Summer of the Mammoth with Adrian Denny

Summer of the Mammoth with Adrian Denny

You got to leave it to your side. [Applause] Hello. Welcome to the Utah Puck Report. It’s me, your host, Jay Stevens. So, uh, happy to be here, happy to be with you. And I want to thank my sponsor who makes all of this possible, Larry H. Miller Toyota in Murray. Uh, right now you can lease a 2025 RAV 4 all-wheel drive for $2.49 a month for 36 months. So, that’s a pretty good deal. You know, in case it’s uh the weather gets a little crazy, you always want that all-wheel drive. And uh yeah, thanks for Larry H. Miller Toyota in Murray. Go check them out or you can check them out online at larryhmillertoyota.com. Today’s guest uh man, you’re basically becoming my co-host since you came back. I keep asking you to come on the show because I just I love picking your brain and you have so much knowledge to give. It’s Adrien Denny from the Utah Mammoth. Adrien, thanks for being on. Thanks for having me, Jay. I always love coming on with you. So, uh, keep calling, please. Well, I’m going to keep doing that, so you’re going to regret saying it. It’s uh um what a summer so far. And the Mammoth have made some changes. They did the draft. You guys have had Mammoth week going on. So, I know it’s also pretty pretty rude of me to pick on you during this. Uh, no, it’s Mammoth week. It’s all-encompassing. Everything mammoth is good to go for Mammoth Week. I love it. But, man, you guys are busy. Let’s just start with Mammoth Week, man. You’ve been out. I saw you Cwood Heights yesterday, Park City, Cedar City. Um, tell us a little bit about the events. What have you seen that’s been a lot of fun on your end? We’re having an absolute blast. I know. Um it each city that that we go to um it’s it’s the same thing over and over again, but it’s just as fun as it was in Park City Tuesday, in Provo Monday, in Logan Saturday. And Jay, what strikes me um when we’re out at our at our mobile fanfests is everybody is a fan. Everybody knows about the TD team. Everybody knows what happened in year one. Everybody listened or watched or had season tickets or had a half season plan or did a little of everything. And we’re getting season ticket members. We’re getting folks who are just driving by and seeing something happening at the Cottonwood Heights Rec Center and they pull off to check it out and see what’s up. So, that’s what really strikes with me is how in tune with the mammoth every single person is that shows up. They knew that it was Clayton Keller’s birthday on Tuesday, right? Like, it’s it’s it’s not like, “Hey, let us uh tell you about us.” they they know about us and and they want to talk about it and that’s what makes it so cool of of everything that’s happened just during the the course of the year and and as the broadcast team we’re all just just tickled to to be there because you know we we meet so many people that especially on the radio that I interact with all season long on hockey night in Utah and our post game and and so being able to to meet the people that I see their Twitter handles, I see their names. It’s and get a picture. It’s it’s it’s been so cool. And and yesterday I met I met a couple and and they said they listened and I recognized their names and and the husband says, “Yep, I well I’m tweeting at you. She’s driving.” I said, “So she’s honking the horn for two points.” And and and so they they had that that all organized. that it’s it’s been so fun to to see the folks that we interact with all season long and and have all night to talk with them. There’s no, “Oh gosh, I got to get back to the press box. I got to get back up to our radio studio because it’s postgame, right? We we’ve got the time to interact and talk and deep dive and we’ve talked about everything and and it’s been so fun.” And I’ve been kind of um I’ve been running the photo booth. We’ve got Twinning with Tanv. I saw that. Yeah. Which is a Polaroid cutout of of Brandon Tanv’s famous head shot. One of them. So I’ve been running that. We’ve got cutouts with Keller and Vamela in. We can do family three. We’ve got our backdrop. Can take a picture of a family. So that’s what I’ve been doing. Mike Fulta has been at the accuracy shooting booth. He’s he’s been evaluating talent and coaching and and running all that and helping everybody with the accuracy of their shot. Sarah Marfield, our ringside reporter on television, has been at the Mammoth Sweep Stakes booth meeting and greeting and answering questions. And every single person that comes by seems like they they want to see if Sarah’s there. So, that’s been fun to to direct him. So, it’s just been awesome. And that’s just what’s going on outside. inside. We’ve had hockey instruction, clinics going on with kids of all ages. Tyson Nash has been a big part of that. Nick Olic, too. So, it’s it’s been all hands on deck. It’s been so much fun and it’s been great