Jack McBain is our SLC Pucker of the Year, and honestly, there was no other choice. This episode is SLC Puck’s annual Utah Mammoth end-of-season awards show, where we hand out eight honors to the players who defined the 2025-26 season. McBain gets the big one after leading the team with 84 penalty minutes, setting the tone physically, and delivering one of the best fights of the year against Alexei Toropchenko after the hit that injured Logan Cooley.

We also hand out Electric Factory to Dylan Guenther after his 40-goal, 73-point season, including the kind of late-game moments that make the building shake. Lawson Crouse takes Bounce Back Player of the Year after jumping from 18 points to 44 and swinging from minus-4 to plus-20. Nate Schmidt is our Newcomer of the Year after arriving from the Florida Panthers and posting a ridiculous plus-31 while bringing instant stability and veteran edge.

From there, we get into Karel Vejmelka as Mr. Reliable after 64 appearances and 38 wins, Logan Cooley as Mr. Rent Free after putting up 24 goals in just 54 games and constantly becoming The Topic, and Clayton Keller as our Most Valuable Mammoth after leading Utah in scoring again while carrying the emotional weight of the season. Sammy is back, Disneyland gets mentioned, Tusky almost steals an award, and yes, Michael Carcone gets love as the team’s full-time chaos merchant.

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The team that knocked out the Utah Mammoth is now playing for the Stanley Cup, and that’s exactly why this episode matters. On SLC Puck, Austin digs into what the Mammoth can actually learn from the Vegas Golden Knights — a team that keeps making ruthless, win-now moves and keeps getting rewarded for it.

Vegas swept the Colorado Avalanche to reach the Stanley Cup Final after eliminating Utah, and Austin makes the case that the Mammoth may be closer than people think. He breaks down Vegas’ depth and why it worked: Mitch Marner leading the way with 21 points, Jack Eichel sitting at 18, and both Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden scoring 10 goals in the playoffs. There’s also a look at how close Utah really was in that first-round series, with Game 4 going to double overtime and Game 5 going to overtime before the Golden Knights took control.

Austin also talks through what a more aggressive Utah timeline could look like, from adding another true top-pair defenseman to getting heavier in the top six, with names like Sean Durzi, Mikhail Sergachev, Barrett Hayton, and Tij Iginla all part of the conversation. Then the show pivots to a wild stat off the ice: Salt Lake City jumped from No. 44 to No. 12 in Sports Business Journal’s best sports cities rankings, with the Mammoth, the 2034 Olympics, and Utah’s MLB push all helping reshape the city’s sports identity.

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This is a free preview of SLC Puck+ — the members-only bonus show for the SLC Puck sickos.

Right now, we have 25 paid members helping build this thing.

The next goal is simple:

50 paid members before next season.

That’s not some random vanity number. That’s the next step in turning SLC Puck from a fun local hockey podcast into a real Utah hockey media operation.

The main SLC Puck show covers the Utah Mammoth: games, roster moves, prospects, reactions, watch parties, interviews, and everything happening around hockey in Utah.

SLC Puck+ is where we let it rip.

It’s the bonus show where we get into the weirdest corners of the hockey world: league-wide chaos, hockey internet nonsense, unhinged fan behavior, strange player lore, media drama, goalie crimes, youth hockey madness, and whatever else makes this sport the greatest content machine on earth.

This free preview is a perfect example.

A viral U12 hockey clip involving the Vaughn Panthers, angry parents, glass-banging, alleged locker room drama, and one red-hat guy with the energy of a man defending Helm’s Deep.

Most people saw bad behavior.

I saw reasonable doubt.

Maybe the parents were out of line. Maybe the ref missed something. Maybe the Zamboni left the ice too wet. Maybe this is simply a proud youth hockey program defending decades of sacred glass-banging tradition.

The point is: we do not have all the facts, your honor.

If this clip makes you laugh, you’ll like SLC Puck+.

And if you already watch SLC Puck, coming over to Patreon is the best way to help us grow the show, improve the production, build more live events, make more weird hockey content, and keep pushing toward something bigger.

We’re at 25 paid members.

Help us get to 50.

