Thursday, 30 October 2025

{coyotes} Balanced Mammoth off to a torrid start in second season since moving to Utah


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The Arizona Coyotes spent years keeping the team mostly intact, hoping a big-splash addition via trade or free agency would be enough to push them deep into the playoffs.

Seeing that method wasn't working, general manager Bill Armstrong hit the reset button, unloading veteran players and their high-dollar contracts for a cache of draft picks that would set the foundation for the future.

The future appears to be here in the franchise's second season since moving to Utah, with the Mammoth matching the best start since the franchise moved from Winnipeg in 1996.

"I like the way we manage the momentum of the game, I like the maturity, the way we control our emotions," Mammoth coach André Tourigny said. "I don't think we're at our full potential with any of our structure or any of our system — it's a work in progress."

It's been working so far.

The franchise had been trying to solve the playoff riddle since playing in the 2012 Western Conference finals. The then-Coyotes reached the postseason in the 2020 NHL pandemic bubble, losing to Colorado after beating Nashville in the qualifying round, but that's it since the inspiring run 13 years ago.

Armstrong's renovation project began in 2021 with a roster purging that left a core group of young players he hoped would be joined by franchise-altering draft picks.

The latest phase of the rebuild has seen the young core mesh with the new additions in a steady climb under Tourigny. The franchise has increased its win and point totals during each of Tourigny's five seasons and is off to a roaring start this year.

After opening this season 1-2, Utah reeled off seven straight wins to tie the Colorado Avalanche atop the Western Conference standings with 16 points (8-3).

"Winning is fun," forward Dylan Guenther said. "We're playing a lot of games, too, so it's fun to keep it rolling."

The top line of Nick Schmaltz, Barrett Hayton and Clayton Keller has developed into one of the league's best during the early part of the season.

The shifty Schmaltz has been superb in his eighth season with the franchise, tying Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon for second in the NHL with 17 points (seven goals). Captain Keller has been to the All-Star game four straight seasons — five overall — and has 12 points through 11 games after posting a career-high 90 points last season.

Hayton has two goals, two assists and a plus-seven rating, matching Schmaltz for best on the team.

JJ Peterka has provided the scoring punch the Mammoth had hoped (four goals, six assists) when they traded for him, Mikhail Sergachev has been a solid two-way defenseman and new addition Nate Schmidt has provided stability on the blue line.

And then there's Logan Cooley.

The 21-year-old has been a star in the making since the Coyotes selected him with the third overall pick of the 2022 NHL draft and increased his production each of his first two seasons in the league. Cooley has eight goals and four assists in 11 games, and the Mammoth locked him up with an eight-year, $80 million contract extension this week.

"I think this is what we're trying to build and this is exactly what we hoped for when we brought a team here," Mammoth owner Ryan Smith said. "It's a message to his teammates that this is a leadership move. It's also a big message to the NHL that this is a destination and we're going to be doing this for a while."

Karel Vejmelka has been a steady No. 1 goalie since arriving in 2021 and is off to a strong start this season, tying for the NHL lead with six wins and a 2.75 goals-against average. Vitek Vaněček has been solid as his backup with two wins and a 2.00 goals-against average in three games since being signed as a free agent in the offseason.

"They have both been unbelievable," Guenther said. "When your goalies are playing like that, you've got a chance to win every game."

The way the entire team is playing, the Mammoth have been close to winning every game to start the season.

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Wednesday, 29 October 2025

{coyotes} Cooley signs 8-year, $80 million contract with Mammoth


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Logan Cooley signed an eight-year, $80 million contract with the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday. It has an average annual value of $10 million and begins next season.

The 21-year-old forward leads the Mammoth with eight goals and is second with 12 points in 11 games this season. He had a goal in a 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

Cooley is in the final season of his entry-level contract and could have become a restricted free agent after the season.

"I'd like everyone know how grateful I am to be in this position and this opportunity," Cooley said Wednesday. "I would like to thank Ryan and Ashley Smith for believing in me and giving me this opportunity, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that they made the right decision.

"I love it here. It's the best time I've had playing hockey, the fans, the facilities we have are second to none. And you know, I think just the team we have with (forward Dylan) Guenther, (forward Clayton) Keller, 'Sergy' (defenseman Mikhail Sergachev), the core we have here. It's a special group, and I'm excited to add to that. And I think the way we're playing and the team we have, we're going to be a dangerous team to stop."

Selected by the Arizona Coyotes with the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Cooley has 121 points (53 goals, 68 assists) in 121 regular-season games. He had NHL career highs in goals (25), assists (40) and points (65) in 75 games with Utah last season.

Among players from his draft class, Cooley ranks first in goals and points, and third in assists.

"Logan has made a huge commitment today by signing with the Mammoth to this organization, to his teammates, to the Mammoth fans, and also to the state of Utah," Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong said. " The reason I'm so excited today to sign Logan to an eight-year deal is the same reason on draft day. We were so excited about getting this young man. He's an elite centerman with speed, and they're extremely rare and extremely hard to find."

"What makes him unique is his drive and character, his ability to improve. (He) has a huge hunger to win, and he's an impressive young man. ... Every day, he's relentlessly working on his game. ... so he's a remarkable young man.The Mammoth (8-3-0) next host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET; The Spot, Utah16, NHLN, SN, TVAS).

Cooley said he is setting his goals high.

"Yeah, I think we've talked about it a ton, is winning a Stanley Cup," he said. "That's why you play this game, and that's why it's fun working every day at the rink, trying to get better, trying to work on your game, individually, as a team. And I think the best in the League, when it's all said and done, it's kind of judged by winning. And that's what we love to do, that's what we want to do, and that's what we're going to accomplish."