to see everybody. And we’ve got three left. Uh here on the the day we’re recording, we’ll be in Ogden uh Enoch, which is um by Cedar City here. It’s a great new rink there. I have not been, but I’ve heard unbelievable stuff about it and folks are very excited about that. And then we’ve got uh Sunday in St. George and Clayton Keller’s going to join us for I’m sorry, Saturday in St. George and Clayton Keller is going to be joining us for that one. So excited to hit the southern part of the state after we u knock out a great night in Ogden. Yeah, the the whole thing’s been amazing to watch. Uh, the one thing that’s been killing me as a goalie is watching everybody put on Veggie’s pads from last year, the spares, and just, you know, it’s one thing that they put them on backwards. I can get over that. It’s the other thing that those are those are $2,500 leg pads that they’re just putting on. And and I I get it, but as a goalie, I’m like, “Oh, those that is such a nice piece of equipment to just just use on the street like that. It’s almost sacrilegious for a goalie like me, you know, but it’s fun to see everybody get geared up. It’s fun to see everybody realize what those pads are and and everybody’s participating and yeah, you know, I was uh for the fire department, I was in some of the days of 47 parades and stuff and it just kind of blew my mind looking out the engine and seeing how many people were wearing mammoth like mammoth stuff. Not even Utah hockey club stuff from last year, but and there was a lot of that too. A lot of the hats were still Utah hockey club, but mammoth stuff, which means in the last couple months, people have gone out and restocked on brand new gear and they’re wearing it daily. And on the fire department, I got people saying like, you know, we’ll go to a training and a bunch of firefighters will come up and they’ll say, “Hey, this is unreal. Like, I wasn’t really a hockey fan before, but the Mammoth, they’re just so exciting and I’m in.” like they’re buying season tickets and they’re buying game packages and they’re stringing up antenna at the firehouses so that we can get the games on that, you know, on that other channel that’s not us. Um, but anyway, SCG SEG Plus, Jay SC plus is that’s the best way to go is what I what I keep saying. Do do you know what? It’s it’s it’s interesting you bring that up about Utah Hockey Club, Utah Mammoth Gear because gosh, it’s only been two and a half months and I got to say that the Mammoth gear is it’s out in full force. It’s amazing the amount of people that have been able to get their Tus gear in the last two and a half months. And that’s, you know, keeping it in stock isn’t easy either down at the the team store and and online and and so you’ve you’ve you’ve had over a year to get Utah hockey club stuff. And but the Mammoth stuff’s about ready to surpass it. And and I see it too when I’m when I’m out and about. And going back to the the goalie gear stuff, Jay, you would be really really proud of me because uh I’ve been able to to help some folks get into the goalie gear and I say, you know, I’m not I’m no expert, but put the pads down, glide into them, just kind of fall into them right there. I’ll strap you up. And and you know why, Jay? It’s because when I was at the Grizzlies for years and years and years and years and we were doing morning news hits on opening night for Pink in the Rink and for Guns and Hoses, Military Appreciation Night and we’d have all the news reporters come down. They all wanted to get in goalie gear. So, we’d have the the the time window between the 625 segment and the 645 segment to get him in goalie gear. And I was the I was the staff member on hand. uh to to be able to show them how to to do it and strap them in and get them get them ready. So, you funny you’d be proud. I remember doing one of those with you and I I think it was I can’t remember what TV station was there, but their their reporter was the girl that was she she went she took like second place in Survivor. Was it Caitlyn Burchil, I think. Yeah. I’m so bad with names. He was a KSL, so that’d be that would be good. Um, but she came in and we’re like, “Well, we’ll just throw I was ebugging and we’re like, “Well, we’re going to put her out and we’ll just put her in my gear.” And I remember her just just putting on the chest pad going I like she was going to vomit from the from the ammonia smell that comes off goalie gear just just because of the way it is. And you know, it’s an honor that it was my gear that stunk so bad. It’s like smelling salt and it also is like the worst smell you’ve ever had. But and for people that don’t know, I think that kind of sums it up. Um, good for them. Good for them if they don’t know. Yeah, good for you if you don’t know what hockey gear smells like. Um, but then at the same time, get in some gear, know what it smells like, enjoy the game. It’s fun to watch, but