{coyotes} Trocheck, Lee add veteran presence for Mammoth

--
Puppybear.tv - Rakuten.ca - Amazon.com - Swagbucks - MyPoints - DailyRewards

 

2025-26 season: 43-33-6, fourth in Central Division; lost in Western Conference First Round

Key arrivals

Vincent Trocheck, F: Waived the no-trade clause in his contract to approve a move from the New York Rangers on July 1. The 33-year-old had 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists) in 67 games last season and three assists in six games to help Team USA win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. … Anders Lee, F: Signed a three-year contract July 1 after 14 seasons with the New York Islanders, the last eight as captain. The 36-year-old had 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 82 games last season. He and Trocheck add grit, experience and leadership to a young group. … Andrew Peeke, D: Signed a one-year contract July 3 after he had 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 77 games for the Boston Bruins last season. The 28-year-old has 75 points (16 goals, 59 assists) in 386 games for the Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets over seven NHL seasons. … Sebastian Cossa, G: Signed a two-year contract June 30 after he was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings on June 26. The 23-year-old has appeared in only one NHL game, playing 45 minutes for Detroit in 2024-25, but was 26-8-4 with a 2.33 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and five shutouts in 39 games for Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League last season.

Key departures

JJ Peterka, F: Traded to the Boston Bruins on June 26 for a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a conditional first-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. Peterka had 47 points (25 goals, 22 assists) last season, ranking fourth in goals for the Mammoth in his only season with them. He had no points in six Stanley Cup Playoff games. … Sean Durzi, D: Traded to the Rangers on July 1 as part of the package for Trocheck. Durzi had 38 points (nine goals, 29 assists) in 90 games over two seasons in Utah. … Alex Kerfoot, F: Signed a two-year contract with the Nashville Predators on July 1. He had 41 points (18 goals, 23 assists) in 115 games over two seasons in Utah. … Ian Cole, D: Signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1. He had 40 points (four goals, 36 assists) in 164 games over two seasons in Utah. … Vitek Vanecek, G: Signed a one-year contract with the Islanders on July 1 after going 5-13-3 with a 2.93 GAA, .883 save percentage and one shutout in 22 games (19 starts) last season, the his only season in Utah.

On the cusp

Dmitri Simashev, D: The No. 6 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft had one assist in 28 games for Utah and 35 points (eight goals, 27 assists) in 40 games for Tucson of the AHL last season. The 21-year-old is expected to play a full-time role in the NHL this season. … Daniil But, F: The No. 12 pick of the 2023 draft had seven points (three goals, four assists) in 29 games for Utah and 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 41 games for Tucson last season. The 21-year-old will have a chance to push for playing time in the NHL this season. … Caleb Desnoyers, F: The No. 4 pick of the 2025 NHL Draft had 78 points (22 goals, 56 assists) in 45 games for Moncton of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League last season. General manager Bill Armstrong said the 19-year-old center will have a chance to make the NHL roster this season. … Tij Iginla, F: The No. 6 pick of the 2024 NHL Draft had 90 points (41 goals, 49 assists) in 48 games for Kelowna of the Western Hockey League last season. Like Desnoyers, the 19-year-old will have a chance to make the NHL roster this season. … Gabe Smith, F: Selected in the fourth round (No. 103) of the 2024 draft, the 19-year-old center had 77 points (34 goals, 43 assists) in 60 games for Moncton last season. … Maveric Lamoureux, D: The No. 29 pick of the 2022 NHL Draft has four points (one goal, three assists) in 20 games for Utah and 33 points (seven goals, 26 assists) in 107 games for Tucson over the past two seasons. Smith and Lamoreux are expected to add to the internal competition in training camp.

What they still need

Armstrong said the Mammoth likely are done with offseason maneuvering. Keep an eye on defensive depth and backup goaltending during the season. Simashev and Cossa have high upside but little NHL experience.

