The Utah Mammoth have characters all across their organization. That includes a man nicknamed Spicy Tuna and the ongoing Costco adventures of Dylan Guenther and Jack McBain. However, during free agency, they added one of the best characters in the league with Brandon Tanev.
With the Mammoth looking to take another step forward in their development, general manager Bill Armstrong brings in Tanev, who is a solid bottom-six forward who will provide some physicality and a lot of other things to the team. However, Armstrong also brings in a great human being who could become a fan favorite for Mammoth fans.
Meet Utah’s Potential Cult Hero
Tanev’s professional hockey career didn’t start like most. He went undrafted despite successful years with the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the British Columbia Hockey League. Tanev headed to the NCAA, where he played with Providence College. He won an NCAA championship in 2015, scoring the championship-winning goal.
After three successful seasons with Providence, Tanev signed a contract with the Winnipeg Jets, which eventually led to four seasons in Manitoba, where he established himself as a permanent NHLer. He also helped the Jets make a Western Conference Final appearance in 2018.
In 2019, Tanev signed a six-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He spent two seasons with the Penguins before being selected by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft. Tanev then played the next four seasons with the Kraken, which included helping them make their only playoff appearance to date. That same season, he had his best season offensively with 35 points. Towards the most recent trade deadline, he was flipped back to the Jets after recording 17 points in Seattle.
Across his career, Tanev has been a solid bottom-six player for the three teams he’s been on, pitching in some offense occasionally. He’s also a very energetic guy who loves being vocal in the locker room. It’s a very important role, especially with younger players in the locker room. It’s something Tanev is excited to embrace in Utah.
The man, the myth, the maniac.
Brandon Tanev is an absolute beauty. pic.twitter.com/lk9eNILkgB
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 21, 2021
“I understand who I am as a player, my identity, and my role,” Tanev said. “I play a 200-foot game. I’m physical. I bring a lot of energy. I harp and like to do the little things throughout the game. There are so many good young players on this team. Being a part of that is going to be great, being an older guy. I’m going to try to help them with the aspects of the game, but at the same time, be a great teammate in the locker room around these guys.”
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Tanev’s ability to play a physical and hardworking bottom-six role is a huge reason why Armstrong brought him in. It adds to a bottom six that didn’t feel solidified throughout last season. He is also a fantastic player on the penalty kill, something the Mammoth were okay at in 2024-25 with their unit sitting as the 15th best in the league, but certainly can get better at.
“He’s got some bang in his game, and that’s what we love about him,” Armstrong said. “He’s got determination. He wants to make a difference physically. He can kill some penalties. He can play on your second or third line, and he can get out there and give you some energy. He’s going to be someone who gives us that little bit extra bang, some more physical presence out there. He never shorts you on effort. He’s going to be an exciting player.”
The way Tanev plays hockey is one that fans in Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, and Seattle have come to love. The physicality that he has and the love he shows for his teammates are unique, and it’s something fans love to see.
Brandon Tanev was FEEDING Conor Garland some uppercuts 😳 pic.twitter.com/UetE8AYqEb
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 23, 2024
Off the ice, Tanev has done a lot of stuff in the community that has made him popular with every team he’s been on. For example, when he tore a ligament in his leg in his first season with the Kraken, he participated in many youth hockey clinics around Seattle. On top of that, he took the time to hold virtual meetings with season ticket members during the team’s inaugural season.
In both Winnipeg and Seattle, Tanev was a big part in helping spread awareness about mental health. He participated in the #HockeyTalks campaign in Manitoba, an initiative aimed at reducing the stigma around mental health issues. He was also one of a handful of Kraken players who partnered with Premera Blue Cross for #HockeyTalks. Tanev hopes to continue his support of helping spread the conversation about mental health during his time in Utah.
“When someone needs help with mental health, I think friends, family, or whoever it is, I think it’s great to be around, to be a resource, and to help every individual in that sense,” Tanev said. “Life is not an easy thing. There are so many ups and downs and adversities throughout those things. When you have great people around you like friends, family, teammates, whomever it is, you can’t be shy to reach out to individuals and ask for help. It’s one of those things where you don’t want to do it, but at the same time, it’s so fulfilling and rewarding to ask for that help.”