it’s so much more fun to play. Yeah. And to have the authentic game gear, uh, is just another something that just doesn’t happen every day. I would have tipped it. I would have, you know, got into my retirement fund to buy some of that gear just to use it. So, I’m glad that they just gave it away. My wife’s probably glad that you guys didn’t sell it. Um, so let’s talk about some of the moves the Mammoth made. And starting right off with I think you and I have already talked a little bit about Pra, but just talking about one, it see like giving up Don, giving up Kess, it was a big move, but getting a guy that already has a 55 goal season. Um, talk about talk about that trade and what you think that did for the team. And we’ll just start with that one because we got a couple other big free agent things to talk about. It instantly made Utah one of the top five teams in the NHL in offseason moves because you get the score. You get the goal score that you wanted. You get the goal score that you know we we were talking for 10 months about the guys that were out there and that went pretty fast and you know there there was only a few and so you go out and and it benefits you two ways. So you make the trade to get Purka, which is somebody that you weren’t going to get that caliber on the free agent market. So number one, so you make that trade and and you give up two good two good players, two good guys and Michael Kessering and Josh Don and and Bill Armstrong said it like it’s these were homegrown kids that that we developed and got to the NHL and wasn’t easy to call them up and and tell them about it. But from the business standpoint, so big to be able to make that trade because you couldn’t assign the guys. But what it does, Jay, is it also keeps your salary cap in line with two players for one player. And by not going out and having to make a huge free agent swing to get the player you wanted to to to be a goal scorer, keep your salary cap level. And it it it evens up from an accounting standpoint because we’ve talked about so much. You go out, you get your your big money player, all of a sudden you don’t have as much for resigning guys that are on your current roster right now that are real big core guys. So, so that’s big because wasn’t somebody on the free agent market like that and we kept our cap space equal. Yeah. I think it’s two things for me. The salary cap thing was a big thing and like you said, giving two for one and then signing them, you know, for a long term. That’s huge for us. And I got to tell you, and I I hate to admit it, just like I have to admit it when I talk about some of the Arizona stuff because I didn’t watch Arizona and I sure didn’t watch Buffalo. Like I had a friend that played for Buffalo a while ago. They’re hard to watch. Yeah, they are hard to watch. They play at 5:00. They’re never on national TV. There’s always other games on that you’re gonna watch before you turn on Buffalo who’s missed the playoffs for 14 straight years. So, I think I think for all of us, it turned into a JJ Purka cramp session that night that the trade was made. Yeah, I had to Google them. I And like when the f when the trade first came up and they’re like I saw it and I’m like that’s a that’s a steep price to pay for somebody. This has got to be somebody big. So, I had to Google him and then I’m like, “Yeah, I’m impressed.” And then I immediately look at our record and I think we had like 13 losses in overtime and you bring in a guy like Peturka. I think that turns those 13 losses. I think that one it prevents us from going to that overtime session and two it helps us win that OT session if we get there again. A guy like that just adds that firepower. Right. Yeah. And that’s a playoff spot and that’s moving up a seed or two. So, so really big and you know, so you you give up two core guys um that that were just big pieces of your culture and you bring in Purka and JJ when he was meeting the the media in Salt Lake on that Zoom call on the 4th of July mentioned uh couple prospects that that he knew and he played with um over in Germany where he’s from and and Ardum Duda and and Maxmillian Zuber, two defenseman down in Tucson. And so the first thing I think um knowing Maxi Zuber, he’s the nicest guy you’ll ever meet and Max’s friends are good people because you know he’s he’s the type of guy that hangs around good people that are like him that that work hard and are outgoing and friendly. And so that that gave me a a vision into the personal side of JJ Purka knowing that he’s friends with Maxi Zuber. So that’s a plus. Here’s another plus to that. Maxi Zuber’s roommates in Tucson were Michael Kessler and Josh Don. Okay. So if you want to compare, okay, you lose those two guys. On the right side, his US friends, but on the left side, his German friend is JJ Purka. I think that also I think that completely covers the the character assessment there