They said it

"There are some big pieces for us that we're really excited about just adding to our group. I can't tell you that we're perfect. I can't tell you that we're not going to try to add something else. But right now I like our team where they're at, and I do believe it takes a little bit of time as they come together during the course of the year to find that chemistry, so we're still going to have to get some of the kinks out of our team, because we have added some new pieces to it." -- Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong

EDGE stat to watch 

Forward Dylan Guenther, who had NHL career highs in points (73 in 79 games), goals (40), shots on goal (242) and ice time per game (17:24) last season, also had elite shooting metrics among forwards; long-range shots on goal (40; sixth), midrange goals (17; tied for eighth), long-range goals (three; tied for 10th), midrange shots on goal (97; 97th percentile), high-danger goals (16; 92nd percentile), average shot speed (61.40 mph; 93rd percentile) and hardest shot (91.39; 89th percentile). The 23-year-old also ranked highly at his position in 20-plus mph speed bursts (217; 97th percentile), 22-plus mph bursts (14; 94th percentile) and max skating speed (23.02 mph; 85th percentile). -- Chris Meaney

Fantasy spin

The veteran additions of Trocheck and Lee give the Mammoth added scoring depth, and each of those forwards provides plenty of fantasy category coverage. Since 2021-22, Lee is one of seven players with at least 120 goals (124), 900 shots on goal (990) and 600 hits (607).  During Trocheck's tenure with the Rangers (2022-26), he was one of two players with at least 250 points (253), 700 shots on goal (756) and 700 hits (764); the other was Brady Tkachuk. Both Trocheck and Lee should be attainable outside the top 120 overall, making them potential fantasy draft bargains. -- Pete Jensen

Projected lineup

Clayton Keller -- Nick Schmaltz -- Vincent Trocheck

Anders Lee -- Logan Cooley -- Dylan Guenther

Lawson Crouse -- Barrett Hayton -- Michael Carcone

Jack McBain -- Kevin Stenlund -- Kailer Yamamoto

Mikhail Sergachev -- MacKenzie Weegar

Nate Schmidt -- John Marino

Dmitri Simashev -- Andrew Peeke 

Karel Vejmelka

Sebastian Cossa

Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://almosthuman99.com

Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/babes/babeofthemonth.html

Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/hunks/hunkofthemonth.html

Virus-free.www.avast.com

Read More :- "{coyotes} Trocheck, Lee add veteran presence for Mammoth"

{coyotes} Mammoth, John Marino sign eight-year, $54-million extension

--
Puppybear.tv - Rakuten.ca - Amazon.com - Swagbucks - MyPoints - DailyRewards

 

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Mammoth have signed defenceman John Marino to an eight-year, $54 million extension with an annual average value of $6.75 million.

Marino's deal, announced on Tuesday, comes on the heels of a career-best season that included his first career playoff goal.

"We view John as a foundational piece of our future,” Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong said in a statement. “His ability to control the game from the back end, his play in transition and our trust in him to make the right decisions in critical situations allows him to be a difference-maker on most nights. Beyond his skill, John brings a level of calmness under pressure that our group feeds off of and that’s exactly what you need from your veteran players.”

Marino had career highs of 36 points and 32 assists with four goals in his second season with the Mammoth after being traded from New Jersey in 2024. The 29-year-old ranked second among all NHL defenseman at plus-42 and played all six games in Utah's first playoff appearance since moving from Arizona.

Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://almosthuman99.com

Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/babes/babeofthemonth.html

Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/hunks/hunkofthemonth.html

Virus-free.www.avast.com

Read More :- "{coyotes} Mammoth, John Marino sign eight-year, $54-million extension"

{coyotes} Iginla, Desnoyers 'could have a huge impact' with Mammoth

--
Puppybear.tv - Rakuten.ca - Amazon.com - Swagbucks - MyPoints - DailyRewards

 

SALT LAKE CITY -- When Tij Iginla was asked directly during Utah Mammoth development camp whether he believes he's ready for the NHL, he didn't hesitate.

"Oh yeah, I do," Iginla said during the five-day camp, which wrapped up July 2. "I think I am ready. I'm looking forward to a big summer of training and pushing it hard in the gym and everything like that. But yeah, I feel ready."

For fellow first-round pick Caleb Desnoyers, his answer was even shorter.

"Yep."

As the Mammoth prepare for training camp following an offseason that added veteran talent while keeping its young core intact, the message from Utah general manager Bill Armstrong couldn't have been much clearer.

If a prospect is good enough, there is a job to be won, which could lead to roster spots for Iginla and Desnoyers, each a 19-year-old forward selected by the Mammoth in the first round of the NHL Draft -- Iginla with the No. 6 pick in 2024 and Desnoyers with the No. 4 pick in 2025.

“Those guys are going to come into camp excited because they know there's a spot there and there's opportunity for them,” Armstrong said. “I think for them, having a little bit of that opportunity is a great thing. You never know, one of those kids could have a huge impact.”

Iginla’s confidence comes from the progress he has made over the past year with Kelowna of the Western Hockey League, which included a healthy season after battling injuries earlier in his five-year junior career. He was named to the Canadian Hockey League Second All-Star Team after he had a WHL career-high 90 points (41 goals, 49 assists) in 48 games.

