SALT LAKE CITY – Just three days before their season opener against the Colorado Avalanche on October 9, the Utah Mammoth officially announced their opening night roster on Monday afternoon.
Following a fiercely competitive training camp and preseason that resulted in a few lingering injuries, some new faces have cracked the initial 23-man roster.
BREAKING: The Utah Mammoth have announced their opening night roster.
Spoiler: Simashev & Agozzino made it. https://t.co/7y3uPa91BZ
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 6, 2025
Utah Mammoth announce opening night roster
Featuring 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two netminders, Utah’s initial roster is full of speed, finesse, talent, experience and a hunger to make the postseason.
However, with injuries to both Alexander Kerfoot and Liam O’Brien, several players have been given an opportunity to step up in their absence.
“We can play a fast game,” General Manager Bill Armstrong said. “We need to play it for sixty minutes in every single zone and push the pace on the team where they just get smothered.”
“The difference with our club this year is that we’re a little bit older. We’d like to see some more finish, put teams away…we’ve got to find a way to close teams out…the identity of our team is to play hard and fast and just basically own that other team for sixty minutes. We can do that.”
Andrew Agozzino’s veteran approach has made him a valuable depth piece
For Andrew Agozzino, the 34-year-old had a great camp as he battled in the dirty areas, fought for loose pucks and facilitated some dangerous chances.
He’s not overly flashy, probably won’t score a ton of points; but he’s been around, knows the game and will fulfill the veteran role Utah needs until a few guys get healthy.
Daniil But made a ton of progress during training camp but still needs to develop
Let me just be the first to say that I was blown away by the progress Daniil But made over the last few weeks.
After beginning rookie and training camp without making much of an impact, the young Russian burst onto the scene and quickly proved he’s not far away from playing in the NHL.
“He had a hard time at the start but as soon as he got going and playing some exhibition games for us up top, he was good.” Armstrong explained.
“You can see what you’re going to get. He’s a big man that’s got skill. He’s hard to play against being that size and that skill level so we’re really excited about what he accomplished.”
When But gets going downhill in the offensive zone with the puck on his stick, he is dangerously lethal.
Combining his smooth mitts with towering size, good speed and a blistering shot, But is the kind of prospect GM’s dream of.
No ifs ands or BUTS about it pic.twitter.com/xsTXn413l8
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) September 22, 2025
However, with all that in mind, the front office would still like to see him develop a bit more in the AHL which is completely normal.
“We also feel that it’s not the place and time for him to play in the National Hockey League where he’s going to play ten minutes a night and not play power play,” Armstrong said.
“He needs to go to a place where he’s going to play over ten, he’s going to be put in really good situations where he can develop as a player, and now, we can start to bring out that top two line forward out of him.”
But is young, he’s hungry and has every tool to dominate the AHL.
If he does, it won’t be too long before we see him with the Mammoth.
“Who knows how long he’ll be. Is He Dylan Guenther where he goes down there for 35 games or Josh Doan that goes down for 45 and then comes back into your big club and is shot out of a cannon, kind of helps get you over the hump?” Armstrong suggested.
“We’re hoping that’s what he can do.”
Tij Iginla needs another year in the juniors
Despite a great camp and taking some significant steps forward after returning from dual-hip surgery, Tij Iginla has been reassigned to his junior squad in Kelowna.
Yes, his offense was impressive, and he looked really good considering this was his first taste of hockey since returning, but he simply needs more time to develop.
Iginla’s feet impress me the most here.
Watch his stride and how he positions his body to attack. That’s ridiculous. https://t.co/YTjxydSTjJ
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 23, 2025
“Tij had a great training camp too. He was probably the kid that won most improved coming in bigger, stronger, faster. He just didn’t play last year,” Armstrong said.
“He’s one of those guys that he’s just obsessed with the game of hockey…but he’s got to go back to Junior and play. He’s got to get everything right and learn to grow his game.”
The best thing for Iginla right now is to go back to juniors, really get back into the swing of things, put up 100 points and get a little bit stronger.
If he does that, he’ll have a much better chance to make the roster a year from now when some more contracts come off the books and spots become available.
“That’s why we have our development staff,” Armstrong added.
“They’ve got to go back, work with him, get him to be better away from the puck. Get him to understand where he has to be defensively. The offense comes natural…he’s got to learn to be better away from the puck and play better defense.”
Dmitri Simashev proved he’s ready for the NHL
Watch Dmitri Simashev for about five minutes and it becomes clear, he’s ready for the NHL.
Not that he’s necessarily going to compete for the Calder, but during the preseason, Simashev demonstrated the confidence, patience, awareness, vision and calmness that is required to play on the blue line in the best league in the world.
“He’s gotten to the point right now where he earned a roster spot,” Armstrong said. “He’s a big man. I’d have to say he’s probably one of the best skating big men, D-men that I’ve ever been a part of drafting with elite D-zone hockey sense.”
“He’s going to push the pace for us. He’s going to give us something that most teams dream of.”
Similar to Mikhail Sergachev (which makes sense because they live together), Simashev is never rattled.
His approach to the game in all three zones is so calm and collected as he consistently makes the right decisions, rarely makes mistakes and has never once looked out of place.
Simashev is ready pic.twitter.com/5cvgoEBWWp
— Cap’n Cook 🦣 (@JazzePinkman) October 3, 2025
After making the opening night roster, it may be a situation where Utah rolls with seven defensemen on a nightly basis as they certainly aren’t going to keep Simashev around to just sit with the scratches.
He needs to play and he will.
Utah Mammoth Injury update
Kerfoot will begin the season on injured reserve with a lower body injury.
Meanwhile, O’Brien will start the season on the injured non-roster list.
Once those players return, we should see Agozzino return to the AHL.
What’s next for the Utah Mammoth?
At the conclusion of the preseason, the Utah Mammoth will officially kick off the regular season on October 9 against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena at 7 p.m. MT.
The game 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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