Join SLC Puck+ here:

www.patreon.com/slcpuck

Utah Mammoth fans have a real question to wrestle with this summer: do you want a team full of lovable guys, or a team built to win ugly? On this Memorial Day edition of SLC Puck, Austin reacts to the Vegas Golden Knights going up 3-0 on Colorado and uses that as the jumping-off point for a bigger Utah hockey debate. If Vegas is rolling with Carter Hart in net, Mark Stone back in the lineup, and the Avalanche suddenly on the brink, what does that say about what it actually takes to contend?

Austin gets into the contrast between the Mammoth and Vegas: Utah has a roster fans genuinely like, from Lawson Crouse’s dog Butter Pig to JJ Peterka apparently moonlighting as a house DJ under Turks.DJ, to Dylan Guenther spending part of his summer at Disneyland. Meanwhile, Vegas keeps making ruthless moves, from the Marc-Andre Fleury trade to firing Bruce Cassidy late and bringing in John Tortorella. It turns into a blunt fan-first conversation about whether Mammoth fans would accept more edge, more nastiness, and maybe even more baggage if it meant a real shot at a Stanley Cup.

There’s also some jersey chaos in here, because of course there is. Austin talks about Utah’s 2026-27 Winter Classic at Rice-Eccles Stadium against Colorado, plus the leaked reporting around a new light blue “Hometown Remix” alternate jersey that could feature the tusk-heavy U logo. So yes, this episode has Carter Hart, Vegas villainy, Mammoth identity, and future sweater damage to your credit card.

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Tij Iginla’s junior hockey career could be headed for a storybook ending.

The Utah Mammoth’s top prospect and first-ever draft pick is set to lead the Kelowna Rockets into the Memorial Cup, one of the biggest stages in Canadian junior hockey. Kelowna didn’t win the WHL title, but as the host team, the Rockets get one more shot — and Iginla gets a massive opportunity to put a stamp on his junior career before taking the next step toward the NHL.

On this episode of SLC Puck, Austin breaks down why Mammoth fans should be locked in on the Memorial Cup, how Iginla’s development has taken off like a rocket, why his return from hip surgery makes this moment even more impressive, and what this tournament could mean for his path to Utah.

Plus, Austin looks at the Memorial Cup field, the Utah prospects involved, the massive stage waiting in Kelowna, and why this week could become a major chapter in the future of the Utah Mammoth.

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Join the SLC Puck+ tier on Patreon for bonus episodes! ➡️ www.patreon.com/slcpuckIt’s a very special Mother’s Day edition of SLC Puck — just one week late, because every day should be Mother’s Day if you’re brave enough.Austin is joined by his mom for an annual SLC Puck tradition to talk about the Utah Mammoth season, the family’s growing hockey obsession, and how SLC Puck has turned into a weird, wonderful little family business in the basement.On this episode, Austin and his mom talk about:how the Utah Mammoth took over the familyBig Tusk Energy hats and the chaos of launching merchwhy the Mammoth name ended up being perfectwatch parties, 3D-printed mammoths, hype chains, and family creativitySammy becoming one of Utah’s biggest Mammoth fansKevin growing up around hockeyplayoff memories from the Delta Centerwhy Game 6 felt so emotionally flatthe future of Delta Center seating and affordabilitywhat the Mammoth can learn from Vegas’ in-arena storytellingand why Clayton Keller’s Mother’s Day tribute hit so hardThis episode is about hockey, family, community, and the little basement podcast that somehow became part of the Utah Mammoth fan experience.CONNECT WITH SLC PUCK!🤝 Patreon ➡️ www.patreon.com/slcpuck🛍️ Merch ➡️ www.bigtuskenergy.com🤑SLC Picks (DFS)➡️ https://www.slcpuck.com/t/slc-picks📸 Instagram ➡️ https://instagram.com/slcpuck🎥TikTok ➡️ https://tiktok.com/@slcpuck