for JJ Purka to go along with his skill. Um, you think who are these players that we think might make the roster this year that are in Tucson? Do you have do you have guys that you’re like this is the year? Cuz I you know Tucson better than anybody. Well, let’s start with this because this is what I think Jay. I think everybody on the roster outside of Clayton Keller is going to have to come to training camp and be better than they were last year. Or that means dropping down a line, dropping down a power play unit, dropping down to the American Hockey League. there’s um there’s roster spots that the guys that were in the NHL last year I think are going to be battling for. So with that with that depth um I I think as as we’ve talked about Demetri Shimiche and Denil Boot are the two guys in training camp that weren’t in the NHL last year. They were in the KHL which is a really good pro league, second or third best in the world. I think those are your two your two rookies battling for spots. That being said, we heard Cole Boduane at development camp and we heard Caleb Denoy at development camp say they wanted to make the roster this year and they wanted to play in the NHL this year. And but Dwayne was in development camp last year, had a year uh to to work as a as a Utah drafty and and prospect and and he played in preseason games last year for for Utah. So, we’ll see what what those two guys bring. So, it’s it’s going to be a ridiculously competitive training camp for Utah. And I don’t it’s there’s not a lot of spots that are available. Yeah, I love it. When when we talked about Simv and Boot coming in at first, it was just assume they were going to make the team basically and then with the offseason moves and Baldwin is amazing. Like to me, he’s such a a pitbull on the ice. I love the way he plays and it just kills me that maybe we didn’t know that rule change was coming in and we sign him to that pro contract and that makes him ineligible for the NCAA and because that’s a kid that could have really benefited from not signing that pro contract coming in giving it his all this year and if he didn’t make it we can he just goes to Vermont or the University of North Dakota or you know a big program Michigan. I mean, there’s a thousand really good programs you could mention, but he could develop more, but he can’t as a 19year-old, right? He’s not going to be 20 in time because this is his second year, right? So, he won’t be 20 time. He’ll have to if he doesn’t make the team, he has to go back to the Canadian League juniors and and one year behind the uh 26 27 collective bargaining agreement that would have allowed him to play in the AHL. But yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see what happens. A lot of people were really really impressed with him at development camp and and playing last year in the the preseason games. Yeah. I And I watched development camp as a a guy that’s coached 19 years and and as a guy that’s had to build teams and so I know a lot of some of the media people were chirping or Cole Bagley because he was giving like updates on how players looked and stuff, but I truly were. I was truly out there judging how these players looked. and I remembered what they looked like last year. And Bodwin look to me, he was obviously one of the best players out there. And uh the other kid that I keep bringing up is uh Belair. Yeah, he just there’s something about his game that I really like. And then Denoy, he did he looked like an NHL player. He truly did look like the skill set was there and he’s skinny. But I I thought he looked like a guy that could play in the NHL this upcoming season. Again, I have a coach to that level. I get that maybe that’s hyperbole saying stuff about a guy out of dev camp, but those three players to me stood out. Um there was another player that was really standing out, but I can’t remember his name right now, but just phenomenal. I thought dev camp was phenomenal. I thought it was way better than it was last year. I thought the you could see a better skill set. And it’s amazing how many first round draft picks are out there considering it’s just supposed to be the last couple years, right? So it’s Yeah, there was there was five and the mammoth or deep. Just if if you want to draw a comparison um to Caleb Denoy maybe to Dylan Gunther who was drafted ninth overall. The timetable for for Dylan when he was drafted in 2021 was NHL training camp went back to juniors. Um the next year, NHL training camp was on the roster for the first half of the season and because of the AHL rule where he couldn’t play till he was the calendar year where he turned 20 went to juniors was disappointed but but kept pushing and then the third year started in the American Hockey League and played the second half in the NHL. So last year was Gunther’s first full year in the the NHL, but um you know, everybody’s timeline’s