Armstrong said he is impressed by Cooley's worh ethic and ability to lead.

"He's already doing it right now the way he comes to the rink, how hard he tries every single day to get better," Armstrong said. "He goes home in the summer. He gets bigger, stronger and faster. He's a huge example-setter inside our organization.

"But if you watch him, he's always been pushing the envelope, winning since a kid in the U.S. program … the world championships last year, and he's doing it here. And so he's going to continue to push that pace to make Utah a winner ... That's not an easy process to go through, but I love the way that he attacks it every day."

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Tuesday, 28 October 2025

{coyotes} McDavid helps Oilers cool off hot Mammoth with 6-3 win


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EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Connor McDavid had a pair of goals and Evan Bouchard added three assists as the Edmonton Oilers exploded for five second-period goals to get past the sizzling Utah Mammoth 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm each had a goal and an assist, while Isaac Howard and Ty Emberson also scored for the Oilers (5-4-2), ending a two-game losing skid.

Logan Cooley, JJ Peterka and Barrett Hayton scored for the Mammoth (8-3-0), who saw an impressive seven-game winning streak halted.

Stuart Skinner registered 20 saves to collect the win for the Oilers, while Karel Vejmelka made 21 stops for the Mammoth.

It was Cooley's league-leading fourth game-opening goal of the year and he became the first player in league history to score each of his first eight goals of the season in the first period.

Although their winning streak ended Tuesday, Utah's eight wins in October mark the first time in franchise history (including previous incarnations in Winnipeg and Arizona) that the team has ever recorded eight wins in a calendar month.

Mammoth: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night.

Oilers: Host the New York Rangers on Thursday night.


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Monday, 27 October 2025

{coyotes} Celebrini leads 3 Stars of the Week

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NEW YORK – San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes have been named the NHL's "Three Stars" presented by GEICO for the week ending Oct. 26.

FIRST STAR – MACKLIN CELEBRINI, C, SAN JOSE SHARKS

Celebrini led the NHL with 5-5—10 in four games to power the Sharks (2-5-2, 6 points) to their first two wins of the season. He scored once in a 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders Oct. 21. The 19-year-old Celebrini then notched 3-2—5, including the primary assist on Will Smith's overtime winner, in a 6-5 victory against the New York Rangers Oct. 23. It marked Celebrini's second career five-point performance (also April 9, 2025 at MIN: 3-2—5), making him the fourth player in League history with multiple such outings before turning 20. The others: Wayne Gretzky (5x), Dale Hawerchuk (2x) and Bryan Trottier (2x). Celebrini added an assist on San Jose's lone goal in a 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils Oct. 24 before finishing the week with 1-2—3, capped by his second career overtime tally (also Nov. 18, 2024 vs. DET), in a 6-5 triumph versus the Minnesota Wild Oct. 26. Celebrini, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 NHL Draft and a finalist for the 2024-25 Calder Memorial Trophy (25-38—63 in 70 GP), places third in the League with 6‑9—15 through nine total appearances this season. Only four other teenagers in NHL history have posted as many points through their first nine games of a given campaign: Trottier (6-12—18 in 1975-76 w/ NYI), Gretzky (5-11—16 in 1980-81 w/ EDM), Sidney Crosby (6-9—15 in 2006-07 w/ PIT) and Elias Pettersson (9-6—15 in 2018-19 w/ VAN).

SECOND STAR – LOGAN COOLEY, C, UTAH MAMMOTH

Cooley ranked second in the NHL with 5-3—8 in four contests to propel the Mammoth (8-2-0, 16 points) to a perfect week as they extended their winning streak to a franchise-record seven games dating to Oct. 15. He was held without a point in a 4-3 overtime victory against the Colorado Avalanche Oct. 21, but rebounded with a career-best 3-1—4 – including his second hat trick (also March 28, 2024 vs. NSH) – in a 7-4 triumph over the St. Louis Blues Oct. 23. Cooley followed that with 2-1—3, his eighth career three-point performance, in a 6-2 win versus the Minnesota Wild Oct. 25 before picking up the primary assist on the tiebreaking goal in a 3-2 victory against the Winnipeg Jets Oct. 26. The 21-year-old Cooley – the third overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft – owns 7-4—11 through his first 10 outings of 2025-26, with his seven goals one off the League lead shared by Jack Hughes, Shane Pinto and Mark Scheifele (all w/ 8).

THIRD STAR – JACK HUGHES, C, NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Hughes (5-1—6 in 4 GP) matched Celebrini and Cooley for the League lead in goals as the Devils (8-1-0, 16 points) moved to the top of the NHL standings by stretching their winning streak to eight games dating to Oct. 11. He registered his third career hat trick in a 5-2 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs Oct. 21. Hughes, who did not record a point in a 4-1 win versus the Minnesota Wild Oct. 22, then collected the primary assist on the decisive goal in a 3-1 victory against the San Jose Sharks Oct. 24 before closing the week with a pair of goals (including his ninth career overtime winner) in a 4-3 decision versus the Colorado Avalanche Oct. 26. The 24-year-old Hughes, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2019 NHL Draft, is tied for first place in the NHL with eight goals through nine total appearances this season (8‑4—12).

GEICO's "Fourth Star" program is all about celebrating the fans who make the NHL experience unforgettable. Click here to review last season's "Fourth Star" recipients and how the program shines a spotlight on fan loyalty.

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Sunday, 26 October 2025

{coyotes} Guenther breaks late tie, Mammoth beat Jets 3-2 for 7th straight victory


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WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Dylan Guenther broke a tie with 5:36 left and the Utah Mammoth won their seventh straight game, beating the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Sunday night.

Coming off a 6-2 victory in Minnesota on Saturday night, the Mammoth improved to 8-2-0.

