Zizing ‘Em Up: Mammoth GM ‘very fortunate’ to see rebuild through

NHL.com staff writer Mike Zeisberger has been covering the NHL regularly since 1999. Each Monday he will use his extensive network of hockey contacts for his weekly notes column, "Zizing 'Em Up.”

TORONTO -- What a difference 24 months can make. And, in NHL terms, has.

Sunday marked the two-year anniversary of then-Arizona Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong informing his players prior to a game against the host Edmonton Oilers that the franchise would be relocating to Salt Lake City.

Six days later, on April 18, 2024, it was officially announced that Ryan and Ashley Smith purchased the team and were relocating it to Utah.

With that, a new franchise was born -- one that has capped an impressive ascension by clinching a Stanley Cup Playoff berth Thursday in only its second season.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” Armstrong told NHL.com this weekend of the feel-good story that is the Utah Mammoth. “You can feel it in the dressing room and in the city.

“And it’s only going to get better.”

Indeed, Mammoth Mania is alive and well and thriving in Salt Lake City. Mammoth 2026 playoff T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies almost immediately became available via the team store, along with what are being billed as “playoffs-ready jerseys.”

“It’s amazing what the team means and has become to this area,” Armstrong said. “I prefer to look ahead, not back. But you can’t ignore how far we’ve come.”

Armstrong would know. He’s been along for the entire roller-coaster ride.

The former assistant GM of the St. Louis Blues was hired as Coyotes GM on Sept. 17, 2020, right in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Arizona was eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference First Round several months earlier, ending a seven-season playoff drought.

Armstrong told ownership that patience would be needed during his rebuild. But he would need plenty of patience himself, given what was going on with the franchise.

The next four years would be eventful, albeit not always in a positive way.

Seventeen months into Armstrong’s gig, ownership announced a move to Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena, a 5,000-seat venue that would easily be the NHL’s smallest venue. The three-year deal, which began for the 2022-23 season, came after the city of Glendale would not renew the Coyotes’ lease at Gila River Arena, the 17,125-seat facility they’d called home since 2003.

The team struggled, missing the playoffs every year since 2020, all the while playing in a college arena which had about 10,000 fewer seats than the next-smallest venue, Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg (15,321).

Those troubling optics aside, they were building the foundation of the roster that is about to represent Utah in the upcoming playoffs. First-round NHL Draft picks Dylan Guenther (No. 9 in 2021 and Logan Cooley (No. 3, 2022) have since evolved into franchise cornerstones in Utah.

Less than a week after the Smiths purchased the team, the players visited Salt Lake City to see what was in store. It was night and day to what they’d been accustomed to.

Upon arriving at the airport, players and coaches were greeted at the airport with chants of “Go Utah Go” by 100 players from youth hockey programs. That same day, April 24, 2024, they were overwhelmed when 12,400 fans packed a pep rally at Delta Center.

The new franchise did not have a name or proper practice facility and was playing in a basketball arena that had seats in which you could not see the full rink. Since that time, they adopted the name Mammoth, built a state-of-the-art practice rink and made modifications to Delta Center to help suit hockey.

Now they are in the postseason, becoming only the third franchise in 45 years to qualify in their first two seasons, joining the Vegas Golden Knights (2017-18) and Seattle Kraken (2022-23), all while playing in front of what has become one of the more raucous fan bases in the League.

What a journey it’s been.

“It certainly has,” Armstrong said. “I mean, we’ve moved numerous times. We've changed rinks. We went from a regulation rink to 4,500 capacity back to an elite setup. And now we're in the best practice rink and one of the best game rinks in the National Hockey League. In my case, not a lot of GMs can say they survived the start of a rebuild through to its fruition. I feel very fortunate, so it's been a whirlwind for sure.

“A lot of credit for us making the playoffs goes to our players who bought in and our coaching staff that got our players to do it. And it’s been a full buy-in from our ownership; Ryan and Ashley have taken all the excuses out of the game, from the planes, the hotels, to the training facility. Everything is first-class.

“There’s no excuses in Utah. We’ve been given the best of the best.”

With the 2034 Winter Olympics coming to Salt Lake City, organizing committee president and executive chair Fraser Bullock said Mammoth fever can do nothing but help the buildup to the Games.

“When we got the Mammoth, I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a great step up,'” Bullock told KSL News Radio. “But I had no idea how big it was. Now that it’s happening, now that we’re in the playoffs, it’s far bigger of an impact than I ever anticipated.”

So, how far can the Mammoth (42-32-6) go this spring? They have 90 points and are the first wild card in the Western Conference, with a potential first-round date with either the Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers or Anaheim Ducks looming.

