Utah Mammoth sign two Stanley Cup winners from Florida
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- Florida defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) moves the puck against Utah center Nick Bjugstad (17) during an NHL hockey game on Jan. 8, 2025, in Salt Lake City.
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- Florida goaltender Vitek Vanecek deflects the puck during an NHL hockey game against Detroit on April 6, 2025, in Detroit.
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- Florida defenseman Nate Schmidt (88, red) skates with the puck as Toronto wing William Nylander (88, white) defends during an NHL hockey game April 8, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla.
The Utah Mammoth were busy to open NHL free agency Tuesday, announcing the signing of five players, including two recently crowned Stanley Cup winners from the Florida Panthers.
The Mammoth, who just missed the playoffs in Year 1 as the Utah Hockey Club after moving from Arizona, get a decent bit older with the day’s moves.
“To sign in Utah is extremely exciting,” said 10-year veteran Brandon Tanev, one of Tuesday’s additions, in a TV interview with Canadian network TSN. “They’ve got an ownership group there that has a desire to be great. They love hockey there. Going there and experiencing it for the first time this year was something special. Their fans are incredible. They’ve got such a great young team with a lot of core pieces. … It’s exciting times in Utah. The desire is to be good and to be pushing to be playing in the playoffs … and playing for the Stanley Cup.”
And the slew of signings comes one week after the Mammoth traded Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan to Buffalo for 23-year-old left winger JJ Peterka, a former second-round pick who totaled 68 points in 77 games last season. ESPN graded that trade an “A+” for Utah.
“The Mammoth add a 23-year-old proven goal scorer who not only addresses their need for more goals but also fits into their long-term plans,” wrote ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark about the Peterka trade. “They now have a top-six winger group that also includes Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther and Nick Schmaltz. That amounts to a quartet of 20-goal scorers to play with centers Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton, who also scored more than 20 goals last season, anchoring those top two lines.”
Here’s a quick look at each player Utah signed Tuesday, with info and quotes provided in news releases from the club.
NATE SCHMIDT, D
Age: 33
Experience: 12 years, 741 games
2024-25: Florida Panthers (19 points, 71 blocked shots)
Contract: 3 years, $10.5 million
“Nate’s depth of playoff experience and most recent impact in helping the Florida Panthers to win the 2025 Stanley Cup complements our group of existing veterans extremely well. He will play a big role in helping to move our team forward this coming season.” — Chris Armstrong, Utah president of hockey operations
BRANDON TANEV, F
Age: 33
Experience: 10 years, 552 games
2024-25: Seattle and Winnipeg (22 points)
Contract: 3 years, $7.5 million
“He brings playoff experience, is good on the penalty kill and will upgrade many areas on our team. We look forward to having Brandon in Utah.” — Bill Armstrong, Utah general manager
VITEK VANECEK, G
Age: 29
Experience: 5 years, 188 games
2024-25: San Jose and Florida (.884 save percentage)
Contract: 1 year, $1.5 million
Vanecek stands to be Utah’s backup goalie behind Karel Vejmelka, with Connor Ingram’s status uncertain after entering the NHL’s player assistance program.
KAILER YAMAMOTO, F
Age: 26
Experience: 8 years, 315 games
2024-25: Utah (3 points)
Contract: 1 year (two-way), $775,000
While skating with Utah for 12 games, Yamamoto also played 54 AHL contests with the Tucson Roadrunners, recording team highs with 56 points and a plus-17 plus-minus.
SCOTT PERUNOVICH, D
Age: 26
Experience: 3 years, 108 games
2024-25: St. Louis and New York Islanders (9 points)
Contract: 1 year (two-way), $775,000