Logan Cooley and JJ Peterka set up the winning goal, with Peterka stealing the puck from defenseman Haydn Fleury.

Michael Carcone and Mikhail Sergachev also scored for Utah. Vitek Vanecek made 28 saves.

Mark Scheifele and Dylan DeMelo scored for Winnipeg, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 29 shots.

Winnipeg tied it at 2 on the power play in the second period. With John Marino off for interference, Scheifele took a pass from Josh Morrissey and whipped a shot past Vanecek.

The Mammoth scored twice in a 1:04 span in the second to take a 2-1 lead. Sergachev snapped a shot past Hellebuyck with 9:57 left, and Carcone finished a 2-on-1 with Kailer Yamamoto with 8:53 to go.

Mammoth: At Edmonton on Tuesday night.

Jets: At Minnesota on Tuesday night.

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Saturday, 25 October 2025

{coyotes} Cooley, Schmaltz each score twice as Mammoth stay hot with 6-2 win over Wild


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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Logan Cooley scored twice in the first 3:29, Nick Schmaltz also had two goals and the Utah Mammoth won their sixth straight game, beating the Minnesota Wild 6-2 on Saturday night.

Two days after scoring a first-period hat trick at St. Louis, Cooley opened the scoring Saturday with a goal 56 seconds in. The former University of Minnesota star backhanded the puck out of midair and past Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson for an early 1-0 lead.

Cooley netted his second goal of the game on the power play at the 3:29 mark of the first period. Cooley and Utah took advantage of a slashing penalty to Minnesota's Yakov Trenin.

The Mammoth went up 3-0 less than two minutes later when Schmaltz scored his sixth goal of the season just shy of five minutes into the game.

Wild veteran Marcus Johansson single-handedly got his team back in the game with a pair goals. Johansson put Minnesota on the board with a one-timer from Zeev Buium with 4:21 left in the first.

Johansson, who entered the game with just one goal this season, notched his second on the power play late in the second period. Johansson received a nice back-handed pass from fourth-liner Vinnie Hinostroza and made it 3-2 with eight seconds remaining on the power play.

JJ Peterka made it 4-2 with 6:23 remaining in the third, and Schmaltz scored his second for a 5-2 margin. Schmaltz has scored seven goals in his past five games.

Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka made 32 saves.

John Marino added an empty-netter with 5.1 seconds remaining.

Mammoth: At Winnipeg on Sunday.

Wild: Host San Jose on Sunday.


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Friday, 24 October 2025

{coyotes} Kerfoot out 8-10 weeks for Mammoth with core muscle injury


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Alex Kerfoot underwent a procedure to repair a core muscle injury and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks. The forward was listed as week to week with a lower-body injury at the start of training camp and has not appeared in a game this season. He had 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) in 81 games last season.

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Thursday, 23 October 2025

{coyotes} Logan Cooley has natural hat trick in 1st period, Mammoth hold off Blues 7-4


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ST. LOUIS (AP) Logan Cooley had a natural hat trick and added an assist - in the first period - in the Utah Mammoth's 7-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.

Cooley had his first career four-point game and second NHL hat trick to help Utah run its winning streak five.

Clayton Keller scored twice, including an empty-netter, and had an assist. Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist and Ian Cole also scored for the Mammoth. Karel Vejmelka made 16 saves and Dylan Guenther and JJ Peterka each had three assists.

Pius Suter, Pavel Buchnevich, Nathan Walker and Philip Broberg scored for the Blues. Jordan Binnington made 15 saves, coming in after Joel Hofer was pulled midway through the first after allowing three goals on the first six shots he faced.

St. Louis lost for the fourth time in its first five home games and has been outscored 22-11 at Enterprise Center this season.

Utah scored four times in the game's first 10:55.

Cole gave the Mammoth a 1-0 lead at the 3:18 mark of the first.

Cooley then notched a natural hat trick in 4:48 to help the Mammoth pull away. He made it 2-0 at 6:07, burying a one-timer from the slot off a feed from Guenther and scored again 1:55 later. Cooley completed the hat trick with a power-play goal with 9:05 left.

Mammoth: At Minnesota on Saturday night.

Blues: At Detroit on Saturday night.

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Sunday, 12 October 2025

{coyotes} Canucks' Tyler Myers fined for slashing Oilers' Connor McDavid


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Vancouver Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers has been handed a $2,500 fine for slashing Edmonton Oilers star captain Connor McDavid, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Sunday.

The $2,500 fine — the maximum allowable under the CBA for the infraction — stems from a tense moment during the Oilers' 3-1 victory over the Canucks last night.

The incident occurred midway through the third period when McDavid was skating towards the net as Myers appeared to catch him between his legs with his stick. The Canucks' defenceman was not assessed a penalty on the play but did get a delay of game infraction slightly after.

That was not the only form of discipline handed out by the league as Utah Mammoth defenceman Ian Cole was fined $2,500 for a dangerous trip against Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos.

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Saturday, 11 October 2025

{coyotes} Guenther scores in OT as Mammoth beat Predators 3-2


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Dylan Guenther scored at 2:56 of overtime and the Utah Mammoth rallied for a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.

Logan Cooley and Jack McBain also scored for Utah, and Guenther also had an assist. Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves.

Filip Forsberg and Erik Haula scored for Nashville, and Juuse Saros made 20 saves.

In overtime Guenther forced a turnover by Nashville's Fedor Svechkov on the right boards before skating in and beating Saros for the win.

Cooley, who had a career-high 25 goals last season, got the game's first score at 2:21 of the opening period. After Nashville turned the puck over in the offensive zone, Guenther carried the puck up the left side before slipping a backhand pass to Cooley on the right, where he beat Saros with a one-timer.

