{"id":613661,"date":"2026-07-03T13:45:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T13:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/613661\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T13:45:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T13:45:18","slug":"takeaways-from-the-mammoths-2026-development-camp-the-hockey-writers-utah-mammoth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/613661\/","title":{"rendered":"Takeaways From the Mammoth’s 2026 Development Camp – The Hockey Writers – Utah Mammoth"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Utah Mammoth\u2019s 2026 development camp is officially in the books, sending us into a two-month hibernation. The next time we\u2019ll see the team is when these prospects return for rookie camp and the rookie showcase that we now (officially) know will be hosted in San Jose<\/a> at the beginning of September.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s safe to say that this year\u2019s development camp might\u2019ve been the best one the Mammoth have hosted to date. While there won\u2019t be anyone making it on the NHL roster because of their performance this summer, it did show us how much some of these prospects have improved since the last time we saw them in the fall.<\/p>\n

During this summer\u2019s development camp, we saw some of the top prospects really separate themselves from the pack, but we also saw some improvement from some of the smaller-name prospects who one day might make this Mammoth team. Here are my complete takeaways from this week\u2019s development camp.<\/p>\n

Ethan Belchetz Hyped to Be With the Mammoth<\/p>\n

The most recent first-round draft pick of the Mammoth<\/a> looked pretty solid at his first-ever development camp. Fresh off of being drafted 17th overall in Buffalo, Ethan Belchetz learned a lot in his first camp, from meeting all the staff and getting to see the facility to learning more about how to be ready for the NHL.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many things and so many people here to teach us stuff, whether it be mental performance, the nutrition workout, where to shoot, faceoffs,\u201d Belchetz said. \u201cWe worked on blocking shots yesterday, and today I blocked the shot right off my ankles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Belchetz took part in all of the activities this week, from the on-ice stuff to bowling and a first pitch for the Salt Lake Bees, which he mentioned was not his favorite part of this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Looks like Ethan Belchetz\u2019s first pitch didn\u2019t go well. He said it was definitely not his favorite part of dev camp \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n

\u201cNot my first pitch, that was horrible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tij Iginla said he could do way better.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne day I’ll get to throw it, and if I do, I don’t want to walk off the\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/69LCKnczkb<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) July 2, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

The forward is everything as advertised. He\u2019s tall and big and has some pretty good hands. Belchetz also isn\u2019t afraid to use his body, which he showed off during the scrimmage that ended up being more physical than some might\u2019ve expected.<\/p>\n

One thing that is to note is that his skating does need improvement. At times, he did look slow. It\u2019s something he\u2019s aware he needs to work on, and he\u2019s up for that task with plans to work on his speed and conditioning this summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I need to get leaner, get quicker, work on my conditioning, and work on my strength,\u201d Belchetz said. \u201cI\u2019m a big guy; I want to get up and down and ice quickly enough and work for my playmaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Belchetz does look like a future great player for the Mammoth. He\u2019s still a couple of seasons away from the NHL at this point. It wouldn\u2019t be surprising, though, if he stuck around at camp a little bit longer than expected this fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got really good hands; he moves well; he\u2019s an easy player to like,\u201d director of player development Lee Stempniak said. \u201cHe\u2019s got all the elements it takes to be a power forward, but just watching some of the video and some games after we drafted him, I think his ability to make plays is what stands out. He\u2019s skilled, he\u2019s big, he moves well for his size, he\u2019s got an edge, but I think his ability to make plays is going to allow him to play with better players and higher up the lineup in time, and really provide a different element. Hopefully in a top six role as a winger that complements those skill guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Belchetz scores his second of the game off a penalty breakaway. He\u2019s tied this game up for Team Black.<\/p>\n

4-4#TusksUp<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/NlEApQhZwN<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) July 2, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

For newer draft picks in particular, development camp is more important than for guys who have been there before. It gives them a chance to check out their new home, meet everyone, and get used to being with the organization. For Belchetz, that was the goal this week, and it sounds like that goal was met.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I walked into this unbelievable facility here, you feel like a brotherhood,\u201d Belchetz said. \u201cFrom Bill Armstrong all the way down to the equipment managers and the trainers, everyone is so welcoming, and there\u2019s such a good group of guys here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"EthanEthan Belchetz, Utah Mammoth (Amy Irvin<\/a> \/ The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

