There’s an outdated adage — perhaps even a cliché by now — that describes the Utah Mammoth’s sophomore season: “Either you win or you learn.”
The Mammoth misplaced 5-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday, closing out their first-round playoff sequence in six video games — a 4-2 defeat.
“It hurts,” Mammoth head coach André Tourigny mentioned after the sport. “I didn’t have that on my bingo card. I was really confident we would go back to Vegas tomorrow.”
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Utah Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (98) defends Vegas Golden Knights heart Brett Howden (21) as he makes an attempt to attain throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth heart Kevin Stenlund (82) and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) battle for the puck throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights left wing Ivan Barbashev (49) seems to be throughout a face-off in opposition to the Utah Mammoth throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth followers react after Utah Mammoth proper wing Kailer Yamamoto (56) scored throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth heart Logan Cooley (92) and Vegas Golden Knights proper wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) battle for the puck throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) reacts after Utah Mammoth proper wing Kailer Yamamoto (56) scores throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth fan Grace Griffitts, 2, smiles earlier than going contained in the Delta Center to observe Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth proper wing Dylan Guenther (11) pushes Vegas Golden Knights proper wing Mark Stone (61) throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth followers cheer throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Kathleen Curry, self-proclaimed Ms. Utah Mammoth, poses earlier than going contained in the Delta Center to observe Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth fan Hayden Griffiths, left, holds daughter Grace Griffitts, 2, earlier than going contained in the Delta Center to observe Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth fan Hayden Griffiths, left, holds daughter Grace Griffitts, 2, earlier than going contained in the Delta Center to observe Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth followers stand outdoors the Delta Center earlier than watching Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Kathleen Curry, self-proclaimed Ms. Utah Mammoth, poses earlier than going contained in the Delta Center to observe Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth gamers are about to be launched earlier than Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth followers arrive to the Delta Center to observe Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights fan Andrew Weight, 14, watches the warmups throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Utah Mammoth on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth gamers are launched earlier than Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth gamers are launched earlier than Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth gamers are launched earlier than Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth followers Quaide Garcia, 13, entrance heart, and uncle Trevor Garcia, again, watch Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth fan Quaide Garcia, 13, stands for the National Anthem earlier than Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Fans watch the Utah Mammoth play the Vegas Golden Knights throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Fans watch the Utah Mammoth play the Vegas Golden Knights throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Tusky seems throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth followers watch Tusky seem throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth heart Jack McBain (22) and Vegas Golden Knights heart Tomas Hertl (48) battle for the puck throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth followers cheer throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth followers cheer throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights heart Nic Dowd (26) and Utah Mammoth defenseman MacKenzie Weegar (52) battle throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights proper wing Mark Stone (61) and Utah Mammoth proper wing Kailer Yamamoto (56) battle for the puck throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth followers watch the third interval of Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) blocks the Utah Mammoth from scoring throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) skates towards the puck throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) reacts after Utah Mammoth proper wing Kailer Yamamoto (56) scores throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 2, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth proper wing JJ Peterka (77) loses possession of the puck defended by Vegas Golden Knights heart Nic Dowd (26) and Vegas Golden Knights proper wing Cole Smith (22) throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) blocks a shot by Utah Mammoth heart Alexander Kerfoot (15) throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) warms up earlier than Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Utah Mammoth on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth fan Rich Bradley poses outdoors the Delta Center earlier than Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Daniel Breisch holds his daughter Claire Breisch, 5, as they stroll to the Delta Center earlier than Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth followers cheer throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth left wing Brandon Tanev (13) falls whereas skating with the puck throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights proper wing Mark Stone (61) and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) rejoice after the Vegas Golden Knights scored a aim throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth left wing Brandon Tanev (13) reacts throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) blocks Utah Mammoth left wing Brandon Tanev (13) from scoring throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) fist-bump after successful in opposition to the Utah Mammoth throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth followers go away throughout the third interval of Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights heart Nic Dowd (26) celebrates with teammates after they received in opposition to the Utah Mammoth throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth heart Kevin Stenlund (82) reacts throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights gamers rejoice after successful in opposition to the Utah Mammoth throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) raises his fist within the air after the Vegas Golden Knights received in opposition to the Utah Mammoth throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights heart Nic Dowd (26) celebrates with teammates after they received in opposition to the Utah Mammoth throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Vegas Golden Knights gamers rejoice after successful in opposition to the Utah Mammoth throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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A Utah Mammoth fan winces whereas watching the third interval of Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth gamers high-five Vegas Golden Knights gamers after they misplaced to the Vegas Golden Knights throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) alternate phrases after the Vegas Golden Knights received in opposition to the Utah Mammoth throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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Utah Mammoth heart Nick Schmaltz (8) and teammates skate off the ice after dropping to the Vegas Golden Knights throughout Game 6 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff sequence on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 1, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Going into the season, the Mammoth’s aim was merely to make the playoffs. Teams often fail just a few occasions earlier than they actually turn out to be playoff threats, so this was a mandatory step towards the crew’s final aim.
