Late in the 2023-24 season, it was announced that the Arizona Coyotes would relocate to Salt Lake City after 27 seasons in the desert. The Mammoth, known as the “Utah Hockey Club” in 2024-25, are technically a new franchise as they don’t carry on the Coyotes’ history – and why would they?

Let’s take a look at how the Mammoth’s first season went, how their second off-season has gone, as well as what the team will look like heading into the 2025-26 season.

How the season went

Unlike the Coyotes in 2023-24, the Mammoth were battling for a wild card spot as late as March last season. By the end of the season, the Mammoth had a 38-31-13 record, a significant improvement over the 77 points the Coyotes finished with.

The Mammoth’s play tailed off by the end of the season, as they missed the post-season by seven points. Still, there’s a lot to look forward to, as the Mammoth have a young core with plenty of help coming down the pipeline.

Leading the team in both goals and points in 2024-25 was 27-year-old Clayton Keller, who scored 30 goals and 90 points. Two of their younger players, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther, both finished in the top five in scoring, as Cooley had 25 goals and 65 points in 75 games, while Guenther had 27 goals and 60 points in 70 games.

Another youngster, Barrett Hayton, scored 20 goals and 46 points in 82 games. Additionally, Jack McBain scored 13 goals and 27 points in 82 games last season.

There’s a solid veteran presence on the Mammoth as well. Nick Schmaltz finished with 20 goals and 63 points, third on the team in the latter category. Alex Kerfoot scored 11 goals and 28 points, while Kevin Stenlund scored 14 goals and 28 points. Long-time Coyote Lawson Crouse scored 12 goals and 18 points in 81 games.

Acquired during the 2024 draft, one of the first moves the Mammoth made, Mikhail Sergachev led their defencemen in both goals and points, scoring 15 goals and 53 points. Selected late in the first round of the 2022 draft, Maveric Lamoureux made his National Hockey League debut due to numerous injuries, playing 15 games with a goal and three points. He’ll likely be a factor for the Mammoth in 2025-26.

Both Sean Durzi and John Marino missed significant time, with Durzi playing 30 games and Marino playing 35 games. If they remained healthy, there is a legitimate case that the Mammoth could’ve made the playoffs.

In net, Karel Vejmelka posted a .904 save percentage and 2.58 goals against average in 58 games, with a 26-22-8 record. For the foreseeable future, he’ll be the top goalie for the Mammoth.

Drafted players

The Mammoth also got incredibly lucky in the draft lottery, ending up with the fourth overall pick. With that pick, they selected Moncton Wildcats centre Caleb Desnoyers, a teammate of Calgary Flames’ prospect Étienne Morin.

In the second round, the Mammoth selected Portland Winterhawks defenceman Max Psenicka, followed by Stepan Hoch in the third round. With the 110th overall pick, the Mammoth turned to Russian winger Yegor Borikov and picked another Russian prospect in the fifth round, selecting netminder Ivan Tkach-Tachenko.

They also had two sixth-round picks, using them to select two defenceman. Ludvig Johnson was selected 174th overall, and Reko Alanko was selected 182nd overall.

Trades

The Mammoth also made one of the biggest trades in the off-season, sending Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for J.J. Peterka. While losing Kesselring and Doan hurts, Peterka is a legitimate top-six forward who scored 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games last season. He’ll only make them that much more dangerous.

They also traded a young forward, moving Matias Maccelli to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a third-round pick in the 2027 draft. Maccelli scored 17 goals and 57 points in 82 games with the Coyotes in 2023-24, but his production dropped to just eight goals and 18 points in 55 games last season.

Free agent signings

As for their free agent signings, the Mammoth were able to sign Peterka to a five-year extension worth $7.7 million annually. They also re-signed Kailer Yamamoto, while bringing in unrestricted free agents Brandon Tanev (three-year, $2.5 million AAV), Nate Schmidt (three-year, $3.5 million AAV), and Vítek Vaněček (one-year, $1.5 million AAV).

On Jul. 7, the Mammoth extended Jack McBain, agreeing to a five-year deal worth $4.25 million annually. They also re-signed Michael Carcone on a one-year deal worth the league minimum.

Departures

There were some losses as well. Kesselring is a top-four defender who scored seven goals and 29 points in 82 games last season. Doan, son of Coyotes legend Shane, scored seven goals and 19 points in 51 games last season.

The only free agent to depart the Mammoth was Nick Bjugstad, who scored eight goals and 19 points in 66 games last season. In 2023-24, Bjugstad scored 22 goals and 45 points, one of the best seasons of his career.

Funnily enough, Bjugstad and Kesselring were involved in the same trade before the 2023 deadline, as the Coyotes sent Bjugstad to the Oilers for Kesselring and a prospect. Ouch.

What the team looks like heading into 2025-26

There’s plenty of young talent in the Mammoth’s top six next season. Cooley and Hayton will likely play centre, while Keller, Guenther, Schmaltz, and Peterka line up on the wings. In the bottom-six, McBain and Stenlund are the centres, while Crouse, Tanev, Kerfoot, and Liam O’Brien will be on the wings.

On the blue line, Sergachev spearheads the defence. Olli Määttä and Schmidt fill out the left side, while Marino, Durzi, and Ian Cole make up the right side. Between the pipes, the Mammoth will have two Czech goalies: Vejmelka and Vaněček.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

This article is brought to you by Crystal Waters

Crystal Waters is your Crystal Clear Choice for Home Comfort Solutions, including all plumbing, heating, and cooling equipment repairs, maintenance, and installation. Founded in 2001, and completing over 30,000 projects, our qualified professionals are the guardians of your home’s mechanical heart.

Call Crystal Waters Plumbing and Heating today at 403-219-4100 for a complete mechanical system audit, and learn how we can partner with you to ensure your home is optimized for safety, health, and comfort. Or check them out at www.crystalclearcalgary.com

Editorials

Recent articles from Ryley Delaney

What’s Going On In the Pacific Division: The three Canadian teams sit at the bottom of the division

Throwback Thursday: Looking at the Flames’ three trades with the Wild

Dustin Wolf’s rough start to the season is nothing new for second-year netminders