“I’ll answer that with what one of my former bosses told me,” Armstrong said. “He always preached that the goal was to just get in. After that, anything can happen.”

For Armstrong and those who accompanied him from Arizona, it pretty much has.

NO ORDINARY JOE

On Wednesday, some 15,897 days after he did play-by-play for his first Toronto Maple Leafs game, Joe Bowen will call his final one before hanging up his mic.

That’s a lot of “Holy Mackinaws!,” his trademark call, over the years.

Asked why he was retiring during a Q&A with NHL.com on Dec. 16, the day his Hall of Fame career was honored by the Maple Leafs, the longtime voice of the Maple Leafs responded, "As I've said many times, when the time came, I'd know. And right now, I know.”

That same night, he received the thrill of a lifetime when his son, David, one of the voices for Sudbury of the Ontario Hockey League, called the Maple Leafs’ game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Joe Bowen’s first game as voice of the Maple Leafs was against the Blackhawks at Chicago Stadium in 1982. His last one will come Wednesday, albeit remotely, when Toronto visits the Ottawa Senators.

Bowen has a plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame after being named the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in 2018, honoring the best broadcasters in the sport’s history, a prize fitting of his 44-year career as voted on by his colleagues.

With then end of Bowen’s phenomenal run in sight, we elicited some of the top voices in hockey to pay tribute to the 75-year-old. If the highest compliment a professional can get is the praise offered by his peers, then Bowen and his famed pipes should be considered one of the all-time greats.

The proof is here.

Jim Hughson, play-by-play

(Hockey Night in Canada 2005-21; 2019 Foster Hewitt Award recipient)

“Think about it -- Joe provided the soundtrack of the Leafs for as long as Foster did. That’s remarkable longevity!! While the game and broadcast industry have changed dramatically, he hasn’t. Joe’s excitement and enthusiasm was the same for Borje Salming and Rick Vaive as it is for Auston Matthews and William Nylander. He gave fans hope even in years there was little! Pretty cool to retire as a Leaf legend.”

Mike (Doc) Emrick, play-by-play

(Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, ESPN, TNT, NBC, ABC, among others, 1982-2020; 2008 Foster Hewitt Award recipient)

“Joe is the living example of the fact that this game is meant to be fun for people and a passion at the same time. Since my retirement, he has often been my option of choice on an evening of NHL games, though I’m not a fan of any one team in particular. His sense of humor in chatting with the old goaltender and broadcast partner Jim Ralph, and then getting back to the game and delivering it with great drama and ‘Holy Mackinaw!’ zest, is a reason I enjoy these games. I’m sure there are tons of people -- Leafs fans or not -- who love his enthusiastic descriptions. He’s in the Hall for a reason. Whenever he attended any of our meetings, we always were interested in his opinion. And the second thing? The meetings were always a lot funnier! Around him, we always laughed a lot.”

Chris Cuthbert, play-by-play

(Hockey Night in Canada, 1984-2005, 2020-present)

“I mean, a long run coming to an end. An exceptional run. Nothing but the ultimate respect for his enthusiasm. He deserved another playoff run. And then, through 44 years, he deserved a trip to the (Stanley Cup) Final for sure, which he never got. Either way, he’s one of the iconic voices of our game. I thought it was so classy the way he handled the passing of legendary Sabres play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret in Buffalo and went down to be a part of the memorial for him. And I think those two are linked in a lot of ways, in their style, in being at the top of the class, and being the voices of their team in such a passionate way. It just doesn't seem right that Joe's not going to go out in a playoff run, for sure. But he's got a lot of great memories to take with him.”

Kenny Albert, play-by-play

(New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, MSG Network, NBC, ESPN, FOX, TNT; 1995-present)

“Joe will go down in history as one of the all-time premier voices in the sport of hockey. He always brings tremendous energy and passion; his calls have entertained Leafs fans for over four decades. Joe and Jim Ralph have been a must-listen during their years together … the perfect team. To call close to 4,000 games for an Original Six team is an amazing accomplishment! Congrats to Joe on a Hall of Fame career.”