It wouldn\u2019t be surprising if the next time we see Belchetz next summer, he\u2019s taken leaps and bounds in terms of his development. His commitment to Michigan State<\/a> is a big one. He\u2019ll learn a lot in the NCAA, which is a better and harder developmental league than the OHL.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tij Iginla Was by Far the Best Player at Camp<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no question about it. Tij Iginla was by far the best player on the ice all week for the Mammoth. Even when Cole Beaudoin was skating before the trade that sent him to the New York Rangers<\/a> happened, the former Kelowna Rocket looked leaps and bounds better than everyone else out there.<\/p>\n

Maybe it helps that the last time we saw Iginla fully participate in everything was way back in 2024, since he didn\u2019t get to do everything last summer due to an injury<\/a>. However, his skating was impressive, his shot was great, and he looked like a player who could challenge in an NHL camp. While that\u2019s still far away and nothing is going to be decided on that in development camp, Iginla did put the thought in most people\u2019s heads that he could challenge for a roster spot come September.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one\u2019s making the team out of development camp, but the goal coming in here is to plant that seed and put that in the minds of the people that are watching and stuff,\u201d Iginla said. \u201cYou put your best foot forward, try to have some fun with it, and just get better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iginla puts the puck into the back of the net for the hat trick.<\/p>\n

Mammoth fans waived their hats rather then throwing them \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n

6-4 White.#TusksUp<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/6LmWZHtOYy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) July 2, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

That goal was made harder this past week with the Mammoth acquiring Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee<\/a>, but the belief that Iginla could still challenge for a spot is there. His puck-handling skills, skating, overall physicality, and hockey IQ have come a long way. We all knew last season that the goal for him was to overcome the injuries that he sustained during the 2024-25 season. Now, the goal will be making the NHL roster.<\/p>\n

The organization believes in him, too. Stempniak has seen the improvements the forward has made, especially when it comes to becoming a center. While Iginla was always considered a winger, a future down the middle might be possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been physically getting stronger and stronger,\u201d Stempniak said. \u201cHe tests well every time he comes in. He\u2019s a confident player. This year, he was challenged to play center. He moved to center; he\u2019s been a winger for his entire junior career, and it was a good challenge for him. He had to learn a different position to play, and I think he made huge strides there. Now there\u2019s some versatility. I think he could potentially play center down the line at some point in the NHL.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll be interesting if Iginla makes the NHL roster. If the Mammoth are serious about making Iginla a full-time center, he\u2019ll be trying to beat out guys like Trocheck, Logan Cooley, Jack McBain, Nick Schmaltz, and Kevin Stenlund. If they\u2019re putting him on the wing, it\u2019ll be an easier path thanks to the departure of JJ Peterka<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, if Iginla isn\u2019t going to play in the top six, the team should really consider sending him to the American Hockey League (AHL). It would be better for his development to play top-line minutes with the Tucson Roadrunners on what\u2019s shaping up to be a stacked team than to play in the bottom six in the NHL. The Mammoth have the option to be patient, wait, and let Iginla develop to his highest potential.<\/p>\n

The AHL is a great league. The Roadrunners are a well-run team (on the ice, that is). Both Daniil But and Dmitri Simashev benefited heavily<\/a> from spending time in the AHL this season. It wouldn\u2019t be surprising if both players spend some time there again this season. At the end of the day, you want to have these players go into the NHL lineup 100% ready to play in the league, not scared and shaky, especially on a team that is trying to compete for a playoff spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve taken the mindset from Bill that it\u2019s great to have your players play in the AHL and you\u2019d rather bring them up sort of overbaked than underbaked,\u201d Stempniak said. \u201cA lot of guys have had success by playing in the AHL, being a big contributor there, being a big factor in team success there, and then really learning sort of those details. It\u2019s really hard to get into the NHL and learn on the fly, so you want to be over-prepared for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TijTij Iginla, Utah Mammoth (Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Overall, though, it was a really good showing from Iginla at camp. He was by far the most notable player during the week. Iginla thought he had a good camp, too, and is ready to head into the rest of the summer, build off of this week, and keep growing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was happy with my numbers in the testing,\u201d Iginla said. \u201cIt\u2019s only one game and a couple of skates, but I felt like I was building, and I want to try to keep that momentum rolling into the rest of the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most Improved and Notable Players<\/p>\n

