The Mammoth locked up John Marino for the long haul, signing the 29-year-old right-shot defenseman to an eight-year extension worth $6.75 million annually to keep him in Utah.
The deal pushes Marino into a small class of NHL players under contract through the 2034-35 season. It is a salary-only contract, and the structure includes a full no-movement clause beginning in 2027-28.
That shifts to a no-trade clause from 2028-29 through 2030-31, then becomes a modified no-trade clause for the final four years. According to Puckpedia, Marino will have a 16-team no-trade list from 2031 to 2033, followed by an 8-team no-trade list over the last two seasons.
Marino was headed toward unrestricted free agency next summer and was entering the final year of the six-year, $26.4 million deal he signed in 2021.
“We view John as a foundational piece of our future,” said GM Bill Armstrong, via the press release, “His ability to control the game from the back end, his play in transition and our trust in him to make the right decisions in critical situations allows him to be a difference maker on most nights. Beyond his skill, John brings a level of calmness under pressure that our group feeds off of and that’s exactly what you need from your veteran players.”
On the ice, Marino delivered his best scoring season yet in 2025-26, finishing with four goals and 36 points in 80 games. It was a career-high in a +400-game NHL career. He also picked up a point in Utah’s six-game first-round loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
His underlying numbers were strong, too. Marino finished with a 62.1% goals-for percentage while averaging 20 minutes of ice time per game. At five-on-five, his +29 goal differential with Nate Schmidt was the best mark of any defensive pair in the league last season.
The extension gives Utah a proven top-four defenseman on the right side behind MacKenzie Weegar, and Marino also tied for second among NHL defensemen with a +42 rating, alongside Josh Manson of the Colorado Avalanche, trailing only Sam Malinski of Colorado.