The inaugural season for the Utah Hockey Club (now the Utah Mammoth) is officially over. The team finished with a 38-31-13 record while their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, finished with a 34-32-4-2 record, which was good enough for the seventh playoff spot in the Pacific Division. The Roadrunners went on to lose in the first round of the playoffs 2-1 to the Abbotsford Canucks.
With the season in the books, it’s time to look at the 48 Utah players who were under an NHL contract for the 2024-25 season (excluding Connor Ingram for obvious reasons) and grade their year. We’ll also reflect on how they did during the 2023-24 season and see if they improved or did worse, along with what their future holds. We’re going alphabetically by first name. Next up is Josh Doan.
Last Season
After kicking off his pro career the prior season, Doan started his 2023-24 season with the Roadrunners. Right off the bat, he scored in the first game of the season against the Texas Stars. Towards the end of October, Doan scored four goals in four games, bringing his total up to five in the month.
To kick off November, Doan scored three goals across the Roadrunners’ first two games. Throughout the next couple of weeks, most of his points came via goals. Doan became the Roadrunners’ main goal scorer throughout the season. He further proved that in December with five goals.
To begin January, the Arizona native went on a six-game point streak, during which he recorded seven points. During the season, he formed a good connection with players like Dylan Guenther, who was neck and neck with Doan for the team lead in points. However, Guenther was called up to the Arizona Coyotes in early January. Despite this, Doan managed to keep producing.
Related: Utah Mammoth’s 2024-25 Report Cards: John Marino
Thanks to his remarkable play and Guenther’s call-up, Doan was named to the AHL All-Star Game. At the time, he led the Roadrunners in goals and was third among AHL rookies in goals.
Around the time he was named to the AHL All-Star Game, Doan began yet another point streak. He had eight points in five straight games. Five of those points were goals. His offense would continue into March, where he had eight points in his final seven AHL regular-season games.
With the Coyotes out of the playoffs and Doan performing remarkably well, the team decided to reward the young forward with his first NHL call-up. He made his NHL debut with the same team his dad played for his entire career. In his first game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Arizona, Doan sent the Coyotes’ fans in attendance, along with his dad, into jubilation with two goals in his debut game.
JOSH DOAN WITH HIS FIRST NHL GOAL! 👏
You couldn’t script it any better. pic.twitter.com/yDb3BENpPv
— NHL (@NHL) March 27, 2024
The magic didn’t end there. Doan tallied two assists in the next game and another assist in the following game to bring his NHL totals up to five points in just his first three games. He stayed up with the Coyotes for the rest of the regular season, tallying nine points in 11 games. Five of those points were goals.
In the AHL, Doan finished out his season with 46 points in 62 games, which led the Roadrunners. His 26 goals and 10 power-play goals also led the team in the respective categories. Finally, with his 26 goals, Doan led all rookies in the AHL in goal scoring. He was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team.
Doan returned to Tucson for the playoffs. However, his rookie season would end in heartbreak as the Roadrunners were swept by the Calgary Wranglers. Doan had zero points in the two games.
This Season
Thanks to his impressive 2023-24 season, injuries to Nick Bjugstad and John Marino, and a decent training camp, Doan made Utah’s opening night roster. He scored his first goal of the season against the New York Islanders but only had one other point in his first nine games of the season.
With the team on a three-game losing streak, Doan’s offense not showing up like it did the season prior, and players coming back from injuries, Utah made the decision to send him down to the AHL. It made sense. Doan was younger than other scratches like Michael Carcone and Liam O’Brien, and it was clear he needed more time to develop. Sending him to Tucson, where he had thrived and grown with every game he played down there, was the best idea for his future.
Doan scored twice in his second game back, but he struggled a bit in his first couple of games. He finally broke through in late November, recording 11 points in his next 10 games. Something different, though, was that a majority of those points were assists. While Doan was a goal scorer first, he worked hard during his time with the Roadrunners to improve his all-around game.
Josh Doan, Utah Hockey Club (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
In January, Doan had five points in three games. With 19 points in 25 AHL games, he was named to the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic. Around the same time, Guenther was injured in the NHL, prompting Utah to recall Doan from the Roadrunners.
In his second game back, Doan tallied his second goal of the season. He had his first multi-point game a couple of days later. It was obvious that Doan’s overall game looked better than it had a couple of months ago. His passing and two-way play had improved, and he was playing well with Lawson Crouse and Jack McBain. It was clear that giving him time to develop in the AHL was the best course of action, and the Arizona native was grateful to the organization for giving him that chance again.