Obviously, Iginla and Belchetz weren\u2019t the only players at development camp this past week. There were plenty of other standouts as well.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with Max P\u0161eni\u010dka. Last season, a big issue for him was his reluctance to jump into the offense, which stemmed from an overall lack of confidence. A year later, that is no longer the case.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom last year, I improved at getting more offense,\u201d P\u0161eni\u010dka said. \u201cI would say I had more points and helped the team way more. That was my focus for the last season, and I think I got better, probably in everything, including speed and strength.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s someone that really improved over this past year. His confidence is obviously stronger; he\u2019s not scared to jump into the offensive zone, and he looks even better defensively. P\u0161eni\u010dka showed that in his two AHL games <\/a>and showed those things again this week. The cherry on top was the defenseman getting the shootout winner during the scrimmage, after which he did an awesome celebration.<\/p>\n

Max P\u0161eni\u010dka gets the shootout winning goal for Team Black and finishes off the scrimmage with an elite celebration \ud83d\ude02 #TusksUp<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ZOSxZqzuHR<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) July 2, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

Gabe Smith also had a good camp. The big thing everyone will talk about is that he scored two goals in the scrimmage. However, he was another player similar to Iginla who was laser-focused during the camp. He simply looked more like a notable player than he did last season, with his offense and shot improving. Smith is going to be a great addition to the Roadrunners, and it\u2019ll be interesting to see if he can translate his impressive 2025-26 season <\/a>in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) to the AHL.<\/p>\n

Cal Thomas will be someone to keep an eye on going into the next few weeks. With Matthew Morden returning to Harvard, the defenseman, who finished college last season<\/a>, will be the lone unsigned rookie who will need a contract by August 15 if the Mammoth wish to retain his rights. Thomas did score a goal during the scrimmage. Perhaps that will be enough to get an entry-level contract.<\/p>\n

Owen Allard, along with Iginla, showed that he clearly has done the whole development camp thing before. He once again won the fitness award as the fittest player at camp. Allard is a player who could have a big AHL season. His first season with the Roadrunners wasn\u2019t bad, but in probably a bigger role for the 2026-27 season, surrounded by a better team, the forward\u2019s speed could help him bring more offense<\/a> to the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe coaching staff wanted me here (at camp),\u201d Allard said. \u201cAnytime you get invited to development camp, it\u2019s always an honor to put on that jersey. I\u2019m trying to come in here and be an older guy, be a leader for the young guys coming in, and it\u2019s been super fun so far. I\u2019m happy to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

In terms of goaltending, Michael Hrabal was much of the same as we\u2019ve seen prior. He made a big notable save in the scrimmage and looked ahead of all the other goaltenders<\/a>, but that\u2019s what you probably expected from him. The true test of improvement will be in his first full season in the AHL. Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko did stand out in the scrimmage. He made some really good saves and looked like a better overall hockey player throughout the week after an awful 2025 development camp. With the great camp, Tkach-Tkachenko did earn the most improved award.<\/p>\n

Finally, Adam Valentini had a good first development camp<\/a> as well. He had some really good defensive plays in the scrimmage and looked confident throughout the whole week. His shot, in particular, was really notable. Valentini is a guy who wouldn\u2019t surprise me if he takes another step forward next season with Michigan.<\/p>\n

On the flip side, two players in particular weren\u2019t particularly impressive or notable. Caleb Desnoyers, though skating pretty well and scoring a goal in the scrimmage, didn\u2019t stand out at the level at which Iginla and Belchetz stood out. He\u2019s a guy that I fully expect to play next season in the AHL<\/a>, which will be great for him. The QMJHL isn\u2019t a top developmental league, and a season in the AHL will be fantastic for his development, especially his two-way play.<\/p>\n

It was disappointing not to see Terrell Goldsmith play in the scrimmage. An injury kept him out of action for the first few weeks of the AHL season. He then played in three games, looked pretty solid<\/a>, and then got injured again, forcing him to miss the rest of the year. It looks like that injury is still keeping him from being 100%, which is concerning. Goldsmith does have two more years left on his entry-level deal, but he needs to prove he can stay healthy this season.<\/p>\n

