Utah Hockey Club adds Olli Mtt and strengthens the backend

The two teammates were driving home from the airport and were looking for a snack.

Ian Cole and Olli Mtt had just won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, something they did twice, in 2016 and 2017, and Cole was hungry.

I thought, man, we gotta buy Chick-fil-A. He says, what is Chick-fil-A? I was like, you've never had Chick-fil-A!? Cole recalled Wednesday.

My claim to fame is introducing Olli Mtt to Chick-fil-A.

The two experienced defenders can now dream of one day lifting a cup and a spicy chicken sandwich.

Cole and Mtt were reunited at the Utah Hockey Club after the team traded a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft to the Detroit Red Wings for the veteran blueliner on Tuesday.

Mtt's move to Utah follows the loss of defensemen Sean Durzi (shoulder surgery, out four to six months) and John Marino (back surgery, out three to four months) to injuries.

The Hockey Club initially looked for answers from within. It first drafted Patrik Koch and then Maveric Lamoureux from the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners, while giving its younger talent such as Michael Kesselring a bigger role. However, after giving up 17 goals in the past four games, it was clear that Utah's depleted backend needed reinforcements.

Just during the games, since all the injuries, you always look to other sources to improve your team, Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said. I think with what we've acquired with Olli, he's a two-time Stanley Cup winner. He gives a lot of stability to the defense and that is what we need.

Mtt has been pointless in seven games against Detroit this season, but posted 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) and a plus-14 rating in 72 games in the 2023-24 season. The 30-year-old is in his 12th NHL season and will bring proven knowledge to Utah, which Armstrong says he thinks will calm things down for the team defensively.

I think he's a good NHL defenseman, said head coach André Tourigny. Brings scale and experience to the backend.

Mtt's two Stanley Cups came in 2016 and 2017, while Pittsburgh was the team that drafted him 22nd overall in the 2012 NHL Draft. Cole was a member of both championship teams.

After winning it all in 2016, the Penguins' path to postseason victory became more challenging in 2017. All-Star defenseman Kris Letang missed the second half of the year, including the 2017 playoffs, due to a herniated disc in his neck that required surgery. So Pittsburgh's D Corps had to dig deep.

Nobody really gave us a chance. Like, Oh, they don't have No. 1 defensemen, they'll never win. “We just had six guys who were really good,” Cole said. Without it that wouldn't have been possible [Mtt]. He was one of six guys who played really well.

Mtt recorded eight points (two goals, six assists) and had a plus-eight rating through 25 games in that Cup round.

He was expected to make his Utah Hockey Club debut Wednesday at Delta Center as the group faces the Calgary Flames and tries to snap a four-game losing streak. Tourigny said his team would skate 11 forwards and seven defensemen, and that Mtt would rotate Vladislav Kolyachonok and Juuso Vlimki.

Armstrong said one of Utah's main goals right now is reducing goals conceded. Mtt can help with this in the long run without taking away from the development time of the hockey club's starting defenders.

Mtt is in the final season of the two-year, $6 million contract he signed with Detroit in February 2023. The defenseman who had no term left on his contract was likely an attractive factor for Utah, which is working to remain competitive this season. , but should not hinder the space for the younger players to play a more important role in the future.

You want to see if this year we can always push the boundaries of how good we can be, Armstrong said. That doesn't mean we would win the Stanley Cup, but that we were competitive in that locker room.

One player won't single-handedly fix Utah's defensive holes. However, Mtt can alleviate some of the extended minutes and situations that hockey defensemen have had to play in and act as a stabilizing force on a Utah blueline that has undergone a lot of changes early this year.

Smart player, puts himself in a good spot. Can make some plays if those situations arise, Cole said. I think we should be very happy to have him. He's a great hockey player, a great guy.

A bonus? Utah has 33 Chick-fil-A locations, including one in the Delta Center.