After drafting third overall last year, the Utah Hockey Club (now called the Utah Mammoth) got extremely lucky and won the fourth pick on Monday. They did that by winning the second drawing and moving from 14th position to fourth… the highest jump allowed. The Utah team will have a shot at some talented prospects.
Craig Button, TSN Director of NHL Scouting, states that the Utah Mammoth will take Boston College center James Hagens. Utah general manager Bill Armstrong was elated that their luck finally came to fruition. “We were just 10 back, so it still hasn’t sunk in.” What a great opportunity for us to be able to move up that far in the draft, and now we’re right up at the top of the draft. This is an exciting moment for us. It’s a game changer for us.”
The team finished just nine points out of a playoff spot, and by acquiring the fourth overall pick, they have some options. Armstrong knows he has had two top-ten picks in the last couple of years. Other teams may tempt them to trade that valuable draft slot for an established player. He will keep that in mind and expects other teams to contact him to see if he is open to trading the pick.
In 2022, the Arizona Coyotes were awarded the third overall pick and used it to select University of Minnesota center Logan Cooley. He decided to turn pro and has tallied 45 goals and 64 assists in 157 NHL games. During the 2024-25 season, he scored 25 goals and 40 assists in 75 games. If the Utah team can draft someone who can develop into the talent that Cooley has displayed, they will be very content. On the other hand, they could trade the pick to continue to advance towards a playoff spot next season.
Another mock draft done by Bleacher Report shows the Utah Mammoth selecting Porter Martone. The big winger who stands 6′-3″, 207 pounds certainly fits the prototype that Armstrong looks for in a player. He has accumulated 89 goals and 115 assists in 178 games playing in the OHL. If he falls to the fourth spot, you can bet that he will be headed to Utah.
It was announced on Wednesday morning that the Utah team has selected its permanent new name for the team. They will be known as the Utah Mammoth going forward. The fans got to choose the team name, and that shows how the Smith Entertainment Group operates. The video produced to introduce the new team is pretty awesome. Watch it HERE:
Things just seem to be falling into place for the newest NHL franchise. The league couldn’t be happier to have a responsible owner who seeks to give his fans the ultimate hockey experience. The players love him, and he is putting his money into the franchise and will undoubtedly build a winner. Ryan Smith is a class act.
Some fans are downright furious that they lost their team. Especially after attempting to build a hockey arena, only to have it fail. Many of those fans have not transferred their allegiance to the Utah team. They feel betrayed and rightfully so. While it appears that hockey may reappear in the desert, the timeline is not set in stone. It will take a responsible, well-financed owners group to get things progressing. We may know about that in the future months.
With expansion heading towards a reality, if Arizona wants to be considered for an expansion team, it needs to move fast. Already, it seems that Houston and Atlanta may have the inside track in being awarded a new NHL franchise.
With all the talent and excellent prospects in the system, the Utah Hockey Club Utah Mammoth (still getting accustomed to the new name) should have an excellent shot at postseason play. They will also have Tij Iginla back from injury, and he will have an opportunity at training camp to make the team. In addition, they have the two Russian players Dmitriy Simashev and Daniil But, who can compete for a roster spot.
With all this incoming talent in addition to a team with Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther, Cooley, and Mikhail Sergachev, the newly named Utah Mammoth can surprise some opposing teams. There is continued excitement for the fans with the improvements to the Delta Center, a new team name, and the fourth overall pick to entice new fans.
As it stands right now, watch out for the Utah Mammoth… they will be HUGE!
Any franchise that gets a top-five pick has an increased opportunity to succeed. The Utah Mammoth seems to be experiencing some luck as well as developing their young players. That can only bring future success to any NHL franchise. As it stands right now, the NHL made an outstanding decision to add Utah to the league. Arizona Coyotes fans will want a team soon after witnessing the way Utah has handled things.
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