SALT LAKE CITY – Hockey has officially returned to the Wasatch front as the Utah Mammoth hosted the second day of training camp at their brand-new training facility in Sandy.
As NHL skaters and a collection of top prospects took to the ice, the intensity was palpable as players continued competing for highly coveted spots on the roster.
Here are three takeaways from day two of Utah’s training camp:
Tij Iginla continues to impress offensively in the early stages of Utah Mammoth training camp
While the Utah Mammoth are still in the early stages of training camp with more than two weeks until its conclusion, young forward and former sixth overall pick Tij Iginla has certainly been impressive on the offensive side of the puck.
Not that his performance has necessarily come as a surprise to anybody, but the fact that he’s playing as well as he is during his first real stretch of hockey at 100 percent against NHL talent is no small feat.
Iginla’s game winning shot from the first session.
His offensive game is already so dangerous. https://t.co/9nGLNoHHqH
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 18, 2025
Look, when it comes to his play in the O-zone, Iginla is just flat out dangerous.
He’s strong on the puck, moves his feet well, surveys his options, makes good decisions, breaks down defenses and has an absolutely wicked wrist shot that even NHL goaltenders struggle to stop.
“I want to be a shooter…I think I’m pretty well rounded offensively as well,” Iginla told KSL Sports.
“I try to be someone who you don’t necessarily know for sure what they’re going to do in terms of passing, shooting, making a move.”
So far, that’s exactly what he’s been able to do.
Similar to Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley, Iginla appears to have the ability to patiently survey his options while also moving with pace and putting the puck in dangerous areas.
“Today he [Iginla] had a really good day,” Head coach Andre Tourigny explained. Obviously, we worked a lot on offense, so he was pretty good.”
“I like his attention. You can see he’s into it. He’s urgent to try & understand everything we’re doing. I like him so far.”
So, is he going to make the roster?
I don’t think so, but crazier things have happened.
Yes, his offense is arguably NHL ready, but he still needs to work on his entire game, especially in terms of his physicality as he often gets bumped off the puck in 50/50 situations.
Additionally, would it really be the best thing to throw him into league when he’s returning from dual-hip surgery?
Probably not.
However, Iginla is still primarily focused on making the cut and doing everything he can to show he’s ready.
“You come to camp; the ultimate goal is to play in the NHL and make the team. That’s no different for me,” Iginla said confidently.
“To give you the simplest answer, that’s the goal.”
Related: Three Takeaways From Day One Of Utah Mammoth Training Camp
The Guenther, Cooley, Peterka line looks really promising for the Utah Mammoth
Again, we’re still in the early stages of training camp, but it’s hard not to get a little excited about some of the Utah Mammoth forward lines that appear to be taking shape.
Some lines from today:
Guenther – Cooley- Peterka
Keller – Hayton – Schmaltz
Crouse – McBain – Carcone
Hebig – Stenlund – Tanev
Yamamoto – Agozzino – Iginla
But – Beaudoin – Kunc
Sergachev- Marino
Cole – Durzi
Lamoureux – Maatta
Simashev – Szuber
DeSimone
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 19, 2025
Heading into the offseason, Utah was focused on getting deeper, stronger and finding another primary goal scorer which resulted in the addition of JJ Peterka.
So, where is the 23-year-old forward sliding into the lineup this season?
As of right now, it seems as though he may be joining Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther among the top six skaters.
Thus far, that trio seems to be a hit as the early return has been both productive and fast, very fast.
“[The list] will be way shorter if I tell you what I don’t like [about that line].”
“It’s early to know exactly what we will get out of them…obviously, we think it will work…the speed, the skill, Cool’s & Guenther are elite defensively.”
Like coach pointed out, there’s a lot of speed on that line.
After watching them run a few zone entry drills in a three-on-two situation, I was blown away by not only the speed, but how quickly they attacked the net and how fast they were able to move the puck.
The Guenther, Cooley, Peterka line has so much speed to it.
Quick little zone entry drill and Peterka easily beat the defense right to the net before they knew what happened.
Assuming that line doesn’t change, they are going to fly every shift.
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 19, 2025
We’re talking blazing speed with their feet, quick tic-tac-toe passes and of course, laser beams from each forward.
So, it may be early, and of course lines are constantly changing, but if that one sticks, it is going to a lot of fun to watch those three fly up the ice and run up the score.
Could recent injuries impact the opening day roster?
Like any year, it’s often unlikely to make it through training camp without sustaining any injuries.
So far, the Utah Mammoth have endured two as both Alexander Kerfoot and Liam O’Brien are currently week-to-week (lower-body)
Mammoth forward Alexander Kerfoot will be listed as week to week (lower-body).
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 19, 2025
What does that mean in regard to the opening night roster?
Maybe something, or maybe nothing at all.
A lot of that depends on how long those two are actually out, and according to Tourigny, there’s currently no indication that they won’t be ready to start the season.
“They’re injured, they’re not dead,” Tourigny explained.
“We will see how long it is. I don’t know the extent of the time that they will miss…nothing saying they will not be there to start the season.”
However, if they do miss a notable amount of time, that could potentially open the door for a few others to get some reps at the beginning of the year.
Reliable vets like Michael Carcone and Kailer Yamamoto could find themselves in the lineup while maybe a young player or two make the opening roster.
But before we start speculating on who that might be, let’s get through another week of camp first.
If O’Brien and Kerfoot are still out by that point, then those conversations can begin.
For now, let’s just see how these first few preseason games go.
What’s next for the Utah Mammoth?
Training camp is set to begin on September 17 and will run through October 4.
The Mammoth’s first preseason game will be a split-squad matchup on September 21 against the Colorado Avalanche.
The first game will be at 2:30 pm MT while the second puck will drop at 6:30 pm MT.
Both games will be available on Mammoth+.
Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.
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