Clayton Keller of Mammoth will play against the Stars after the death of his father

DALLAS – Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller will play in Friday night’s game against the Dallas Stars following the unexpected death of his father the night before.

“Clayton wants to play and be with the team,” Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny said early Friday. “We want to express our condolences to the family, Clayton, his mother (Kelly), his brother (Jack). This is a difficult time for the family, and we will support him in any way we can. We and the family ask everyone to respect their privacy.

The 27-year-old Keller has played all 10 of his NHL seasons with the Arizona-Utah franchise and was named captain before last season, when the club moved to Salt Lake City. The seventh overall pick in the 2016 draft and four-time All-Star was a 30-goal scorer in each of the past three seasons, including a career-high 60 assists and 90 points last season. He went into Friday’s game second on the club with 21 points, including eight goals.

“There’s really nothing you can say or do in that moment but hang in there,” Torigny said. “The big thing for us is to be there to support him. Loyalty is being there when people need you, not when you pick and choose. In this difficult time, we want to make sure we show up for (Keller) and his family.”