The Utah Hockey Club (often referred to as Utah HC) made headlines in a rather unusual way when it scored on themselves a phrase that actually refers to an own goal. This odd moment occurred in their very first preseason game, marking a quirky piece of franchise trivia that fans are unlikely to forget anytime soon. While scoring on your own net is rarely a highlight, it became a memorable part of Utah’s early history in the NHL. Below, we explore what happened, why it matters, and how the team responded.
How Utah Hockey Club Scored on Themselves
In their inaugural preseason game against the St. Louis Blues, Utah HC experienced a bewildering moment their first goal was actually scored in their own empty net. During a delayed penalty, they pulled their goalie in favor of an extra attacker, but an errant pass and a bizarre bounce sent the puck all the way back into their own side. The puck drifted into the net uncontested a self-inflicted goal that now lives in team lore.
The Sequence of Events
According to game reports, the play unfolded when Utah’s Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and Milos Kelemen tried to work a passing sequence near the boards. Guenther tried to handle the puck but misplayed it, and it slipped past him. As he gave chase, there was no defender close enough to stop the puck from dribbling into the goal. The St. Louis Blues, clearly amused, even congratulated Utah on social media for what they called the club’s first goal as a franchise.
Why It’s Called Scoring on Themselves
In hockey, when a player unintentionally puts the puck into their own net, it’s called an own goal. Unlike most goals, an own goal is credited to the opposing team in the official statistics. So while the phrase Utah scored on themselves sounds like they did something great for their own team, it actually means the opposite they gifted a goal to the other side. In their case, though, this unfortunate moment happened during a preseason match, which means it doesn’t count toward their official regular-season records.
How the Team and Fans Reacted
Despite the blunder, Utah HC managed to turn things around. Later in that same game, they scored legitimate goals and ultimately won 5 3 against the Blues. The fact that they came back from an embarrassing moment helped lighten the atmosphere, and the own goal became more of a funny anecdote than a stain on their debut.
Embracing the Bloopers
Rather than shying away from the mistake, Utah and its fans acknowledged it with humor. The Reddit hockey community quickly picked up on the moment, calling it historic and noting that every franchise has to start somewhere even if that start involves a self-goal. The Blues’ social media shout-out also added to the tongue-in-cheek spirit, congratulating Utah on their first goal despite it going into the wrong net.
A More Recent Twist Opponents Doing It
Fast forward to a regular-season game, and Utah found itself on the benefiting end of an own goal but this time, their opponents made the mistake. In a match against the Buffalo Sabres, Sabres forward Tage Thompson attempted a pass back to his defenseman, but the puck deflected off the boards and into the empty goal, giving Utah a point they might not have otherwise deserved.
The Bizarre Bounce
According to postgame commentary, Thompson was unaware that a delayed penalty was being called against his team. With the net empty and no immediate pressure, his pass misfired and ended up ricocheting spectacularly into his own goal just like it would in a video game. That goal proved pivotal, contributing to a 5 2 win for Utah.
Why These Moments Matter
These self-inflicted goals are more than just oddities. They have symbolic and practical significance for a brand-new franchise like Utah HC (now officially called the Utah Mammoth). They showcase the unpredictable nature of sports, help build early team identity, and offer talking points that fans and media will remember. The mix of humility and humor in response to such moments can foster strong fan engagement.
Lessons in Resilience
- Mistakes happen even in professional sports and how a team handles them can define its culture.
- The ability to shrug off a faux pas and still win shows mental strength and growth.
- Unique firsts (even embarrassing ones) contribute to a team’s history and lore.
The Bigger Picture Branding and Fan Engagement
Own goals like these may not be what teams hope for, but they often become part of a franchise’s lore. For Utah, this moment created viral content, generated social media buzz, and helped people talk about the NHL team in a lighthearted way. It contributes to early fan engagement and gives the Mammoth (formerly Utah HC) a memorable story as they build their reputation in a non-traditional hockey market.
Marketing and Identity
- Anecdotes like the own goal help humanize the team and make them relatable.
- The franchise can embrace the blunder in promotions, merchandise, or social media.
- It provides a fun origin story for long-term fans, boosting team culture.
- The moment underscores that even the best-laid plans can go off script and that’s part of sports.
When people say the Utah hockey club scores on themselves, they’re not talking about an impressive first goal quite the opposite. They’re referring to a quirky own goal that happened in the team’s very first preseason game, plus a bizarre own goal by their opponent later in the season. These moments, while unusual, have become a defining part of the team’s early identity. They highlight the unpredictable, human side of hockey and shed light on how a franchise can react to odd setbacks. Far from damaging morale, these plays have added character and momentum to Utah’s journey in the NHL. As the club moves forward, fans will likely remember these self-goals not as embarrassments, but as moments of charm and resilience in the Mammoth’s story.