Forsberg tied it at 7:23 of the first. After rookie Brady Martin forced a Utah turnover outside the blue line, Forsberg beat Vejmelka with a wrist shot from the right faceoff dot. The assist was the first-career NHL point for Martin, selected fifth overall in June's NHL Draft.

Haula converted after a goalmouth scramble with 6:47 left in the second to give Nashville a 2-1 lead.

Roman Josi appeared to give the Predators a 3-1 lead on a power-play goal at 26 seconds of the third, but Utah successfully challenged the play as offside.

McBain tied it again with 8:23 remaining in the third.

The Mammoth killed off all five Nashville power plays in the game.

Mammoth: visit Chicago on Monday.

Predators: visit Ottawa on Monday.

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Thursday, 9 October 2025

{coyotes} MacKinnon scores go-ahead goal early in 3rd, Avalanche beat Mammoth 2-1 in home opener


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DENVER (AP) Nathan MacKinnon scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period on a power play, Scott Wedgewood made 32 saves and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Utah Mammoth 2-1 on Thursday night.

Ross Colton also scored for the Avalanche, who followed a 4-1 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday with a successful home opener. Colorado is starting its 30th season since relocating from Quebec in 1995.

Dylan Guenther scored for Utah in its first regular-season game as the Mammoth. Guenther had a team-high seven shots on goal, including a breakaway that Wedgewood stopped.

Utah pulled goaltender Karel Vejmelka with more than a minute remaining but couldn't score the tying goal. Vejmelka made 25 saves.

MacKinnon took a pass from Cale Makar and lined a shot into the upper corner of the net with 17:08 remaining. The fast-skating MacKinnon led the NHL in home scoring last season with 68 points (21 goals, 47 assists).

Guenther tied it at 1 with 2:12 remaining in the second period. He sent a shot from inside the blue line on a power play that tied up Wedgewood. Guenther led Utah with 12 power-play goals last season.

A precision passing display by the Avalanche's third line got them on the board in the first period. Victor Olofsson sent a pass across the ice to Jack Drury, who sent it back to Colton for the score.

Defenseman Dmitri Simashev was one of five players who made their Mammoth debut Thursday. Simashev, the sixth overall pick in 2023, spent last season helping Lokomotiv Yaroslavl capture the KHL's Gagarin Cup.

Mammoth: At Nashville on Saturday night.

Avalanche: Host Dallas on Saturday night in a rematch of a first-round series last season the Stars won in seven games.

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Tuesday, 7 October 2025

{coyotes} NHL announces 2025-26 Opening Day rosters


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NEW YORK -- Following are NHL club rosters, as of 11:15 a.m., Eastern time today. The 2025-26 regular season begins today with three games, covered by a tripleheader on ESPN, Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

Anaheim Ducks

Leo Carlsson, Sam Colangelo, Lukas Dostal, Cutter Gauthier, Mikael Granlund, Radko Gudas, Drew Helleson, Ville Husso, Ross Johnston, Alex Killorn, Chris Kreider, Jackson LaCombe, Mason McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov, Petr Mrazek, Nikita Nesterenko, Ryan Poehling, Beckett Sennecke, Ryan Strome, Troy Terry, Jacob Trouba, Frank Vatrano, Olen Zellweger.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Jansen Harkins, Coulson Pitre.

Boston Bruins

Viktor Arvidsson, John Beecher, Michael Eyssimont, Morgan Geekie, Jordan Harris, Tanner Jeannot, Henri Jokiharju, Mark Kastelic, Marat Khusnutdinov, Joonas Korpisalo, Sean Kuraly, Elias Lindholm, Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, Charlie McAvoy, Fraser Minten, Casey Mittelstadt, David Pastrnak, Andrew Peeke, Jeremy Swayman, Jeffrey Viel, Pavel Zacha, Nikita Zadorov.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: None.

Buffalo Sabres

Zach Benson, Jacob Bryson, Bowen Byram, Rasmus Dahlin, Justin Danforth, Josh Doan, Colten Ellis, Mason Geertsen, Alexandar Georgiev, Ryan Johnson, Tyson Kozak, Peyton Krebs, Jiri Kulich, Alex Lyon, Beck Malenstyn, Ryan McLeod, Josh Norris, Jack Quinn, Mattias Samuelsson, Tage Thompson, Conor Timmins, Alex Tuch, Jason Zucker.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Jordan Greenway, Michael Kesselring, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Carson Meyer, Noah Ostlund, Owen Power.

Calgary Flames

Rasmus Andersson, Mikael Backlund, Kevin Bahl, Jake Bean, Blake Coleman, Devin Cooley, Matt Coronato, Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Matvei Gridin, Joel Hanley, Samuel Honzek, Nazem Kadri, Justin Kirkland, Adam Klapka, Ryan Lomberg, Daniil Miromanov, Brayden Pachal, Zayne Parekh, Yegor Sharangovich, Mackenzie Weegar, Dustin Wolf, Connor Zary.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Jonathan Huberdeau, Martin Pospisil.

Carolina Hurricanes

Sebastian Aho, Frederik Andersen, Jackson Blake, Brandon Bussi, William Carrier, Jalen Chatfield, Nikolaj Ehlers, Shayne Gostisbehere, Taylor Hall, Mark Jankowski, Seth Jarvis, Pyotr Kochetkov, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jordan Martinook, K'Andre Miller, Alexander Nikishin, Mike Reilly, Eric Robinson, Jaccob Slavin, Jordan Staal, Logan Stankoven, Andrei Svechnikov, Sean Walker.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Juha Jaaska.