different and but but just to give the folks an idea of you know, a first round hot shot and their timeline that was that was Dylan Gunther for for instance and we see him right now 22 years old uh starting an eight-year contract. So yeah, he phenomenal player. Um, another big addition that, um, is making it hard for young guys to make the team this year was the signing of Nate Schmidt. And, you know, I was I was a Golden Knights fan when he was there. I got to see him play. I went to some games. Really like his game. Uh, St. Cloud State boy. Just awesome to see his development. U,, what do you think he brings to the team? Have you started thinking about who he lines up with best as a D pair? No, I haven’t. But what I see him as is a bonus. I don’t think on July 1st, in my opinion, Utah was thinking about adding another defenseman. I think we felt pretty good about our depth, about what we had and and every single player. But all of a sudden, you get this opportunity to bring in this guy who just won a Stanley Cup who’s got the charisma that he has, and you can just tell that that’s, you know, just another another guy like that in that locker room like Ian Cole, like Male Sergeev on that blue line. And it’s it’s just another winner. And we we had him on our Nashcast podcast a couple weeks ago and he talked about, you know, even for him at 33, the stuff he learned being a first year member of the Florida Panthers coming off of that Stanley Cup championship that they won. And he said first preseason game, somebody comes up to him and says, “Hey, we don’t do that here about just the way he dumped in a puck or something like that.” And he’s like, “Holy smokes.” So I I think adding him is is a bonus because he’s a good D man, right? And absolutely, but but the character that he has and and winning that Stanley Cup championship and and he’s uh he’s he’s a guy that gravitates to a place like this just because he’s an outdoorsman and got a young family. So, I I think it was just a a good fit and you you got a good a good contract and a good term out of it of three years. I I think it was just like, okay, we got to do this. Yeah. Yeah. Phenomenal player. Uh 19 points in 80 game. No, 30 points last year. No, 30 penalty minutes, sorry. 19 points and plus four last year, which is pretty good. He’s been plus most of his career. I kind of wondered and maybe it’s just because they’re both solid NCAA guys. I thought maybe he’d pair up best with Ian. Um yeah, Ian’s a Ian’s more of a stayhome battle in front defenseman and Nate seems to be like a good uh contrast to that. Like they pair up equally, I think. I think he’s quick to to break the pucks out and and does a good defensive job. a little more offensive minded, but I I anyway, I just thought they’d pair up pretty nice. And uh but speaking of bringing somebody in from the Stanley Cup champions, we also got Vit Vanosc who we got to see play last year. And I I pretty impressed by that move. And obviously, you know, we want the best for Ingram. We don’t know what’s going on with him. This I I think it solves the problem or or you know, the gap that could have been there. It also makes it highly competitive for our goalenders again, right? Because now you’ve got two goalies down in the A that we’re fighting and we’re looking like real NHL prospects. Now you have three goalies with NHL experience. Somebody else is going to have to go down. I think it’s I think it’s great and it’s also a great strategic move from an acquisition standpoint because gosh, I mean, three NHL goalies on on one roster, uh, Bill Armstrong and his management team and and coaching staff, they love internal competition. They they they love guys going to to battle it out in training camp and in practice. And Jay, if you get to a point that you’ve got three healthy NHL goalies and two goalies in the AHL who started games in the NHL last year, how much have we heard this off season about teams that are not deep in goalending? Edmonton and you know, who knows where they get and it just it gives you good contracts that what’s what’s the best move at the time and you see what I’m saying here? Like you got you got five NHL goalies and you’re you’re approaching the trade deadline and you see a need you want. It’s it’s another asset that that that you have that you can use to to make yourself better. So adding the depth, but always the the look ahead of we can get to February and March and you know use every asset we have in the bank on the roster in the system to uh make oursel better. So, it’s just an added piece right there regardless of of how it transpires. Yeah, it’s a baited hook that just whenever we need it, we can drop it into the water and see what kind of other fish we can come up with. For sure. Um, and that Yeah, again, that was a big move. It was it was something we were pretty excited about seeing. A guy that won 32 games in the NHL