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The Utah Mammoth are coming off their very first season in Salt Lake City since the move from their former identity as the Arizona Coyotes, and they've already made an indelible impression on the community that had never experienced professional hockey before.
Initially known simply as the Utah Hockey Club for their inaugural campaign, they've now settled on a new name and mascot and are moving forward known as the Mammoth. They did finish with a record of 38-31-13, but it wasn't quite enough to pick up what would have been the franchise's first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2020 as the Coyotes.
However, there were multiple positive signs that are setting the stage for future success.
Not only were they playing meaningful games down the stretch before ultimately falling just short of a postseason berth, but team captain Clayton Keller led the way with an impressive 30 goals and 60 assists for a new career-high 90 points. Additionally, the contributions of Logan Cooley with 25 goals and 40 assists along with Dylan Guenther's 27 goals and 33 assists understandably have the Mammoth looking forward for what could soon be coming.
“Our thesis in this endeavor was certainly that we had a great potential hockey market in Utah,” Utah president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said via NHL.com. “And we’ve been absolutely blown away, far exceeding our expectations.”
The good news for the Mammoth is that in addition to the contributions they got from the aforementioned players on the roster, they've added some significant reinforcements through free agency – including a pair of newcomers with championship experience.
Mammoth add former Kraken forward Brandon Tanev for grit
One of the most hard-nosed players in the NHL today, Tanev had played the last several seasons with the Seattle Kraken after being claimed in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft before he was dealt to the Winnipeg Jets at the NHL Trade Deadline.
It won't be long before Mammoth fans are completely enamored with his style of play, something Utah executives can't wait for.
“We are thrilled to welcome Brandon as a great addition to our group,” Armstrong said, via NHL.com “Our fans will enjoy both the maximum effort and physical style of play that he brings to our team.”
“We are very pleased to sign Brandon to a three-year contract,” said general manager Bill Armstrong. “He brings playoff experience, is good on the penalty kill and will upgrade many areas on our team. We look forward to having Brandon in Utah.”
Tanev's best season in the NHL came in the 2022-23 campaign with the Kraken, scoring 16 goals with 19 assists as Seattle earned a postseason berth for the first and only time to date in their history.
While he won't be overly relied upon for offense, Tanev plays a solid game, sticks up for his teammates, and can chip in with key secondary scoring.
Overall Grade: B+
Recent Stanley Cup winner Nate Schmidt joins the blue line
Speaking of the aforementioned championship experience, the Mammoth have signed defenseman Nate Schmidt, who is only weeks removed from his first and only season with the Florida Panthers. It ultimately resulted in the first Stanley Cup win of his career, and Florida's second consecutive title.
Schmidt scored five goals with 14 assists in 80 regular season games for the Panthers, but followed that up by scoring three goals with nine assists in 23 postseason games while averaging 16:15 of ice time per game.
Schmidt's addition not only adds valuable experience, but offensive-minded defenseman who enjoys joining the rush.
Overall Grade: B+
Goaltender Vitek Vanecek adds valuable depth in the crease
Even more championship experience is coming to Salt Lake City, as Vitek Vanecek signed a one-year contract to serve as the backup to Karel Vejmelka, who recently received a multi-year extension.
Vanecek split last season between the San Jose Sharks and the Panthers, acquired by Florida at the NHL Trade Deadline. While his numbers weren't very impressive at just 5-14-4 in the 2024-25 campaign, the bulk of those losses came with the Sharks, who ultimately finished in the NHL's basement.
He showed promise as a starter earlier in his career with the New Jersey Devils, amassing an impressive 33-11-4 record in the 2022-23 campaign with a solid 2.45 goals-against average.
Vanecek will be able to spell Vejmelka when he needs a rest, and should plan on playing at least 25-30 games in the upcoming season.
Overall Grade: B+
