At Utah Mammoth exit interviews following the conclusion of their season, a handful of players were asked to share their highlights of the year.
Their answers ranged from on-ice play to off-ice relationships. Here’s what each of them said.
Vítek Vaněček: “I think it was really fun with Veggie. ... First time with a Czech goalie I didn’t know what to expect but he’s really good goalie, good guy, so it was fun for sure.”
Vaněček and Karel Vejmelka comprise one quarter of the active Czech goalies in the NHL. Neither one had previously had a Czech goalie partner in the NHL, so it was a new — and positive — experience for both of them.
JJ Peterka: “Honestly, the weather. It was pretty warm overall. I was kind of hoping for a little snow. But I think, like I said, coming here, I was so excited to have those mountains, and every day to drive down the Sandy, especially when it was snow up there, was so nice with the sun coming in. So I think that was always a pleasure in the morning, driving to the practice rink.”
It was an admittedly warm, dry winter in Utah, so Peterka and others might be in for a surprise in coming winters. But it’s still likely to be warmer than Buffalo, which is where he came from.
Nate Schmidt: “I was impressed with how our youth was able to shine this year. That’s one of the things I really enjoyed watching, and the guys’ growth is a big part of that.”
Schmidt gave a second answer a little later on, too.
“My family and I have really, really enjoyed our time here so far this year. I mean, just the stuff you can do, the family environment, and I was really impressed with our fans. You know, just the sheer volume.”
Clayton Keller: “The five-game stretch where we won leading up to the playoffs. We kind of knew we needed five or six wins to get in, and we rattled off five or six in a row and made a statement. We were super confident leading into the playoffs, so I’d probably say that stretch of games when we needed to play our best and win hockey games.”
Keller is notoriously competitive, so it’s no surprise that his season highlight would be one of the most important and triumphant stretches of games for his team.
Logan Cooley: “I think the first game coming back from injury, um, was definitely a special one, but I think maybe my favorite game or goal would be in Columbus, the OT winner. That was a good one.”
Cooley had two goals in that game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The first came on a breakaway deke and the second was the overtime winner, followed by his “shush” celebration.
Mikhail Sergachev: “The game in Florida, when we scored with, like, five minutes left in the game, because that was a big game for us. We needed that win. There (were) some other games — where we beat Nashville at home here — but I can’t really point (to) one big moment, but probably the first game at Delta Center in the playoffs, that was awesome.”
Ian Cole: “It’s the whole thing. It’s such a long season. You know, getting to spend time with your teammates, getting to win with your teammates, getting to be competitive and having success with your teammates is so much fun. So, for me, it’s not necessarily like one moment. It’s kind of a culmination of all those things and really valuing that time together, that camaraderie. It’s something that I don’t overlook, you know?”
Cole’s game has been consistent since the moment he got to Utah, but at 37 years old, he knows the majority of his career is behind him. He probably appreciates the little moments more, knowing that he won’t be playing forever.
MacKenzie Weegar: “Everything exceeded expectations for sure. The players, ownership, just the staff, every everything was was great. It’s been an absolute pleasure and it’s been a lot of fun, the two and a half months that I’ve been here.”