The Utah Mammoth will open the 2026-27 season without Maveric Lamoureux, and the wait could stretch deep into the winter. The team said the defenseman is expected to miss four to six months after shoulder surgery, a timeline that pushes his return to at least late January and possibly much closer to the end of the regular season.
For Lamoureux, it’s a brutal setback at a moment when he was trying to push forward. Utah’s former first-round pick was selected 29th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2022 NHL Draft out of the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, and the organization had hoped he’d keep building on the progress he showed over his first pro seasons.
Lamoureux, 22, stayed with the Voltigeurs a little longer before turning pro in 2024-25. That season, he spent most of his time with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, putting up two goals and 13 points in 42 games while finishing at minus-6.
He also saw 15 games with Utah, where he looked capable of holding his own even if the stint wasn’t eye-catching: one goal, three points, a plus-3 rating and 16:07 of ice time per game. He also logged 42 penalty minutes and posted a 92.0% on-ice save percentage at even strength.
Last season, Lamoureux was back in Tucson for nearly the entire year. In 65 games, he scored five goals and totaled 20 points with a plus-7 rating and 75 penalty minutes. He also appeared in five games for the Mammoth and recorded one assist.
Utah’s defensive group is deep enough that Lamoureux wasn’t a lock for the opening-night roster even before the surgery. There was still a case for him to challenge Nick DeSimone for a spot on the right side. Now, though, Lamoureux will be forced to work his way back once he’s healthy.
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