DALLAS- Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller will play in Friday's game against the Dallas Stars after the unexpected death of his father the night before.
“Clayton wants to play and be with the team,” Mammoth coach Andre Tournigny said early Friday morning. “We want to express our condolences to Clayton's family, his mom (Kelly), his brother (Jake). This is a difficult time for the family and we will support him in any way we can. We and the family ask that everyone respect their privacy.”
Keller, 27, played all 10 NHL seasons with Arizona-Utah and was named captain before last season when the team moved to Salt Lake City. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2016 draft and a four-time All-Star, he has scored 30 goals in each of the last three seasons, including career-highs of 60 assists and 90 points last season. He entered Friday's game second on the club with 21 points, including eight goals.
“There’s nothing you can say or do at that moment except be there,” Tourigny said. “The main thing for us is to be there and support him. Loyalty is when people need you to be there, not when you choose. During this difficult time, we want to make sure we support (Keller) and his family.”
