New Utah NHL team already has its first future Hall-of-Famer

The Arizona Coyotes being purchased by the NHL and sold to Ryan Smith of the Smith Entertainment Group means that the new Utah Hockey Club may already have its first future Hall-of-Famer on board.

Back in February of 2023, the Vegas Golden Knights traded injured defenseman Shea Weber to the Arizona Coyotes, along with a 5th round pick, for minor league defenseman Dysin Mayo.

Weber is not expected to play again, effectively retiring while still on LTIR. However, even with his career long over, Weber's exploits throughout his impressive NHL career are well-noted. Long regarded as one of the best defensemen in the game, Weber is likely bound for the Hall of Fame one day.

Shea Weber probably does belong in the Hall of Fame, even without a Stanley Cup or a Norris Trophy

Weber was one tough customer and played the game the right way. He was physical, he was smart, and he knew how to win games. Unfortunately, Weber will retire without ever having won a Stanley Cup or a Norris Trophy, but there's a reason why he was so revered around the league. Weber was elite.


With the Coyotes officially headed off to Utah next season, the yet-to-be-named Utah team now officially inherits Weber's contract and while he never played in a single game for Vegas, Arizona or Utah, he's still under contract with the organization, meaning that if/when he is inducted into the Hall of Fame, he will technically have ended his career with the Utah Hockey Club's organization if he never plays another game. This would make Weber their first ever Hall-of-Famer.


Obviously, this is only a technicality and nobody will ever view Weber as a member of the NHL's new team in Utah, but it's an interesting bit of information nonetheless.