"It was great to be back for a full season," Iginla said. "I felt like it was a good season. I felt like I got a lot better and improved. That's just kind of my mentality -- to just keep getting better and growing in whatever ways I can every day."

That growth hasn't only come from game experience.

Iginla has been skating with forward Gavin McKenna, the No. 1 pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2026 NHL Draft, focusing on subtle improvements.

"Sometimes it's just picking up something small," Iginla said. "Whether it's a thing like change of direction ... just more of those little skills and movements that I'm trying to continue to build into my game."

His training camp task is equally straightforward.

"My goal is definitely to make the team," he said.

"Every year he takes a big step," Armstrong said. "He went back there and embraced being a center ... He's really kind of grown his game. He's not just an offensive player, he's a two-way guy with great offensive instincts and ability."

Like Iginla, Desnoyers understands making the leap will come down to mastering details. He's coming off a strong third season with Moncton of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, with 78 points (22 goals, 56 assists) in 45 games in 2025-26.

His approach is simple.

"My mentality is I'll always aim for the highest thing," Desnoyers said. "The highest level I can play this year is the NHL. So I'll focus and do everything I can this summer to achieve that."

Armstrong said he believes Desnoyers has already taken meaningful steps.

"He's gotten bigger and stronger since the season ended," Armstrong said. "He's been working on his skating. He's just fine tuning his game."

One sequence that particularly impressed Armstrong came during the World Junior Championship, when Desnoyers willingly shifted from center to wing.

"They asked him to move to the wing, he moved to the wing and he was excellent," Armstrong said. "He's the type of kid with his hockey sense and his skill and ability, he can play with really smart players."

After the signings of Anders Lee on July 1 and Barrett Hayton on July 8, and the acquisition of Vincent Trocheck in a trade with the New York Rangers on July 1, the Mammoth now have a logjam at the center position, with eight possible skaters able to fill the four spots on the lineup sheet.

Rather than viewing those additions as roadblocks, Armstrong sees them as creating the kind of internal competition winning teams need.

"We talked about coming in and taking someone's job," Armstrong said. "You've got to come back with a little bit of snarl. You've got to be ready to play exhibition. You've got to basically take somebody's job.

"Caleb and Tij have the ability to come in and make our team. Both can play wing, both can play opposite sides. There's a lot of flexibility for our club ... When you have somebody that comes in and pushes to make your team, you can always make openings for that player.”

Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://almosthuman99.com

Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/babes/babeofthemonth.html

Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/hunks/hunkofthemonth.html

Virus-free.www.avast.com

Read More :- "{coyotes} Iginla, Desnoyers 'could have a huge impact' with Mammoth"

Learn more about our updated Terms of Service

manish60.internet@blogger.com  Every couple of years, we update our Terms of Service. We wanted to let you know ahead of time that the next update will be on July 30, 2026. These changes won’t affect the way you use our services, but they should help make it easier for you to understand what to expect from Google — and what we expect from you — as you use our services. You can review the new terms here. If you’re based in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, we’ve also provided a summary of the key changes to the EEA version of our terms. At a glance, here’s what this update means for you: In general: We added a section to help you better understand why our services may access the internet when not actively engaged, to encourage you to check your Internet service plan and your device and network settings, as each of those may affect your costs. We updated and clarified our Settling disputes, governing law, and courts section. We make it clearer how various sections in our terms relate to each other. If you’re based in the EEA: In addition to the changes in the In general section, we updated various sections to reflect the latest EEA laws and regulations that apply to our services, including: Google’s obligation to make legally-required updates to our digital content, services, and goods. A new, online “withdrawal button” in the EEA instructions on withdrawal section. We also removed the Handling requests for your data section, because we’re centralizing our data disclosure language on our main data disclosure policy page. If you’re based outside the EEA:  In addition to the changes in the In general section, we added new disclosures and disclaimers, including ones about AI outputs. If you’re based in India, we also added new reporting language about our obligations if you violate applicable law. If you’re a parent or guardian, and you allow your child to use the services, please review the updates to our terms with your child and help them decide whether they need to make any changes to their account. Please remember that these terms apply to you and you’re responsible for your child’s activity on the services. If you don’t agree to the new terms, you should remove your content and stop using the services. You can also end your relationship with us at any time, without penalty, by closing your Google Account. Thank you for using Google services!  © 2026 Google LLC 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043  You have received this email to update you about important changes to Google’s Terms of Service.