with New Jersey. So, he’s he’s good. He’s also from uh from uh Kovamela’s homeland, the fellow fellow check. So uh he’s he’s he’s going to be fun. We saw him staring down uh gosh, was it Pickard or Steuart Skinner in the final? Yeah, Steuart. Yeah, he’s doing his part, man. The backup goalie. That was a pretty funny thing to see. Um yeah, I it it cracked me up pretty good. He’s and he seems to have a good sense of humor and that so that puts three checks in net for us or prospect wise too when you think about the goalie of the future I think is Robble like obviously Veggie is going to be our guy and I think I think Veggie had his breakout last year and I really look forward to seeing um him and his starting role as he knows it’s his. I want to see him own it this year. I think that gives you more confidence going into camp. And then talk about seeing him play. Have you seen his new gear? Oh gosh, it’s it’s amazing. Like veggie veggie goes about his business, but he’s always he’s always in the back of his head. He’s one way or another doing stuff to engage with the fans, right? giving his stick to broccoli Brandon and the the Veggie Chance and Delva Center and how much he loved that and then his Utah themed dinosaur mask from last year and you know little did we know but Veggie was foreshadowing our next prehistoric move of adding the mammoth to our identity and then he comes out with those sick pads blocker and and glove uh this week or I guess he didn’t Jay It’s always the company that makes them that seems to to leak that out, which is fine with us in the middle of middle of the summer. Oh, yeah. I didn’t think about like I I didn’t think about that. Like, does does Brian’s need permission or are they just allowed to show your pads? Like, I never thought about that. Is it just like is it just like a text? Can we put this on Instagram? Sure. Okay. And I wonder who’s involved. Do they clear to the team? Do they clear to the NHL? They just clear it through the goalie. Yeah. Who’s involved? Because the mask painter, uh, there’s a couple big mask painters and when they when they’re done with the mask, they drop it, too, for the most part, but there are some, um, there there are some that don’t allow their masks to be shown until game night. So, I wonder how that works. But big shout out to Brian’s because and I I want to I want to make this known. That’s not silk screened on that those pads that like a lot of companies now will do the sublimation or whatever where it’s already in the pad material that is cut and sewn on those pads and it’s meticulous and the and you know I’m plugging them. This is a free plug for Brian’s and I’ve worn them since I was 15 years old except for when I was playing in that professional roller hockey league. guy had to wear Franklin for a minute, but I’ve been I’ve been a Brian’s guy from day one. And their equipment is phenomenal. And you’re right. I’m sure I wouldn’t be surprised if the artists at Brian asked Veggie if it was okay to do something like that. And now I can’t wait to see his mask. Oh, yeah. What do you think it’s going to just something big with a mammoth? Do you think he keeps something else? I think I I my I have no idea, right? I’m not involved in in um designing masks, but I I have to think knowing what he came out with last year and seeing the pads that he’s going to take it uh take it creatively in the mammoth direction, but it’s going to be something we have no idea what’s coming. Yeah. And it can and it can create another news maker story for us uh hopefully soon. I can’t remember who paints his mask. I think I think it is the guy out of Europe though. I think it um now I’m forget the guy’s name. The main mass painter. I think it’s the same guy. Um let’s talk about Tanv for a second and then we’ll we’ll wrap this up. But the other big push you’re talking about the fun uh you know he he’s just a character and you see his his program his profile picture and and that’s been fun for to play with the fans and see if they can mimic the look. I saw Chris Armstrong do it. He did. Yeah. Tell me what else you think Tanv brings besides just being a great fan favorite. Winning pedigree. He’s been in the playoffs in six of his eight NHL seasons and he’s played in 59 games. So that’s about 10 games every time he makes the playoffs. So, he’s been on teams that have not only made the playoffs, but won in the playoffs, and he’s got the three-year deal. And I I didn’t know going into July 1st who we were going to get like this, but Tanv was was one of the guys I was wondering about. And it’s it just kind of goes along with with the theme, the the winning background, the way he plays, the energy, physicality, the way his personality resonates in the locker room. And gosh, Jay, like literally every guy that’s been added this summer, Schmidt, Purka, Tanv, you’re listening to him talk and you’re like that this guy wasn’t