Chicago Blackhawks

Connor Bedard, Tyler Bertuzzi, Andre Burakovsky, Louis Crevier, Colton Dach, Ethan Del Mastro, Jason Dickinson, Ryan Donato, Nick Foligno, Ryan Greene, Matt Grzelcyk, Wyatt Kaiser, Spencer Knight, Sam Lafferty, Artyom Levshunov, Ilya Mikheyev, Connor Murphy, Frank Nazar, Lukas Reichel, Sam Rinzel, Arvid Soderblom, Teuvo Teravainen, Alex Vlasic.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Joey Anderson, Laurent Brossoit, Landon Slaggert, Shea Weber.

Colorado Avalanche

Jack Ahcan, Zakhar Bardakov, Mackenzie Blackwood, Gavin Brindley, Brent Burns, Ross Colton, Jack Drury, Samuel Girard, Parker Kelly, Joel Kiviranta, Gabriel Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Sam Malinski, Josh Manson, Trent Miner, Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, Valeri Nichushkin, Victor Olofsson, Devon Toews, Scott Wedgewood.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Ronnie Attard, Sean Behrens, Jacob MacDonald, Logan O'Connor, Nikita Prishchepov, Ilya Solovyov.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Zach Aston-Reese, Yegor Chinakhov, Jake Christiansen, Charlie Coyle, Dante Fabbro, Adam Fantilli, Jet Greaves, Erik Gudbranson, Boone Jenner, Kent Johnson, Isac Lundestrom, Kirill Marchenko, Denton Mateychuk, Elvis Merzlikins, Sean Monahan, Mathieu Olivier, Ivan Provorov, Damon Severson, Cole Sillinger, Dmitri Voronkov, Zach Werenski, Miles Wood.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Jordan Dumais, Luca Marrelli.

Dallas Stars

Nathan Bastian, Colin Blackwell, Mavrik Bourque, Casey DeSmith, Matt Duchene, Radek Faksa, Thomas Harley, Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston, Esa Lindell, Nils Lundkvist, Ilya Lyubushkin, Jake Oettinger, Alexander Petrovic, Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Harrison Scott, Tyler Seguin, Sam Steel, Trey Taylor.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Oskar Back, Jamie Benn, Luke Krys, Kyle McDonald, Chase Wheatcroft.

Detroit Red Wings

Mason Appleton, Jonatan Berggren, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Ben Chiarot, J.T. Compher, Andrew Copp, Alex DeBrincat, Simon Edvinsson, Emmitt Finnie, John Gibson, Erik Gustafsson, Travis Hamonic, Albert Johansson, Patrick Kane, Marco Kasper, Dylan Larkin, Michael Rasmussen, Lucas Raymond, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Moritz Seider, Elmer Soderblom, Cam Talbot.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Shai Buium, Nate Danielson, James van Riemsdyk.

Edmonton Oilers

Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl, Mattias Ekholm, Ty Emberson, Trent Frederic, James Hamblin, Adam Henrique, Kasperi Kapanen, Brett Kulak, Curtis Lazar, Andrew Mangiapane, Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, Noah Philp, Calvin Pickard, Vasily Podkolzin, Alec Regula, Matt Savoie, Stuart Skinner, Troy Stecher, Jake Walman.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Damien Carfagna, Zach Hyman, Mattias Janmark.

Florida Panthers

Uvis Balinskis, Sam Bennett, Sergei Bobrovsky, Jesper Boqvist, Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Jonah Gadjovich, A.J. Greer, Seth Jones, Dmitry Kulikov, Luke Kunin, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Brad Marchand, Niko Mikkola, Jeff Petry, Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues, Mackie Samoskevich, Cole Schwindt, Daniil Tarasov, Carter Verhaeghe.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Aleksander Barkov, Noah Gregor, Tomas Nosek, Matthew Tkachuk.

Los Angeles Kings

Mikey Anderson, Joel Armia, Quinton Byfield, Cody Ceci, Brandt Clarke, Phillip Danault, Drew Doughty, Brian Dumoulin, Joel Edmundson, Kevin Fiala, Warren Foegele, Anton Forsberg, Samuel Helenius, Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar, Darcy Kuemper, Andrei Kuzmenko, Alex Laferriere, Jeff Malott, Trevor Moore, Jacob Moverare, Alex Turcotte.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Angus Booth, Kyle Burroughs, Corey Perry.

Minnesota Wild

Zach Bogosian, Matt Boldy, Jonas Brodin, Zeev Buium, Joel Eriksson Ek, Brock Faber, Marcus Foligno, Filip Gustavsson, Hunter Haight, Ryan Hartman, Vinnie Hinostroza, Daemon Hunt, David Jiricek, Marcus Johansson, Kirill Kaprizov, Jacob Middleton, Liam Ohgren, Marco Rossi, Jared Spurgeon, Vladimir Tarasenko, Yakov Trenin, Jesper Wallstedt, Danila Yurov.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Cameron Butler, Stevie Leskovar, Michael Milne, Nico Sturm, Mats Zuccarello.

Montreal Canadiens

Josh Anderson, Zack Bolduc, Alexandre Carrier, Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, Ivan Demidov, Jakub Dobes, Noah Dobson, Jake Evans, Brendan Gallagher, Kaiden Guhle, Lane Hutson, Oliver Kapanen, Patrik Laine, Mike Matheson, Samuel Montembeault, Alex Newhook, Juraj Slafkovsky, Jayden Struble, Nick Suzuki, Joe Veleno, Arber Xhekaj.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Gannon Laroque, David Reinbacher, William Trudeau.

Nashville Predators

Justus Annunen, Justin Barron, Nick Blankenburg, Michael Bunting, Filip Forsberg, Erik Haula, Roman Josi, Tyson Jost, Joakim Kemell, Jonathan Marchessault, Brady Martin, Michael McCarron, Ryan O'Reilly, Nick Perbix, Juuse Saros, Brady Skjei, Cole Smith, Steven Stamkos, Spencer Stastney, Fedor Svechkov, Ozzy Wiesblatt, Adam Wilsby.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Luke Evangelista, Nicolas Hague, Matthew Wood.

