extra skater with 2:03 left but couldn’t get the equalizer.