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Join the SLC Puck+ tier on Patreon for bonus episodes! ➡️ www.patreon.com/slcpuckWinter Classic tickets are live, and Utah’s sports future is getting bigger. Austin breaks down ticket prices for Mammoth vs. Avalanche at Rice-Eccles Stadium and the new Intermountain Health Sports Performance Center coming next to the Mammoth practice facility.CONNECT WITH SLC PUCK!🤝 Patreon ➡️ www.patreon.com/slcpuck🛍️ Merch ➡️ www.bigtuskenergy.com🤑SLC Picks (DFS)➡️ https://www.slcpuck.com/t/slc-picks📸 Instagram ➡️ https://instagram.com/slcpuck🎥TikTok ➡️ https://tiktok.com/@slcpuck

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Join the SLC Puck+ tier on Patreon for bonus episodes! ➡️ www.patreon.com/slcpuckRyan Smith just revealed the next major phase of renovations coming to the Delta Center — and the future home of the Utah Mammoth and Utah Jazz is about to look very different.On this episode of SLC Puck, Austin reacts to Smith’s new renovation video and breaks down what the next phases could mean for hockey, basketball, sightlines, fan experience, and the future of live sports in Utah.The plans include major changes to the upper bowl, new terrace-style seating, gondola-style views, a dramatic new south-end fan section, and the eventual elimination of single-goal-view hockey seats.Austin breaks down:* the next phase of Delta Center renovations* what changes are coming in 2026 and 2027* why hockey sightlines are driving the redesign* the new terrace-style upper bowl* the possible “gondola” seating experience* why the south-end section could become Utah’s version of “The Wall”* how this could change home-ice advantage for the Mammoth* what this means for Jazz and Mammoth fans* and why the Delta Center could become one of the most unique arenas in North American sportsThe Mammoth may be in the offseason, but the future of hockey in Utah is already being built.CONNECT WITH SLC PUCK!🤝 Patreon ➡️ www.patreon.com/slcpuck🛍️ Merch ➡️ www.bigtuskenergy.com🤑SLC Picks (DFS)➡️ https://www.slcpuck.com/t/slc-picks📸 Instagram ➡️ https://instagram.com/slcpuck🎥TikTok ➡️ https://tiktok.com/@slcpuck

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The Utah Mammoth’s 2025-26 season is officially in the books.

After making the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in franchise history, improving their record, raising their goal differential, and giving Utah fans their first real taste of NHL postseason hockey, it’s easy to call the season a success.

But after blowing a 2-1 series lead to the Vegas Golden Knights, struggling badly on the power play, and falling flat in Game 6, it’s fair to ask a tougher question:

Was this season a success… or a disappointment?

On this episode of SLC Puck, Austin breaks down both sides of the argument:

* how the Mammoth improved from last season

* why Bill Armstrong nailed expectations again

* Utah’s jump in wins, standings, and goal differential

* Dylan Guenther’s 40-goal season

* the five-on-five growth that made Utah dangerous

* the power play problem that never got solved

* why the Vegas series still feels like a missed opportunity

* Karel Vejmelka’s heavy workload

* and what the Mammoth must fix before next season

The season was successful.

The ending was disappointing.

And now the standard has changed.

Join the SLC Puck+ tier on Patreon for bonus episodes! ➡️ www.patreon.com/slcpuckThe Utah Mammoth’s first Stanley Cup Playoff run is over.After falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games, Utah’s 2025-26 season ends with disappointment, frustration, and a lot of questions about what went wrong.On this episode of SLC Puck, Austin and Sammy react a couple days after the Game 6 loss and break down the end of Utah’s first playoff series, including:* why Game 6 felt emotionally flat* how the series changed after Game 3* Utah’s brutal power play problems* Vegas’ control of the matchup at 5-on-5* Karel Vejmelka vs. Carter Hart* the injuries and fatigue that may have caught up to the Mammoth* what the player exit interviews are already telling us* and why Dylan Guenther’s mindset should define the future of this franchiseThe Mammoth are out, but this season still mattered.Utah made the playoffs.Utah experienced real postseason hockey.And now the standard changes.The future is bright — but the work starts now.CONNECT WITH SLC PUCK!🤝 Patreon ➡️ www.patreon.com/slcpuck🛍️ Merch ➡️ www.bigtuskenergy.com🤑SLC Picks (DFS)➡️ https://www.slcpuck.com/t/slc-picks📸 Instagram ➡️ https://instagram.com/slcpuck🎥TikTok ➡️ https://tiktok.com/@slcpuck

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