New Jersey Devils

Jake Allen, Jesper Bratt, Connor Brown, Dennis Cholowski, Paul Cotter, Evgenii Dadonov, Brenden Dillon, Cody Glass, Arseny Gritsyuk, Lenni Hameenaho, Dougie Hamilton, Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes, Shane Lachance, Juho Lammikko, Jacob Markstrom, Timo Meier, Dawson Mercer, Simon Nemec, Ondrej Palat, Brett Pesce, Jonas Siegenthaler.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Seamus Casey, Johnathan Kovacevic, Marc McLaughlin, Stefan Noesen.

New York Islanders

Mathew Barzal, Adam Boqvist, Casey Cizikas, Tony DeAngelo, Jonathan Drouin, Anthony Duclair, Marc Gatcomb, Emil Heineman, Simon Holmstrom, Bo Horvat, Anders Lee, Kyle MacLean, Scott Mayfield, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Palmieri, Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, David Rittich, Alexander Romanov, Matthew Schaefer, Max Shabanov, Ilya Sorokin, Maxim Tsyplakov.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Ethan Bear, Pierre Engvall, Daylan Kuefler, Jesse Nurmi, Calum Ritchie, Semyon Varlamov.

New York Rangers

Will Borgen, Jonny Brodzinski, Sam Carrick, Will Cuylle, Adam Edstrom, Adam Fox, Vladislav Gavrikov, Noah Laba, Alexis Lafreniere, J.T. Miller, Artemi Panarin, Juuso Parssinen, Jonathan Quick, Taylor Raddysh, Matt Rempe, Matthew Robertson, Braden Schneider, Igor Shesterkin, Carson Soucy, Vincent Trocheck, Urho Vaakanainen, Mika Zibanejad.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Brandon Scanlin, Conor Sheary.

Ottawa Senators

Michael Amadio, Thomas Chabot, Nick Cousins, Dylan Cozens, Lars Eller, Claude Giroux, Ridly Greig, Nick Jensen, Olle Lycksell, Kurtis MacDermid, Nikolas Matinpalo, Leevi Merilainen, David Perron, Shane Pinto, Jake Sanderson, Donovan Sebrango, Jordan Spence, Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Linus Ullmark, Fabian Zetterlund, Artem Zub.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Drake Batherson, Tyler Kleven.

Philadelphia Flyers

Rodrigo Abols, Bobby Brink, Noah Cates, Sean Couturier, Nicolas Deslauriers, Jamie Drysdale, Christian Dvorak, Samuel Ersson, Tyson Foerster, Dennis Gilbert, Adam Ginning, Nikita Grebenkin, Garnet Hathaway, Noah Juulsen, Travis Konecny, Jett Luchanko, Matvei Michkov, Travis Sanheim, Nick Seeler, Owen Tippett, Dan Vladar, Egor Zamula, Trevor Zegras.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Oliver Bonk, Rasmus Ristolainen, Ethan Samson, Cam York.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Noel Acciari, Justin Brazeau, Harrison Brunicke, Connor Clifton, Sidney Crosby, Connor Dewar, Mathew Dumba, Filip Hallander, Tristan Jarry, Caleb Jones, Erik Karlsson, Ben Kindel, Ville Koivunen, Kris Letang, Blake Lizotte, Evgeni Malkin, Anthony Mantha, Tommy Novak, Rickard Rakell, Ryan Shea, Arturs Silovs, Philip Tomasino, Parker Wotherspoon.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Joel Blomqvist, Kevin Hayes, Tanner Howe, Rutger McGroarty, Bryan Rust, John St. Ivany.

San Jose Sharks

Yaroslav Askarov, Macklin Celebrini, Ty Dellandrea, Vincent Desharnais, Sam Dickinson, William Eklund, Mario Ferraro, Adam Gaudette, Barclay Goodrow, Collin Graf, John Klingberg, Philipp Kurashev, Nick Leddy, Timothy Liljegren, Michael Misa, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Alex Nedeljkovic, Dmitry Orlov, Ryan Reaves, Jeff Skinner, Will Smith, Tyler Toffoli, Alexander Wennberg.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Egor Afanasyev, Lucas Carlsson, Logan Couture, Ryan Ellis, Carey Price, Jack Thompson.

Seattle Kraken

Matty Beniers, Berkly Catton, Joey Daccord, Vince Dunn, Jordan Eberle, Cale Fleury, Frederick Gaudreau, Philipp Grubauer, Tye Kartye, Adam Larsson, Ryan Lindgren, Joshua Mahura, Mason Marchment, Jared McCann, Brandon Montour, Matt Murray, Jani Nyman, Jamie Oleksiak, Jaden Schwartz, Chandler Stephenson, Eeli Tolvanen, Ryan Winterton, Shane Wright.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Ryker Evans, Kaapo Kakko, Max McCormick, Lleyton Roed.

