Ingram Going On Waivers, O’Brien Injury, Utah PTOs, and More!

Ingram Going On Waivers, O’Brien Injury, Utah PTOs, and More!

Hey everyone, welcome back to 996 style. Today was the first day of training camp for the Utah Mammoth. They labeled it as media availability. So, it’s pretty much just getting everyone caught up on some news that’s going on. A lot of people didn’t know about all these news items, not even me. They kind of kept it under wraps until today when they had to talk to the organization. And the first big piece of news is both Connor Ingram and the Organization of Utah, they’re mutually agreeing to go their separate ways. Bill Armstrong’s hard at work to find him a new home, and it might involve him going to waiverss and letting another team pick him up and give Ingram a new home. There wasn’t really a reason why they were doing this, but it’s mutual. Both parties agreed this was the best way forward. Just my opinion would probably be that, you know, probably Connor Ingram feels bad. He let the team down, leaving them right after the Four Nations, right when the team was battling for a playoff spot. Vamela had to start like 23 games in a row and Ingram had to enter himself in players assistance program. I hope that’s the reason and not anything else, but that kind of makes sense to me. Uh Ingram is not even attending training camp. They’re trying to get this done and he won’t be participating at training camp for the Utah Mammoth as a number one Ingram resident Ingram enjoy enjoyer. I I love Ingram. I I thought he would be a great goalie for this team for the long term, whether it be backup or starter. When he’s on, he’s on. He had an incredible season. Arizona’s last season. the way he played, the calmness. I I liked him so much better in that season compared to Vamela because Vamela likes to move around a lot and swim. Whereas Ingram was very purposeful in his movements, but unfortunately had he went through some tough personal times with his mother passing late, you know, last December and he just needs a new start. So, all the power to Ingram and I hope he has success with an Eastern team in the Eastern Conference. I hope it’s not in the Western Conference and definitely not a divisional opponent. Also, some news is that Liam O’Brien is injured and he’s listed as weak to week with a lower body injury. So, this media availability was great because that video I made about a week or two ago is completely old news. They now have the roster flexibility to move people up, change things around with O’Brien being on injured reserve and Ingram no longer going to be part of the team. For O’Brien, the week starts in about 3 weeks. So, he might be ready for opening day. I don’t think so. I think Bill Armstrong, if he’s smart and savvy, he’ll probably lay off from an activating O’Brien and see if Simichev boot or another rookie or prospect takes a roster spot and they have to give them the roster spot and just buy some time with O’Brien being on injured reserve. With O’Brien on injured reserve and the Ingram not part of the team, that 23man active roster drops down to 21. But if you add D Simone with Valamaki on the active roster, it goes to 22. And so that leaves one more spot. And I’m leaning to Simichev probably making the roster out of camp. Maybe boots, but didn’t really like what I saw at those two uh rookie games, the rookie showcase, and with O’Brien out on injured reserve. This is an open runway for Michael Carone, who signed a one-year contract with Utah League minimum to grab that fourth line wing position with Keroot and Stenland if they keep the lines the same. Or Daniel Boot can even push for that wing position and sort of an internal competition between Carone and Boot for that fourth line wing position. And Bel Frasier has left Utah, left the Salt Lake Tribune, left covering the Utah Mammoth. She is now covering the Boston Bruins, an original six team with over a hundred years of history uh deep in that organization. That’s her home turf. And so all all the success, all the congratulations to Belle Frasier, friend of the channel. She’s one of the three interviews I did for the channel. And people around me in real life when they saw that interview, they they saw like, “Wow, that Belle is really great. She knows exactly what she’s doing. She could hold her own. She’s amazing. She’s incredible at her job. I even saw obviously I thought the same since the beginning. I was very impressed with how detail oriented she was in the way she spoke, the way she did interviews, and even just getting those details that I love. Like conditional picks, what is that condition? Just being the first out on Twitter with those details. And for Belle Frasier, she goes back to Boston. And I saw her recently on a Dallas podcast, a Dallas Stars podcast. I think part of that All City arm and just the way she was fielding and answering questions. It It was just unbelievable. And that was just a week or two ago. So she knew she had this job lined up and she still gave a great a effort. So all kudos to Belle and hope she has tremendous success in Boston. Next, we go to some professional triyout players that were invited to the Utah Mammoth training camp. I have the list here. The forwards are Ryan McGregor, Austin Pogansky, Ty Tulio, and Sammy Walker. Uh McGregor, Pogansky, and Walker were part of the Road Runners last season, so I expect them to be signed for the Road Runners. None of these people players will be making an appearance for the Utah Mammoth. I don’t know who Ty Tulio is. probably just an amateur try out American Hockey League player. But Sammy Walker did sign a one-year contract with the Road Runners earlier this week. So, he will for sure be with the Road Runners. And Pukansky, he was a captain of the Road Runners last year. So, I’m sure he’ll be part of the Road Runners again. Defenseman Leighten Moore also played with the Road Runners last year. And goalies McKay and Dylan Wells. McKay probably an amateur try out American Hockey League goalie, but they have so many goalies now in the American Hockey League with uh Stabber, Viala, Dylan Wells right here, who made a lot of appearances for the Roers last year, and Anon Thordon is part of training camp as well. So, McKay is going to have to jump over a lot of goalies, which I don’t think he will. I think Stalurn, Viala have those starter and backup positions with the Road Runners. And then we’ll see if Thordan or Wells will be that third rotating goalie. I would love for Thorin to stay with the Roniners, stay in the American Hockey League for a full season and just get some reps in. Uh he he’s an interesting prospect. He used to be part of those prospect tournaments all the time, like three of them in a row, but the one last weekend he was not a part of. And then the practice facility is finally open. It took 13 months to build and it is exceptional state-of-the-art facility. It’s got an 8,000 square ft dry gym with about a 40yard turf, so you could do your sleds, backward sleds. If you’re not backward sledding, you got to work on those on your knees. They also have training technology, uh, location and tracking technology on the ice surface or above the ice surface to track player movement, puck movement, track individual player performance and workload. So that could give them an edge against the competition. And there’s a whole suite of just some like recovery items like sauna, ice bath, red lo red light therapy and therapy pools. They got a hu huge spa next to the gym in this practice facility along with a modern kitchen and a lounge and media rooms for the players and a great A locker room. I I’ve been cycling the pictures while I’m talking about it, but great job by Utah Mammoth. They say it’s one of the best practice facilities across the league. So, we’ll see how that translates to on the ice. Maybe that turns into some games and some points. And just getting back to Ingram with him not being part of the team, this confirms a tandem of the Mela and Venich. My gut reaction is I’m uncomfortable with that, but that’s only because I’ve never really seen Vanichek play and his numbers on a basement team with San Jose really tanked his career stats. He is coming from a Stanley Cup champion team, the Florida Panthers that acquired him at the trade deadline, but he didn’t play much, so there’s nothing really to gather from that. He had a pretty good season with the Devils a year or two ago. So, I’m just holding my breath and hopefully Venich proves me wrong. But it’s great that they have two countrymen as a starter and backup from Czecha with Vamela and Venich. And we’ll see if Venice could unlock that VTEC power and provide that stability and consistency this team needs in the backup position. So, that’s it for me. Thanks for watching. If you like what you see, spread the word. And as always, thank you for your

Utah will be heading into the season with the Vejmelka/Vanacek tandem and they also opened up their new Practice Facility!

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