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While Stanley Cup playoff action heats up, several Utah Mammoth players are representing their countries overseas at the World Championships. In this episode, SLC Puck host Austin Facer why Utah management may be keeping a close eye on Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley’s linemate, Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson.

With the Mammoth holding the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Facer explores the possibility of a blockbuster trade to bring Thompson to Utah.

Also, Facer pays tribute to the life and legacy of Utah Grizzlies President & CEO Kevin Bruder, whose recent passing leaves a lasting impact on the Utah hockey community.

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It’s been a roller coaster couple of weeks for Utah sports fans. Earlier this month, the Utah Mammoth made a splash by winning the rights to pick fourth in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, despite just a 1.4% chance of doing so. The Utah Jazz, with 10x better odds of landing the first overall selection in the NBA Draft, were dealt a bad hand and moved back to the fifth pick.

Two differing twists of fate, but as SLC Puck host Austin Facer notes, Utah’s NHL success came with virtually no cries of controversy, whereas the Jazz’s poor luck seems shady to many. The biggest reason why? Facer points out that the NBA’s lottery took place behind closed doors, while the NHL’s was in full view. It’s just one of a growing list of changes that the NBA can adopt from the NHL, he says.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here.

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SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here.

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The day after unveiling the Utah Mammoth name and logo, owner Ryan Smith appeared on The Pat McAfee Show to discuss the branding process. By the end of the 25-minute long interview, the segment had transitioned into a creative planning session with Smith, McAfee and his crew bouncing ideas on how to bring the Mammoth brand into the fan experience at Delta Center.

SLC Puck host Austin Facer wouldn’t be surprised to see many of these ideas come to life, particularly ones that combine the fans’ love of chugging drinks on the jumbtron with the Tusks Up motto.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here.

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Sammy and Austin’s Mom take over the set. Austin is forced to wrangle a very rambunctious 2-year-old. Happy Mother’s Day from SLC Puck!

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Exit, Utah Hockey Club. Enter, Utah Mammoth. The team once known as the club without a name or identity unveiled its permanent look and moniker on Wednesday under the Utah Mammoth brand. As SLC Puck host Austin Facer observed, the named seemed to be a hit not only with local fans — who lined up around the block to buy new merchandise at the Delta Center — but also with the larger sports world at large.

But a cool new name and logo wasn’t the only good fortune that Utah fans enjoyed this week. On Monday, the Mammoth moved up in the NHL Draft Lottery to the 4th overall pick. Facer calls this a huge accelerant for the team’s trajectory, saying it could provide general manager Bill Armstrong with all kinds of options this summer.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here.

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Has Utah already tabbed its next head coach? Rumors swirled this week that current Tampa Bay boss Jon Cooper could be destined to make the Beehive State his next stop following the Lightning’s exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. SLC Puck host Austin Facer wouldn’t be surprised to see it happen eventually, adding that coaching changes are far more common than what Utah sports fans have long been used to.

Kept out of the postseason, Utah will also be in the NHL Draft Lottery on Monday, albeit with little chance of picking anywhere other than 14th. Still, the live event should be interesting, one that the NBA could take a cue from, Facer adds.

As the playoffs continue, some Utah players won’t have to wait to get back on the ice, with seven members of the organization set to represent their respective countries at the 2025 IIHF World Championships this month. Utah’s Clayton Keller was named Team USA’s captain, an acknowledgment of his growth this last season, even after s snub from the 4 Nations Face-off roster.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here.

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The Utah Hockey Club made headlines twice on Wednesday—one planned, the other possibly not.

Late Tuesday night, internet sleuths noticed the team’s YouTube channel had quietly updated its URL to @UtahMammoth, a potential leak of the franchise’s future identity. SLC Puck’s Austin Facer views the move as an unintentional slip—and hopes that when (not if) the team name is officially revealed, leadership embraces the mishap and has fun with it.

The intentional headline came hours later, as the organization revealed major renovation plans for the Delta Center. The updates include a raised ground floor and a retractable seating system designed to seamlessly accommodate both basketball and hockey. Facer, a lifelong visitor of the arena, says he’s excited to see how the transformed Delta Center will elevate the downtown experience.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here.

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Construction is officially underway at the Delta Center, and early glimpses inside the arena reveal crews hard at work on Phase 1 of the building’s major renovation. In this episode of SLC Puck host Austin Facer revisits the original renovation timeline first unveiled in July and offers a refresher on what fans can expect when the project wraps up in 2027.

However, Facer cautions hockey fans and downtown visitors to brace for plenty of dust, road closures, and construction detours in the coming years. Once completed, the renovations are expected to help transform the heart of downtown Salt Lake City.

And with the Utah Hockey Club missing this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, Facer encourages new fans to dive into the postseason action now, noting that the first-round matchups have been nothing short of explosive.

This episode also features the full end-of-season exit interview with Utah Hockey Club captain Clayton Keller.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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Three of the Utah Hockey Club's biggest decision makers, President Chris Armstrong, General Manager Bill Armstrong and Head Coach André Tourigny took the podium this week for their end-of-season exit interviews with the media. Facing a wide array of questions about the Club's on and off ice product, SLC Puck host Austin Facer was encouraged by the self-assured confidence of Tourigny.

As for answers relating to questions about the Delta Center's renovation and the team's permanent name, Facer predicts that renderings and a name announcement could be coming in the next month or so.

That and a check-in on the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs — including an emotional scene in Colorado — make up this episode of SLC Puck!

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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The Utah Hockey Club held its year-end player exit interviews last week, and SLC Puck host Austin Facer was on the scene. One thing stood out: a clear contrast between players with deep playoff experience — including Stanley Cup champions — and those still chasing their first taste of postseason glory.

But the biggest standout? Utah’s rising star Dylan Guenther, who told the media he doesn’t believe in putting limits on how great he can become.

With Utah officially out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which kicked off this weekend, Facer reveals his full playoff bracket — including a bold first-round upset pick that could shake up the Eastern Conference.

Plus: end-of-season awards, including the highly coveted SLC Pucker of the Year.

All that and more in this episode of SLC Puck.

SLC Puck! is a twice-weekly podcast on Utah's hockey scene hosted by local hockey expert Austin Facer. You can subscribe to SLC Puck's YouTube channel here. Facer also co-hosts the NashCast, the Utah Hockey Club's alt-cast starring NHL funnyman Tyson Nash, available exclusively on SEG+ or Utah HC+.

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