St. Louis Blues

Jordan Binnington, Nick Bjugstad, Philip Broberg, Pavel Buchnevich, Justin Faulk, Cam Fowler, Joel Hofer, Dylan Holloway, Mathieu Joseph, Matthew Kessel, Jordan Kyrou, Logan Mailloux, Jake Neighbours, Colton Parayko, Brayden Schenn, Jimmy Snuggerud, Oskar Sundqvist, Pius Suter, Alexandre Texier, Robert Thomas, Alexey Toropchenko, Tyler Tucker, Nathan Walker.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Zach Dean, Torey Krug.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Oliver Bjorkstrand, Erik Cernak, Mitchell Chaffee, Anthony Cirelli, Pheonix Copley, Curtis Douglas, Jack Finley, Conor Geekie, Zemgus Girgensons, Gage Goncalves, Yanni Gourde, Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, Victor Hedman, Pontus Holmberg, Jonas Johansson, Nikita Kucherov, Emil Lilleberg, Ryan McDonagh, J.J. Moser, Brayden Point, Darren Raddysh, Andrey Vasilevskiy.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Niko Huuhtanen, Nick Paul.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Simon Benoit, Sammy Blais, Brandon Carlo, Max Domi, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Calle Jarnkrok, Dakota Joshua, Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Matias Maccelli, Auston Matthews, Jake McCabe, Bobby McMann, Philippe Myers, William Nylander, Cayden Primeau, Jacob Quillan, Morgan Rielly, Nicholas Robertson, Nicolas Roy, Anthony Stolarz, Chris Tanev, John Tavares.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Scott Laughton, Marshall Rifai, Joseph Woll.

Utah Mammoth

Andrew Agozzino, Michael Carcone, Ian Cole, Logan Cooley, Lawson Crouse, Nick DeSimone, Sean Durzi, Dylan Guenther, Barrett Hayton, Clayton Keller, Olli Maatta, John Marino, Jack McBain, J-J Peterka, Nick Schmaltz, Nate Schmidt, Mikhail Sergachev, Dmitri Simashev, Kevin Stenlund, Brandon Tanev, Vitek Vanecek, Karel Vejmelka, Kailer Yamamoto.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Terrell Goldsmith, Alexander Kerfoot, Liam O'Brien, Anson Thornton, Juuso Valimaki.

Vancouver Canucks

Arshdeep Bains, Teddy Blueger, Brock Boeser, Filip Chytil, Braeden Cootes, Jake DeBrusk, Thatcher Demko, Derek Forbort, Conor Garland, Filip Hronek, Quinn Hughes, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Evander Kane, Linus Karlsson, Kevin Lankinen, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Tyler Myers, Drew O'Connor, Elias Pettersson, Elias Pettersson, Marcus Pettersson, Aatu Raty, Kiefer Sherwood.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Guillaume Brisebois, Nils Hoglander, Jett Woo.

Vegas Golden Knights

Ivan Barbashev, Jeremy Davies, Pavel Dorofeyev, Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl, Adin Hill, Brett Howden, Ben Hutton, William Karlsson, Keegan Kolesar, Kaedan Korczak, Jeremy Lauzon, Mitch Marner, Brayden McNabb, Cole Reinhardt, Brandon Saad, Akira Schmid, Colton Sissons, Reilly Smith, Mark Stone, Shea Theodore, Zach Whitecloud.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Trevor Connelly, Jakub Demek, Jordan Gustafson, Alex Pietrangelo.

Washington Capitals

Anthony Beauvillier, John Carlson, Declan Chisholm, Jakob Chychrun, Nic Dowd, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Brandon Duhaime, Martin Fehervary, Vincent Iorio, Hendrix Lapierre, Ryan Leonard, Charlie Lindgren, Connor McMichael, Sonny Milano, Alex Ovechkin, Aliaksei Protas, Matt Roy, Rasmus Sandin, Justin Sourdif, Dylan Strome, Logan Thompson, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Tom Wilson.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Zac Funk, Dylan McIlrath.

Winnipeg Jets

Morgan Barron, Nikita Chibrikov, Eric Comrie, Kyle Connor, Dylan DeMelo, Haydn Fleury, Parker Ford, David Gustafsson, Connor Hellebuyck, Alex Iafallo, Cole Koepke, Brad Lambert, Colin Miller, Josh Morrissey, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nino Niederreiter, Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson, Neal Pionk, Mark Scheifele, Luke Schenn, Logan Stanley, Gabriel Vilardi.

Injured and/or Non-Roster: Adam Lowry, Cole Perfetti, Dylan Samberg, Jonathan Toews.


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Monday, 6 October 2025

{coyotes} Mammoth sign centre Kevin Rooney to two-way contract


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The Utah Mammoth are adding some offensive depth.

Utah announced Monday that it has signed forward Kevin Rooney to a one-year, two-way contract, which is worth $775,000 at the NHL level.

Rooney, 32, appeared in 70 games for the Calgary Flames during the 2024-25 season, registering five goals and 10 points while averaging just under 10 minutes of ice time.

A left-shot centre, Rooney also played in five games in the AHL.

Rooney has played 330 career games in the NHL, spending time with the Flames, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils. His career-best campaign came in 2020-21 with the Rangers, when he scored eight goals and 14 points.

The Mammoth will kick off their second season in Utah on Thursday night when they visit the Colorado Avalanche.

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Friday, 3 October 2025

{coyotes} Mammoth season preview: Cooley, Guenther could power way to playoff berth


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Last season: 38-31-13, sixth in Central Division; missed Stanley Cup Playoffs

Coach: Andre Tourigny (fifth season)

Biggest challenge

Living up to expectations. This is the second season since the NHL established a new franchise, and Utah purchased the hockey assets of the Arizona Coyotes. Known as the Utah Hockey Club last season, the team now has a permanent identity as the Utah Mammoth. It has a new practice facility, an upgraded arena in Delta Center and an up-and-coming roster. The goal is to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in Utah (and the first time in five seasons, including Arizona history). Still, it's going to be tough in a Central Division that includes five teams that qualified for the playoffs last season, and Mammoth are like the arena -- a work in progress, better but not done yet.