Ron MacLean, host

(Hockey Night in Canada, 1986-present)

“Thinking of Joe reminds me of Foster Hewitt trying to figure out where to have the positioning of the broadcast gondola at the old Maple Leaf Gardens. In the early 1930s, Foster went to the old Eaton’s department store building in downtown Toronto and went from floors 1 through 12, looking down from each floor through the windows at Albert and Yonge St. He determined the fifth floor was the optimal view; you could see if someone on the street had their jacket unbuttoned and could identify that person even in a scrum. He subsequently had the gondola in the Gardens built at the same height as the fifth floor of Eaton’s. The perfect broadcast height for him. Thinking about Joe, I always think that he didn’t have to go all those flights of stairs to find his perfect broadcast spot. He always envisioned himself calling games by picking out the corner seat at a pub as the perfect view to present to the audience. He and Ralphie are exactly that; two guys at the corner of a bar just bringing it. And his skill and talent speak for themselves. But the element of the broadcasts I found the best is how Joe managed to create the space we felt we were in listening to him, like we were sitting across the pub from him listening to him tell us what was happening in the game. That informal, intimate feeling. And I liked ‘Holy Mackinaw!’ enough, but my favorite was always ‘Johnny Toronto’ for John Tavares. All the best, Joe.”

WHO’S HOT

Cole Caufield, F, Montreal Canadiens

It was hard not to feel chills when the 25-year-old scored his 50th goal of the season in a 2-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.  The capacity crowd at Bell Centre in Montreal certainly did, responding with a deserved standing ovation that lasted more than a minute. Including among the appreciative throng was Caufield’s father, Paul, who was in attendance and shown on TV tearing up at his son’s impressive accomplishment. Caufield is the seventh player in Canadiens history to score at least 50 goals in a season, joining Maurice “Rocket” Richard, who became the first player in NHL history to accomplish the feat in 1944-45. Following Richard, Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion had 50 in 1960-61, Guy Lafleur hit the milestone in six straight seasons (1974-75 through 1979-80), Steve Shutt had 60 goals in 1976-77, Pierre Larouche had 50 in 1979-80, and Stephane Richer had 50 in 1987-88 and 51 in 1989-90. Caufield then scored No. 51 in a 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

QUOTE/UNQUOTE

“The greatest to play for the Kings. What he’s meant to this franchise -- you know this franchise never won, and he came along and we won two (Stanley Cup championships). So, he deserves all the credits and everything that’s coming his way.” -- Los Angeles Kings president Luc Robitaille, the franchise leader in goals (557), to the Los Angeles Times regarding the retiring Anze Kopitar, who played his final regular-season home game Saturday

THE LAST WORD

With the 2025-26 regular season coming to an end Thursday, Bowen is not the one bidding farewell to the NHL.

To all of them, those of us fortunate to work in the sport, on or off the ice, wish them all the best in retirement.

Here are some of the notables who are saying goodbye:

Kopitar: The Kings captain is their all-time leader in points (1,314), assists (862), game-winning goals (79), games played (1,518), and helped Los Angeles win the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014. Next stop, Hall of Fame?

Paul Woods: The 70-year-old is calling it quits after a 40-year career as a radio analyst for Detroit Red Wings broadcasts. The ex-forward had 196 points (72 goals, 124 assists) with the Red Wings from 1977-84 before stepping into the broadcast booth in 1987. From 1995-2026, he and play-by-play man Ken Kal have been one of the top broadcasting duos in the sport. The ultimate feather in Woods’ cap? He is the longest-serving radio analyst in Detroit sports broadcasting history. In a region that features the NFL’s Lions, the NBA’s Pistons, MLB’s Tigers and University of Michigan sports, that’s a prestigious accomplishment indeed.

Howie Rose: Best known these days as the voice of the New York Mets, Rose announced he would retire at the end of the 2026 MLB season. In the process, the NHL certainly hasn’t forgotten what he’s brought to the sport of hockey. As such, the 72-year-old was honored by the New York Rangers on April 4, presented with a customized Rangers jersey with his name on the back and the No. 94, a tribute to the Rangers’ run to the Stanley Cup in 1994, when Rose did radio play-by-play. His most iconic call was, “Matteau, Matteau, Matteau!” for Stephane Matteau’s series-winning goal in double overtime of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Final against the New Jersey Devils that sent New York to the Cup Final against the Vancouver Canucks. He called Rangers games from 1989-95, and Islanders telecasts from 1995-2016. Rose’s final call for the Islanders was Tavares’ double-overtime goal against the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the first round in 2016 that gave them their first playoff series win since 1993.

Scott Oake: As mentioned here last week, the longtime broadcaster is retiring after a 40-plus year stint with Hockey Night in Canada. In a fitting sendoff on HNIC’s “After Hours” on Saturday, his guests were son Darcy, a noted magician who performed during Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday celebration in 2016, and San Jose Sharks forward Ryan Reaves, who grew up a neighbor of the Oake family in Winnipeg.

Alex Ovechkin?: Will he or won’t he? The NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer said he won’t decide on retirement until the summer. If this does prove to be his farewell, appreciate having watched one of the game’s all-time greats, because that’s exactly what he was. And is.