Being active in the Utah community and, more specifically, helping out with something as important as mental health is massive. Even within days of signing, Tanev wants to be a factor, showing his commitment to the team and the city already.
On the sillier side of things, Tanev’s annual headshot has become a meme around the hockey world. Every year, he makes a freaked out face which has gone on to be mimicked not just in the NHL but also in the NFL as well with DeeJay Dallas of the Seattle Seahawks. When Armstrong saw the photo of Tanev, he immediately knew he would become a popular character in Utah.
“When we signed him, his agent said to us he’s going to be a cult hero in Utah,” Armstrong said. “I said, okay. Then I saw that picture. I thought, oh yeah, he’s got a chance.”
new year, same tanev 👻 pic.twitter.com/RuRWh2HlSv
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) September 20, 2024
Why Did Tanev Choose Utah?
After Tanev was traded to the Jets at the trade deadline, they visited Utah. It was his first time at the Delta Center since the Kraken hadn’t made their trip to Salt Lake City yet. The energy of the crowd instantly made an impression on him, and it’s something he hasn’t forgotten.
“I remember playing there this year when I was in Winnipeg, and it was one of those places where it was exciting,” Tanev said. “Everyone didn’t know what to expect because we hadn’t been there yet. It was one of those things where we got onto the ice and saw how great the crowd was. The atmosphere and the energy of the building were unmatched. It was a great time.”
While the crowd was fantastic, the Mammoth’s desire to win and compete for the playoffs impressed Tanev so much that he inked a three-year deal with the team. With recent acquisitions to bring in talent like Mikhail Sergachev and J.J. Peterka, along with the numerous upgrades owners Ryan and Ashley Smith have done to welcome the NHL team, it’s no wonder that Tanev wanted to be a part of the Mammoth for the next three seasons.
“We want to be a team competing at the right time of the year, pushing to play in the playoffs, and winning a Stanley Cup,” Tanev said. “This group here is a great group. There’s a ton of young talent that understands how to play the game the right way. There’s a great coaching staff…It’s one of those things where you’re lucky to be a part of this group.”
Speaking of the team and coaches, Tanev is familiar with a couple of names on Utah. He played with John Marino on the Penguins, Kailer Yamamoto with the Kraken, and he works out with Sean Durzi during the summer in Toronto. In fact, Durzi was the second Mammoth to call Tanev, only behind captain Clayton Keller.
Maybe most importantly, Tanev has played for head coach André Tourigny before at the World Championship. It means Tanev already knows what to expect from Tourigny and how to play his systems. It’s another reason why the Mammoth went out and signed him.
Brandon Tanev, Winnipeg Jets (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)
“I think a player like Brandon sees the youth and energy in the trajectory of this team,” Mammoth president Chris Armstrong said. “He has experience and is very complimentary of his time with Bear with Team Canada. For a player like him, I think he knows the role and the impact that he can have here, and that gets him excited.”
Tanev is certainly excited to start his time in Utah. His sneak preview of it last season has him excited about the crowds. The talented young players who were able to challenge top teams like the Jets have him excited to meet the rest of the guys. Already being able to play under Tourigny has him excited to reunite with the coach. Most of all, with the Mammoth seeking to take the next step and be a playoff team, Tanev is excited and ready to help shock the hockey world.
“It’s an exciting time to be in Utah,” Tanev said. “I think there’s a great young group of core players here. The desire to be good and to be good now is huge.”
For Tanev, everything he’s seen from the Mammoth in the past year is what he wants to be a part of. To him, Utah is the perfect fit for him and his family.
“The surroundings, the city itself, and also the fans, getting to play in that building was awesome. The energy, the excitement were there. It seems like they’re some of the best fans in the NHL. For me, I felt like it was a great fit.”
Everything that Tanev brings to the table on and off the ice screams future fan favorite player. He is also the type of player championship teams have. For a Mammoth team looking to make the playoffs and go on a deep run in the next three years, along with deepening their roots in the community, Tanev is the perfect player and character to bring on board to try and make that happen.