“They allowed me to come into who I am, and it’s the faith that they’ve had in me the whole time that has allowed me to take these next strides, and the belief in that when process, rather than an if process,” Doan said. “I think you have to credit them for having that, and having the idea that I was at some point going to break through.”
WHAT A RELEASE! 👀
Josh Doan ties this game at one! pic.twitter.com/kJHL8t5Gkl
— NHL (@NHL) February 8, 2025
In the final three games heading into the 4-Nations break, Doan had a point in every single game. As the break started, he was sent back down to the AHL to get some playing time to continue his development. Doan played three games with the Roadrunners and had five points, three of which were goals. When the break ended, he was quickly recalled to Utah. He finished his AHL season with 26 points in 28 games.
Doan finished out his 2024-25 season with Utah after not being sent down to the AHL at the trade deadline, which disqualified him from playing any more games with the Roadrunners. In his final five games, Doan had three points. He finished the season with 19 points in 51 games.
However, the main area where Doan grew was his overall game. He was able to play in all three zones competitively and played with a better defensive mindset. It helped that his line with Crouse and McBain stayed together for most of the second half of the season, as he was able to learn from the two older players.
“I think being able to find a click with Bainer and Crauser allowed me to find myself at the end of the year,” Doan said. “Being someone who can disrupt plays in the forecheck and being someone that can stick my nose in, but also having confidence with the puck and make plays throughout the neutral zone is something I want to continue to work on, but it’s something that’s allowed me to have success.”
The Future
Shortly after the season ended, Doan was named to Team USA for the World Championship alongside fellow Mammoth teammates Clayton Keller, Michael Kesselring, and Logan Cooley. While he didn’t play in every single game, Doan did manage to score a goal en route to the USA capturing their first gold medal in the tournament since 1933.
When it comes to Doan’s future, next season will be his last year under his rookie contract. Depending on how his season goes, he could be in the market for a bigger contract. However, he’ll have to keep improving his game.
While Doan certainly took a massive step forward in his defensive play this season, his offensive play at the NHL level was a bit lacking. He pointed it out as something he wants to improve on heading into the 2025-26 season.
“Finding that finishing touch on the net, that’s something that over time, I think you can get,” Doan said. “At all levels, I’ve been able to find that, so just kind of leaning back on that and falling back on that patience I had in the AHL, in college, and junior, where I was able to do that. At this level, it’s a little bit more difficult. You put a little bit more pressure on yourself.”
Doan will have a new opportunity to take the next step as well after being dealt to the Buffalo Sabres in the JJ Peterka trade. He’ll most likely easily make the roster as the Sabres make changes throughout the offseason, including after moving Peterka.
At every single level up to the NHL, Doan has found a way to be a high-scoring player while playing a responsible game. In 2023-24 with the Coyotes, he showed he can score at the NHL level. In 2024-25, he showed he can be an everyday NHL player. Now, he has to combine both of those things in order to take the next step forward in 2025-26.
Final Grade
Going into the 2024-25 season, expectations were maybe a bit too high for Doan after his impressive first 11 games in the NHL. It’s a step-by-step process, and now the next step for Doan is to continue what he learned from the prior two seasons and elevate it next season.
There is added pressure for him in 2025-26 as it’s the final season of his rookie deal. Doan will need to continue his growth with the Sabres in order to try to get a long-term extension from the team. It’ll be interesting to see how he plays under a different system as he leaves the Coyotes/Mammoth organization for the first time.
However, as mentioned, Doan exhibited a lot of growth this past season. His time in the AHL was dominant, while his time in the NHL showed he very well might be a big part of this core going forward.
Overall, Doan is getting a B-minus for this season. Improvements need to continue into next season, but the ones made this season make him a way better player at the highest level of pro hockey than he was when he made his debut back in the spring of 2024. On top of that, his drive, work ethic, and willingness to do anything it takes to improve could be used as a model for younger players in the system, which is especially impressive when you take into account that Doan is only 23 years old.
Doan’s next NHL season might be overlooked by most, but it’ll be a vital one for him. A bad season could leave him in the AHL, while a good season could earn him a nice extension. However, those who know Doan know he’s more than likely up for the challenge and will do whatever he can to be the best player he can be.
