Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller has been named Utah’s 2026 Professional Male Athlete of the Year by the Utah Sports Commission. Keller is the first Mammoth player to earn the award, which has been given out since 2012.
“I’m honored to be named the 2026 Professional Male Athlete of the Year recipient and to be recognized by the Utah Sports Commission,” said Clayton Keller, forward for the Utah Mammoth. “The support that I have received from the state and fans has been second to none since we first arrived in Utah two years ago. I’m so proud to represent the entire state, and the love from the people is what inspires me to excel every night. I’m very appreciative of this recognition and would like to extend my congratulations to all award recipients this year.”
Keller, 27, led all Mammoth skaters in assists (57), points (86), and power-play points (6-28–34) over 85 games in 2025, and his 29 goals were one shy of the team lead. During the calendar year, he ranked tied for third in power-play assists (28) and 10th in power-play points (34) across the entire NHL.
During Utah’s inaugural season, he was one of only 12 NHL players to reach the 90-point mark and finished as one of only seven players to lead his team outright in goals (30), assists (60), and points (90). Keller ranked tied for seventh in the NHL in power-play assists (27) and tied for third in power-play points (37), setting new career highs in both categories.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound forward tallied his 500th career NHL point in a victory over Winnipeg on April 4, 2025, becoming the fourth-youngest active American player to reach that milestone. Keller then opened the 2025-26 campaign with two major milestones in a win at St. Louis on Oct. 23, 2025, becoming the fifth player selected in the 2016 NHL Draft to score his 200th career goal and also becoming the first skater in franchise history to register 100 points with Utah.
A native of Chesterfield, Mo., Keller also captained Team USA to a gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in May, recording 3-7-10 in 10 games to help snap a 92-year gold medal drought at the tournament. He finished the calendar year with his selection to the final United States roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics on Dec. 31, before ultimately helping the team capture its first Olympic gold medal since 1980.