“Your failure makes you stronger,” Tourigny mentioned. “You learn from it and it makes you better, but in order to make sure that happens, it has to hurt, and I don’t even want to feel good about it. I want that to hurt and I want to learn from it.”
Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, who went via this course of early in his profession with the Tampa Bay Lightning and now has two Stanley Cup rings to indicate for it, provided an evidence for his crew’s loss after the sport.
“(The Golden Knights) know how to win,” he mentioned. “They won not a long time ago. They play well. Even though sometimes we were outplaying them, they were still in the game and they were never out of it because of their experience — and in the right moments, they put the game away.
Having been through this type of loss before, he offered words that should give Mammoth fans a world of hope.
“I believe in the future we’re going to be there — and it’s not going to be 4-2,” he mentioned.
Tourigny and most of Utah’s gamers didn’t really feel they may give enough analyses of the sequence with the emotion of the second, however they promised to interrupt it down extra at exit interviews within the subsequent few days.
Among the issues that stand out probably the most, although, are:
Despite their shortcomings, Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella, a veteran and a Stanley Cup champion, concluded his remarks with excessive reward for the Mammoth.
“That’s a good hockey team,” he mentioned. “… That’s a team that’s going to be reckoned with for quite a while now, as far as some of the kids and skill and speed that they have.”
What’s subsequent for the Utah Mammoth?
In a February interview with the Deseret News, Mammoth common supervisor Bill Armstrong detailed the following section of the crew’s construct.
“There’s a lot of patience that goes in, you know? Most clubs that become championship clubs have to go through some pain,” he mentioned.
“I’m not saying we’re going to be immune to that pain. I mean, you’re asking me what comes next — probably pain. Growth and pain, growth and pain.”
As of this moment, the team hasn’t spoken on a concrete goal for Year 3 in Utah, but don’t expect management to go all-in quite yet. As Armstrong has said more than once, their best team is “not here yet.”
What is certain is that the sights for next year will be set a little higher.
“One thing I know about this team is this is a resilient group and we always come back stronger,” Sergachev said. “And if we set our goals, we reach them. I have no doubt we’re going to come back and do some damage next year.”
Focus now turns toward the CHL playoffs, where top Mammoth prospects Cole Beaudoin and Caleb Desnoyers are both in the Conference Finals of the OHL and QMJHL, respectively.
If either or both teams win championships, they’ll face fellow top prospect Tij Iginla for the Memorial Cup, the top prize in junior hockey.
All three of those players, along with Desnoyers’ fellow Moncton Wildcats teammate Gabe Smith, are eligible to play in the AHL next season — and it’s likely that they’ll be high on the call-up list for the NHL squad next year.
Additionally, Utah’s current NHLers have plenty of time to attend the World Championship this year. That’s the international tournament to which Clayton Keller captained Team USA last spring, alongside Logan Cooley.
The solely factor that can provide gamers expertise is, nicely, expertise. Tournaments just like the Memorial Cup and the World Championship have the potential to speed up the event course of for Utah’s younger gamers.