Read More :- "Learn more about our updated Terms of Service"

{coyotes} Schmidt high on Mammoth taking step forward as Stanley Cup contender

--
Puppybear.tv - Rakuten.ca - Amazon.com - Swagbucks - MyPoints - DailyRewards

EDINA, Minn. -- Nate Schmidt, no stranger to experiencing Stanley Cup Playoff atmospheres with fledgling organizations, said he's hoping to help the Utah Mammoth take the next step toward a sustained run as a Cup contender this season.

The defenseman, who turned 35 on Thursday, said the Mammoth are looking to build on their first trip to the postseason, which ended with a six-game loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the best-of-7 Western Conference First Round following a 43-33-6 finish last season, good for fourth place in the Central Division.

“That excitement and energy was really hard to quantify because it was all over the place,” Schmidt said Wednesday between games at Da Beauty League, a summer hockey league featuring NHL and collegiate players with ties to Minnesota, played at Braemar Arena. “That’s all you ever want as a hockey player.” 

Schmidt said seeing the first-time jitters and excitement from his mostly younger Utah teammates was a reminder of “why you play.” 

A Stanley Cup winner with the Florida Panthers in 2025 and a member of the Golden Knights team that reached the Cup Final in 2018 following its inaugural NHL season, Schmidt said the Mammoth, as well as their fans, should be excited about the elevated expectations of a team looking to rise toward their ultimate goal.

“You have to have that moving forward as a group, otherwise you never get out of the murky middle,” Schmidt said. 

Utah has taken a significant step in that direction with the additions of 36-year-old center Anders Lee, who signed a three-year, $16.2 million contract (average annual value $5.4 million) on July 1, and 33-year-old center Vincent Trocheck, acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers the same day. 

Lee, who had played 14 seasons with the New York Islanders and was their captain the past eight, had 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 82 games last season. He's fifth in Islanders history in games (923), fourth in goals (308), and 10th in points (549).

“He’s another fantastic human, and another captain to boot,” Schmidt said. “You add a teammate like that to your team, it makes a big difference.” 

Adding Trocheck, “fresh off a gold medal” with the U.S. men’s hockey team in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, brings another veteran presence to Utah, Schmidt said. Trocheck has played 13 seasons in the NHL and had 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists) in 67 games last season, his fourth with the Rangers.

“I just think he can play anywhere,” Schmidt said. “A Swiss army knife and go anywhere in the lineup and do anything.

“You can never have too many guys that could do that in your lineup that can give you so much value in other places.” 

Schmidt said he's looking forward to watching continual growth from the Mammoth's youthful players, including 23-year-old center Dylan Guenther, who had an NHL-high 73 points (40 goals, 33 assists) in 79 games last season, and 22-year-old center Logan Cooley, who had his third straight season with at least 20 goals (43 points; 24 goals, 19 assists in 54 games).

“For them to be able to experience not only the playoffs and the intensity that comes in, but how their game has elevated over the last year, it’s my job just to steer," Schmidt said. "They’re going to take off. That’s pretty much all you ever want as a teammate.” 

Mammoth fans have something else to anticipate this season: Hosting the 2027 NHL Winter Classic against the Colorado Avalanche on New Year's Eve at Rice-Eccles Stadium, on the campus of the University of Utah.

Schmidt said he's “fired up” about playing in his first Winter Classic, which he said should make for “a good mountain-range rivalry.”

He wouldn’t mind a little falling snow, either. 

“I hope it’s adverse conditions," he said. "It’s almost more fun.”

Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://almosthuman99.com

Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/babes/babeofthemonth.html

Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/hunks/hunkofthemonth.html

Virus-free.www.avast.com

Read More :- "{coyotes} Schmidt high on Mammoth taking step forward as Stanley Cup contender"

{coyotes} NHL announces home openers for 2026-27

--
Puppybear.tv - Rakuten.ca - Amazon.com - Swagbucks - MyPoints - DailyRewards

Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://almosthuman99.com

Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/babes/babeofthemonth.html

Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/hunks/hunkofthemonth.html

Virus-free.www.avast.com

Read More :- "{coyotes} NHL announces home openers for 2026-27"

{coyotes} NHL Alumni Association introduces post-retirement wellness plan

--
Puppybear.tv - Rakuten.ca - Amazon.com - Swagbucks - MyPoints - DailyRewards

UXBRIDGE, Ontario -- Glenn Healy says the edict of the NHL Alumni Association is “Make tomorrow better than today.”