in our locker room last year, but he could have been in that stall, you know, right next to Ian Cole or Oolie Mada or Nick D. Simone because he just sounds like sounds like a Utah NHLer and the pedigree and culture is just so big, right? It’s one of the things Bill says is I I love when he says this because it’s just so baited. Um teams that win in the summer don’t always win in the winter. that we’ve heard that rendition of a couple times, but because it’s it’s so much about just being strategic and surgical and what fits here and what move makes sense and and Tanv hit it out of the park when we talk to him on the media availability zoom and then we hear from me and or um Nate Schmidt couple days later and it’s like, holy cow, these guys are just just going to be perfect and they’re they’re they’re going to help and I know last year we could have used a maybe a little more sandpaper, if you will. Been a little more prickly at times, had a couple more uh guys to to stick up with our skill guys or or have have on on the bench in game. And um you know, he’s gritty. He’ll be in front of the net, tap something home. And yeah, I I love I because we had the prototype of what we wanted and then to see his head shot pop up, that was that was awesome. Yeah, what a great fit. And that’s the thing is I know player-wise he’s a great fit. I know skill-wise he’s a great fit. I don’t know anything about him. Well, except for I was in on that interview you’re talking about. So, I didn’t know that much about him as a locker room guy. And that’s the dangerous part, right? you’ve got such a great thing and I I wish there was a way like I try to say it all the time the chemistry and the culture that’s in that locker room. I wish there was a way for us as as media to talk about that more but you’re adding sandpaper but you’re also adding sandpaper who last year um let’s you know he only had in the NHL last year 22 penalty minutes. So he’s not he’s not just going out and dummying plays either. Like he’s out there being physical but staying on the right side of the line so he’s not hurting the team either. And that that’s pretty impressive because you know that what’s expected of him is physicality. That’s huge Jay. And the other thing I’d like to see which you don’t see unless you really dig into the the numbers. So you you just gave his penalty minute total, which is equivalent to gosh, I don’t I don’t know, but a guy that doesn’t take penalties, first of all, but how many penalties did he draw by, you know, kind of agitating and then getting, you know, stickked in the gut or something like that? Yeah, it’s great. And and man, people are going to fry me for this, but this is what you’re seeing with Kachchuck now. Um, he’s developing into the guy that’s not always taking the penalty. I know he took a lot of penalties, but he is the guy that’s drawing a lot of penalties. Trevor Lewis is amazing at it, too. Trevor Lewis just goes out and hits everything. He’s hard on the puck, and guys cheap shot him because of it, and he draws penalties. It’s It’s an amazing asset to have. You can make a whole NHL career out of just that. Cory Perry is another one of my favorites like that. And you just look at I mean, just want to just say something or I don’t know. I’m not going to say it on the podcast what you think when when you’re playing up against what I imagine to be Corey Perry, but yeah. Or Marshawn. And Marawn did exactly what he was supposed to do for Florida when he got there. He played I have I have not liked Marawn as a player at all ever until this year because I thought he went too far. I thought he always he did draw a lot of penalties, but I thought he took too many and the ones he was sometimes he was dangerous to players actual health. And this year I saw a guy that was like, I get the role. I’m going to play the role and I’m not going to take stupid penalties. I It looked like a way more mature Marawn. That’s the kind of player you need that can go in and get in your face and not do it to the like if he can get a penalty out of you, he’s done his job. Yeah, it’s it’s it’s big. Um, and that that was a great point by you on on Tanv’s total penalty minutes because I hadn’t noticed that, but gosh, like that’s that’s he he had to draw double that at least in absolutely in power plays, which is, you know, you talk about onegoal games, you talk about not going to overtime because you got a power play goal. That’s that’s another big thing. Yeah. So, and I I’ll just tell you one more thing. Looking at his stats right now, the most penalty minutes he’s had in a season in the NHL was 35 and that’s out of 82 games. Um, second highest of that was 25 with 68 games. So, and even looking back at juniors, not a lot of penalty minutes, a lot of points. I mean, average points 14 see like he seems to be like a 15 point a year guy, but yet you add these moves that we’ve made. Uh, and