Last chance to see the Stars

WEST VALLEY CITY — If you have enjoyed watching Don Hay coach for the last three season or players like goaltender Jason Bacashihua, swift defenseman Trevor Daley, veteran sniper Jarrod Skalde, the team MVP and fan favorite, or team rookie of the year Mathias Tjarnqvist play hockey, tonight's very likely your last chance to see them on E Center ice as part of the Utah Grizzlies.

Even if Utah can keep alive its hopes of making the AHL playoffs when it hosts the league-leading Milwaukee Admirals at 7 for the Grizzlies' final home regular-season game, it ends the regular season on the road at Cleveland and San Antonio Friday and Saturday.

And if Utah does make the playoffs, it will spend the first round on the road.

Since the Grizzlies are severing ties with the parent Dallas Stars after this season — they plan to sign a new working agreement soon, probably with the Phoenix Coyotes — this may be the last E-Center game in Grizzly colors for the current coaches and players.

Utah has won three of nine games so far this season against Milwaukee, which began the week tied for first overall in the AHL and atop the West by four points going into a Tuesday-night home game with San Antonio in the Bradley Center.

The Admirals are the league's top-scoring team at 3.4 goals a game and are at their best in third periods, having scored 96 times. They are 21-11-3-3 on the road this season.

Milwaukee's Mathieu Darche with 58 points and Darren Haydar with 57 are 17th and 20th in league scoring.

At their awards banquet Monday at the E Center, the Grizzlies handed out 11 player awards, with Skalde earning four of them — MVP, team offensive player of the year, fan favorite (from the booster club) and American Specialty/Utah Grizzlies Man of the Year. Skalde is the team's top scorer with 55 points.

Defenseman Dan Jancevski, the only Grizzly to play every game this season, grabbed the Gord Dineen award. Defenseman Jeff MacMillan got the Player's Player award, the only one selected by players themselves.

Tjarnqvist bested competition from Antti Miettinen, Daley and Dan Ellis for the rookie award. The first-year player from Sweden has 14 goals and 13 assists.

Rookie Warren Peters was chosen as most-improved player, and rookie Zenon Konopka earned the Unsung Hero award.

Justin Cox was given his third straight Trash Talker award, and for the second straight season Bacashihua won the Three Stars award (given to the player who has been named a star of the game the most).

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E-mail: lham@desnews.com