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As the Utah Mammoth prepare for their second year as an NHL franchise, it certainly appears that the team is building something special. Under the direction of head coach Andre Tourigny and GM Bill Armstrong, the franchise formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes have a much brighter future in Salt Lake City. One of the team's most recent acquisitions, veteran defenseman Nate Schmidt, discussed how he views his new home's vision and future with NHL beat writer Derek Van Diest.
“This is actually a team and an organization that have been building for a long time,” Schmidt said to Van Diest on Thursday. “It kind of, in a lot of ways, mimics Florida and how they went through the draft, had a bunch of guys grow up together, and then start to make noise later as they got on in their careers. And that’s how I see this team. That’s something that kind of excited me. You see that type of trajectory again and see how it worked.”
This is actually the Mammoth nickname's first year in existence, as the team went by the Utah Hockey Club during the first season in their new home. Now, Tourigny and Armstrong need to get their roster towards the next step of contention. Veterans like Schmidt should certainly help in that regard. The 33-year-old defenseman just won his first Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last month. It's clear that he wants to win more. How soon could that happen with Utah?
Nate Schmidt looks to bring winning edge to Mammoth
During their inaugural season by the Great Salt Lake, the Mammoth finished seven points outside the final Western Conference Wild Card spot. Tourigny's fourth season at the helm showed continued progress. Armstrong's faith in his head coach seems to have been strengthened by the slow yet steady improvement.
Veteran additions like Schmidt and Brandon Tanev in free agency are the next step in the Mammoth's plan of growth. The trade for young forward JJ Peterka was another excellent move. It felt similar in tone to the deal to bring stud defenseman Mikhail Sergachev before their first season in Utah. Can the Mammoth finally take that next step and make into the playoffs next summer? That is certainly the hope that Tourigny and Armstrong hopes come to fruition.