Top Players Show Up in the Scrimmage<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve mentioned the scrimmage quite a bit throughout this article. Let\u2019s actually dissect it. As mentioned, there was a lot more physicality than some anticipated. There were lots of hits, including Yegor Borikov delivering a massive hit on Iginla.<\/p>\n

Some of the smaller-name prospects did have a good scrimmage. As mentioned, Thomas scored a goal, and Tkach-Tkachenko looked solid in net. Will Skahan also scored. He\u2019s someone who struggled offensively last season with a six-point decline as a defenseman. Hopefully, he can chip in a goal or two more in his third season with Boston College.<\/p>\n

However, it was truly the big names that took over the scrimmage. Desnoyers had a goal, Smith had two, Belchetz had two, and Iginla had the hat trick.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Smith scores on a penalty breakaway to give white the lead with 14 minutes left.<\/p>\n

3-2 White.#TusksUp<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/CBC85oYFda<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) July 2, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

There were some nice goals split among that group. Smith scored one thanks to a great pass from Tomas Lavoie, who also had a sneakily decent camp. Iginla\u2019s first two goals were great as well. The first one came almost right after Smith won a faceoff in the offensive zone, and Iginla quickly snapped a shot that went into the back of the net. His second goal came right after he stole the puck from a defender in the o-zone and put on some nice moves to get the puck into the net.<\/p>\n

Three of the 10 goals that were scored were produced on the penalty breakaway. Iginla\u2019s last goal was an empty-netter. Team White, which included Iginla, Smith, Valentini, Lavoie, and Hrabal, won 6-4. Iginla won MVP of the scrimmage. Meanwhile, Team Black won the shootout with P\u0161eni\u010dka getting the lone goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was fun,\u201d Belchetz said. \u201cYou get to know these guys all week, and then you get into a game there, and you\u2019re throwing some big hits, and trying to win a big hockey game there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"UtahUtah Mammoth 2026 Development Camp (Photo: Chase Beardsley\/The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

It was indeed a great scrimmage. Sometimes, they can be a bit boring, but this was an entertaining one. Fans who attended certainly got their money\u2019s worth as they got to see goals from all the big-name prospects and got to see a physical and close game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a good, fast physical game out there,\u201d Iginla said. \u201cI thought it was probably the best one so far out of the two and a half that I\u2019ve been a part of. I didn\u2019t play in the one last year. It was a lot of fun, and it was great to get competing out there with the guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most Important Development Camp Yet?<\/p>\n

At the end of these development camps, the question always becomes, was this camp important or necessary? The ultimate answer is that it\u2019s not detrimental to the team\u2019s success next season, but it is important for three reasons. Introducing the prospects to their new home, creating a bond between them, and seeing if these players are coachable. For a lot of these prospects, it\u2019s the only time the Mammoth staff will see them for the next year. Having a time to catch up and see how they\u2019re doing is important.<\/p>\n

Creating a bond between some of these players is especially important. Belchetz, Desnoyers, and Iginla will be some of the top prospects on the Mammoth one day. Creating a connection between the three early is big. Having future Roadrunners players like Noel Nordh, Brandon Holt, Borikov, Allard, Desnoyers, and Hrabal all forming a connection, especially with Roadrunners head coach Steve Potvin, could be a nice segue into AHL training camp when it opens up.<\/p>\n

Will any NHL spots be decided this week? No, though it might plant some seeds in the back of people\u2019s heads, as Iginla said. Ultimately, it\u2019s to simulate a week in the NHL, which is knowledge that can\u2019t be taught when all of these prospects go back to college or juniors.<\/p>\n

\u201cA big thing for us is to get them in, have them form a bond amongst themselves, teach them what it means to play in this organization, sort of that culture, for us to see them as coaches and develop that relationship,\u201d Stempniak said. \u201cThe other piece is like educational. It\u2019s teaching them on the ice the fundamentals of what it takes to play in the NHL, off the ice, in the gym, nutrition, mental performance, and team-building stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that in mind, it was a great week for the Mammoth and their prospects. From the on-ice drills to the bowling and baseball game, it was a week filled with bonding to the point where some of the prospects were calling the team at camp a brotherhood. If that\u2019s truly the result of the past few days, it truly was a successful development camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t really know what to expect coming in here,\u201d Belchetz said. \u201cMy expectations were to have a good time, have a lot of fun, and meet a lot of new people. It was a lot of fun, a lot of hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n

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