How they make playoffs

Stay healthy, be more consistent and score more goals. Utah lost 230 man-games to injuries last season, was inconsistent from period to period and game to game, and tied for 20th in the NHL in goals per game (2.93). The Mammoth need young forwards to take another step, especially 21-year-old Logan Cooley, who had 65 points (25 goals, 40 assists) in 75 games last season, and 22-year-old Dylan Guenther, who had 60 points (27 goals, 33 assists) in 70 games.

Most intriguing addition

Forward JJ Peterka should help offensively. The 23-year-old signed a five-year, $38.5 million contract with the Mammoth ($7.7 million average annual value) after they acquired him in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on June 26. He set an NHL career high with 68 points (27 goals, 41 points) in 77 games last season, and now he's expected to skate on the top line with Cooley and Guenther. Considering the three are in the same age range, this could be a dynamic line for a long time.

Biggest potential surprise

Barrett Hayton is 25 and entering his seventh NHL season. He set NHL career highs in goals (20), assists (26) and points (46) in 82 games last season. But does he have more upside, and will he have the opportunity to show it? The No. 5 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft is expected to center captain Clayton Keller on the left wing and Nick Schmaltz on the right. Keller led Utah with 90 points (30 goals, 60 assists) in 81 games last season. Schmaltz had 63 points (20 goals, 43 assists) in 82 games. Another candidate: backup goalie Vitek Vanecek. The Mammoth hope the 29-year-old can start 25-35 games and recapture his old form; he went 33-11-4 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and three shutouts in 52 games (48 starts) for the New Jersey Devils in 2022-23.

Ready to contribute

Defenseman Dmitriy Simashev has impressed during the preseason and could play his way onto the roster. The 20-year-old is an NHL rookie, but he has professional experience, having played 137 games for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League over the past three seasons. The No. 6 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft is 6-foot-4, 198 pounds and can skate. Tourigny said he's making good reads and using his stick to close quickly on the puck carrier.

Fantasy sleeper with EDGE stats

Karel Vejmelka, G: He took over as Utah's No. 1 goalie last season and reached career bests in games played (58), starts (55), wins (26), GAA (2.58) and save percentage (.904). Vejmelka had a plus-7 goal differential and kept his team in plenty of games last season; he had a .930 save percentage or better in 21 different games (tied for 10th in NHL), going 16-3-1 in his 20 decisions over that span. Per NHL EDGE stats, Vejmelka also had strong underlying numbers, ranking tied for eighth in long-range save percentage (.984). With the Mammoth adding Peterka to their strong young forward group and veteran defenseman Nate Schmidt from the champion Panthers to their defense, Vejmelka is a potential fantasy bargain attainable outside the top 140 overall (25th among goalies) based on average draft position. -- Pete Jensen

Projected lineup

JJ Peterka -- Logan Cooley -- Dylan Guenther

Clayton Keller -- Barrett Hayton -- Nick Schmaltz

Lawson Crouse -- Jack McBain -- Michael Carcone

Liam O'Brien -- Kevin Stenlund -- Alexander Kerfoot

Mikhail Sergachev -- John Marino

Dmitri Simashev -- Sean Durzi

Olli Maatta -- Nate Schmidt

Karel Vejmelka

Vitek Vanecek

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Thursday, 2 October 2025

{coyotes} Utah Mammoth hoping to ride talented young core to first playoff berth in 6 years


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Utah Mammoth

Last season: 38-31-13 (89 points), missed the playoffs.

COACH: Andre Tourigny (sixth season with Utah; 127-162-39 career).

SEASON OPENER: Oct. 9 at Colorado.

DEPARTURES: F Josh Doan, D Michael Kesselring, C Nick Bjugstad, F Matias Maccelli.

ADDITIONS: F JJ Peterka, D Nate Schmidt, G Vitek Vaněček, F Brandon Tanev.

GOALIES: Karel Vejmelka (26-22-8, 2.58 goals-against average, .904 save percentage), Vitek Vaněček (5-14-4, 3.62, .884 with San Jose and Florida).

BETMGM STANLEY CUP ODDS: 40-1.

What to expect

The Utah Hockey Club has become the Utah Mammoth in the franchise's second season since moving from Arizona. The Mammoth have been building toward their first playoff appearance since the pandemic-altered 2019-20 season and may have the pieces to pull it off. Forwards Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley anchor the core of the team's young talent and the addition of JJ Peterka should provide some scoring punch. The 23-year-old had a breakout season with Buffalo two years ago and upped it last year with 27 goals and 68 points. Utah signed Vejmelka to a five-year contract extension in March, solidifying his spot as the team's No. 1 goalie. The Mammoth also added Vaněček after Connor Ingram was traded to Edmonton a week before the opener.

Strengths and weaknesses

The good: The young talent up front is dynamic, led by Keller. The 27-year-old made his fourth straight All-Star game a year ago — fifth overall — and had a career season with 30 goals and 90 points. Guenther is coming off a 27-goal season and Cooley had 25 with 40 assists. Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay last season, had a strong first season in Utah, providing stability on the blue line while finishing with 15 goals and 38 assists.

The not-so-good: Injuries took a toll on Utah's blue line last season and they're hoping to rebound now that everyone's healthy again. Scoring also has been an issue with the team for years and they made some strides last season, finishing 21st with 2.93 goals per game. The addition of Peterka should help. As with most teams, the Mammoth's playoff chances will likely come down to goaltending and they will lean heavily on Vejmelka, who's been stellar at times but prone to the occasional blow-up game.

Players to watch

Forward Barrett Hayton. Utah has plenty of scoring punch up front with its young trio and steady producer Nick Schmaltz (20 goals, 43 assists last season). Hayton has good chemistry with Keller when he's on the top line and has been a steady offensive player, setting career highs with 20 goals and 26 assists last season after being hampered by injuries the year before. The 25-year-old could be ready for a breakout season.

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