The Utah Mammoth have locked up one of their 2025 NHL Draft picks, signing defenseman Max Pšenička to a three-year entry-level contract one year after taking him 46th overall.
Pšenička, 19, has spent the past year pushing his game forward at every stop. He put together a career-best season with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, finishing with 30 points on 8 goals and 22 assists in his second year there. He then got a taste of pro hockey, making his debut with the Tucson Roadrunners and picking up his first professional point with an assist to Owen Allard against the San Diego Gulls on April 15.
That momentum carried into Utah’s development camp, where Pšenička stood out as one of the biggest risers in the system. He scored the only goal in the development scrimmage shootout, and his play throughout camp showed up in the details: better puck movement, smarter pinches, more willingness to jump into the rush and a few dangerous looks around the net.
“Last year, I was talking about getting more offensive, so I think that got better a lot,” Pšenička said. “I would say I had more points and helped the team way more.
That was my focus for last season. I think I got better, probably in everything.
The speed, strength, even in the mind.”
Now the next question is where he plays this season. With the contract signed, Pšenička can either return to Portland or move into Tucson full time. He’s not hiding which path he wants.
“The main focus is to play in Tucson right away, so that’s my focus right now, Pšenička said. “I want to play there this season.
I want to show the coaches that I have all it takes to play there, so I’m trying my best. If it doesn’t work, I’ll go back to Portland, but we’ll see how it goes.”
A roster spot in Tucson will depend on training camp and whether he’s ready for the jump, but the Mammoth are also looking for him to keep adding size. Pšenička said the message has been clear.
“The coaches want me to put on weight,” Pšenička explained. “I have to drink protein shakes, eat more. Even when you don’t want to, you just got to put something in.”
Whether he ends up in Tucson or back in Portland, Pšenička has put himself in position to keep climbing. After a year that included a strong WHL season, a pro debut and a standout development camp, he’s now under contract and aiming at the next level.
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Ryan Smith Made A Surprising Call With Those Golden Knights Jerseys
During the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Utah Mammoth found a clever way to turn old loyalties into new ones, letting fans trade in Vegas Golden Knights jerseys for Mammoth gear. It was the kind of promotion designed to do two things at once: build a fan base in a new market while acknowledging the complicated hockey geography that came before it, when Utah had also been part of the Golden Knights territory.
Ryan Smiths move added another layer to the idea, since the jerseys collected in the swap were not simply tucked away after the promotion. The effort fit neatly with the Mammoths larger push to establish themselves in Utah without needlessly antagonizing a neighboring franchise, and it left the team with a feel-good gesture that still carried a little edge for anyone watching the market shifts closely. [Read more 🡒]