SALT LAKE CITY -- On June 29, Will Skahan was at UFC 303 in Las Vegas watching Alex Pereira knock out Jiri Prochazka in the main event.
Just a few hours earlier down the road at Sphere, the 18-year-old defenseman landed the first blow of his journey to the NHL when he was selected by the Utah Hockey Club in the second round (No. 65) of the 2024 NHL Draft.
"I think everything kind of just blacked out," Skahan said. "You always get that first instinct to hug your parents and my little brother, I think that was special. I think it more settled into them than it did to me."
Perhaps the most noticeable thing about Skahan is his size. Standing at a towering 6-foot-4, it's hard to miss him on the ice.
But it's what he can do with that frame that has impressed Utah so far.
"The thing that jumps out is his mobility for a [defenseman] his size," Utah director of player development Lee Stempniak said. "He's an exciting prospect to work with for us. It's not every day you get a big guy like Will that's on the blue line that can both get it done defensively and offensively."
Though recognized for his defensive talents, Skahan was able to showcase his offensive game at Utah's development camp in July, when had a goal and two assists in a scrimmage on the camp's final day.
He showed glimpses of his offensive ability last season for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 60 games.
"He's a big man that can certainly be somebody that can come in and play with a presence and make it hard for other teams to play in our building," Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said. "He's somebody that continues to get better."
Skahan has been around the NHL for most of his life; his father, Sean Skahan, worked for the Anaheim Ducks as a strength and conditioning coach from 2002-15.
Growing up around the Ducks helped shape Will's visions for the future.
"Just seeing what they did just kind of lit a fire in my heart and created a burning passion for me in the sport," he said. "I think it's helped me a ton get to where I am today, so I can't credit that enough."
The next step in Skahan's journey will be his freshman season at Boston College. Stempniak says there's a lot that can be worked on while preparing to play in the NHL down the road.
"The first one is going into [Boston College] and feeling comfortable, feeling confident and earning ice time," he said, "Then from there, it's continuing to build his game, things that are going to become successful next season, then the following season, and then he eventually turns pro and comes to us in Utah."
Skahan said he's confident that when his name is called by Utah, he'll be ready.
"I'm really competitive, I'll do anything to win," he said. "When I get to the NHL, I'm here to win and I'm really excited to do it."
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