Thanks in part to that organization, it’s become exactly that for more than 5,000-plus living ex-players who are grappling with life after hockey.

In what must be considered a significant step for all of them, the recent collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and NHL Players Association features a $4 million-plus donation from both parties combined for a post-retirement wellness plan.

The final details of that program were ironed out last week, allowing Healy to announce details of it to the 40 former players on hand for the NHL Alumni Celebrity Golf Classic at the picturesque Coppenwood Golf Club on Monday. With Hall of Famers like Paul Coffey, Doug Gilmour, Bryan Trottier, Mike Gartner and Mark Recchi showing their support, the association president outlined just how deeply its members now can get help once they’ve taken their final NHL shift.

“The way it’s set up now, if you’ve played one shift in the NHL you will get a family doctor. If you played one shift in the NHL you get a mental health wellness professional for you, your wife and your kids,” Healy said.

As impressive as that may be, it runs far deeper than that.

For those who played 400 games, they’ll receive dental and prescription eyewear coverage too. And for former players who haven’t reached that threshold and can’t afford the healthcare that they need, the League and NHLPA have established a slush fund for those, as Healy puts it, “in financial distress or find themselves in catastrophic situations.”

“This is Christmas Day for us in the sense that we took into consideration while building a better tomorrow than today, a wellness plan,” he explained. “That was always a goal.

“We wanted to be proactive because, in the past, we seemed to be reactive, waited for problems and then reacted to them. Too late. Be proactive. Preventative. Get on top of your own health. Go get bloodwork. Check to make sure that, for males, particularly when it comes to prostate cancer, don’t wait until it’s too late.

“All of us have something when it comes to health. Even as something as simple as: How many former NHLers still have their own teeth? These are all things we were looking to help deal with.”

According to Healy, one of the final details worked out last week involved NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA president Marty Walsh coming to an agreement on how to help the widows and families of former players.

In the big picture, Healy said the process of completing the plan was drawn out because of the number of different native countries involving the Alumni’s members, each with their own individual insurance regulations.

“Hey, if this was, say, the NFL, you’re basically just dealing with a U.S. situation,” he said. “But we’re a global sport. We have 1,300 members in Europe alone.”

As part of the festivities Monday, each former player on hand was presented with a special platinum alumni ID card. Each one is numbered predicated on when an individual player signed their first respective NHL contract starting with the late Gordie Howe, who was No. 1.

For Gartner, who served as the president of the NHLPA from 1996-98, it’s been a lengthy road to finally get the healthcare the alumni deserve.

“First of all, it’s essential,” Gartner said. “Secondly, it’s come a long way.

“This was a vision years and years ago. But in order for it to come to fruition, you need two things. You need the funds to make it happen, and certainly the NHL and the NHL Players Association stepped up into that role in a big way and helped to do this. And then you need someone with a passion to put it all together and make it happen, and that’s Glenn Healy. He’s done an unbelievable job on behalf of the former players to make something like this happen.”

Coffey is playing a significant role in that, too. The 65-year-old, who is on the Alumni Association’s board of directors, has aligned himself with EAS (Empowerment. Accessibility. Support.), an organization stressing support for wellness in the workplace including mental health and supplying an outlet for those who need to talk.

“The issues aren’t any different than they were 10 years ago. The problem was still there with the players, all of us,” Coffey said. “The difference is, now they have a place to go. And it’s OK. And it’s not just for the players: it’s for the wives, for the kids, for the families.

“Listen, we’re partnering with the families but we’re going to partner with other companies, too. So, it’s not just for athletes -- it’s for people in general. There’s a lot of stuff going on out there. And it’s not like the old days where you couldn’t tell anyone because you didn’t want to be perceived as weak. Those days are over.

“People still have issues. They still need somewhere to go for help. Look at what happened to Claude Lemieux.”

The entire hockey world was in shock when Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion, took his own life on May 28. He was 60.

“It shook all of us in a big way,” Healy said. “Look at who showed up in Florida for his service. Wayne Gretzky. Joe Sakic. Steve Yzerman. That says a lot.

“We are going to fight for him, and for the hope that there won’t be a next one, even though there will be. We’re going to do everything we can to make a difference, bit by bit.”

Truth be told, they already have.

Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://almosthuman99.com

Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/babes/babeofthemonth.html

Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/hunks/hunkofthemonth.html

Virus-free.www.avast.com

Read More :- "{coyotes} NHL Alumni Association introduces post-retirement wellness plan"