it just if there was a math way to figure this out, I think that definitely equates to more wins, more points, less overtime losses. And it truly makes me believe that what we had last year is greatly improved this year to the point where like we should be expected to make playoffs. And as I talked about the training camp being competitive and everybody needs to be better than they were last year other than Clayton Keller, uh, as a team just got to double down because last year teams started to take notice of Utah and they weren’t seeing the backup goalie every night and teams weren’t coming in on the first ends of backtobacks on their way to Vegas and taking a night off, right? they realized they had to play hard to to beat Utah. And I think this year it goes to another level and the fact that the expectation is playoffs and we know how close we were last year. So, just got to totally double down and uh and and keep pushing and individually and as a team and and not settle for anything and not get comfortable whatsoever and knowing we’ve got this roster this year compared to last year with the injuries and how close that we got. But you double down, I think, has got to be what what uh the message is, you know, for the team this year with with the the the additional talent added and then just the how close they were last year because nothing comes easy in in the NHL. Well, and that gives us if we do have injuries, that gives us the opportunity to pull up NHL experienced guys out of the AA2. So that that depth helps us through all of it. So yeah, some guys are going to make the roster, some guys are not going to make the roster, but those guys are going to be ready for when injuries happen, which then in 82 games of an NHL physical season, injuries are going to happen. So yeah, Bill said uh several times this summer, seventh defenseman in the NHL plays 55 games. So not in the lineup opening night, but you’ll see him 55 in the next 81 by by percentage. And we definitely saw that last year. And it’s been so much fun to watch Bill. Like without sounding too negative about what he must have been going through in Arizona, it’s just fun to see him with just be able to do the things he wants to do to make the team better all the time, knowing that he’s got the backing of ownership, knowing he can spend a little money, knowing we’re not going to have to trade guys because they get too good and want too much money. It’s got to it’s just got to be such a relief for him to just show what he really can do because he’s just been amazing so far. He came to uh the NHL as a general manager with a blueprint and it was his his plan and he hired his people and he’s not deviated from it one centimeter. So this is the the result of that. So you you got to admire that because you see so many teams uh we’re rebuilding and are you not rebuilding anymore? What what are you doing over here? and the the the plan and the message just changes from year to year. And and with Bill, he’s had a plan to be sustainable and be a contending team over a decade from from the first uh the first year. And it took time and it took patience and uh a lot of frustration, I’m sure, and a lot of perseverance, but it’s it’s paying off and and everything that that he’s done during the five years that he’s been a general manager going back to September 2020 has been um something that that has paid off. Yeah, for sure. all the all the pain, all the, you know, when he’s trading players for for draft picks and creating cap space and acting as a bank or as a third party on deals, it all it all mattered and and right now we get that to the next level. Yeah. A lot of fun. It makes it all exciting. It makes it makes me more excited to see what’s going to happen with the Mammoth this season. I’m going to go on record right now and say that I I think we make I think the Mammoth make the playoffs and I think they’re not in the last seed to make playoffs. That’s that’s my educated guess. Sounds good to me. I I agree. Perfect. I agree. Yeah, I agree. All right, Adrian, I know you have a lot of things to get out and do. Go have some fun in Ogden tonight. I can’t thank you enough for being on the show and sharing your wisdom and your insider knowledge with us. Mo, my pleasure. Anytime, Jay. Call anytime. I’ll be here, buddy. All right. Well, I’m planning on a lot of uh pregame stuff this upcoming season. Can’t wait. Can’t wait. All right. And that is the Utah Puck Report.

On today’s episode Jay sits down with Utah Mammoth radio voice Adrian Denny. The two breakdown the off-season moves made by the Utah Mammoth, and what impact they could and should have for the upcoming season. They also talk about the importance of chemistry and likeability in a locker room. The two also talk about mammoth week and all the fun activities that have been going on around the state involving hockey, and the Utah Mammoth.