For more than a decade, Anders Lee was one of the faces of the New York Islanders.

He wore the “C” on his chest. He became the voice inside the locker room. He was the player teammates looked toward when things got difficult.

Then, after 14 seasons with the organization that drafted him, everything changed.

The familiar blue and orange was replaced by the black and white of the Utah Mammoth.

The mountains replaced Long Island.

And for the first time in his professional career, Lee was starting over.

“It’s a big change, there’s no doubt about it,” Lee reflected. “But the last few weeks, the last week-and-a-half here … every day I look at this jersey and the logo and start to like it even more and start to feel more comfortable with it.”

The sight of Lee wearing a different NHL jersey was jarring for anyone who followed the Islanders during his tenure.

From his emergence as a power forward in New York to becoming captain of the franchise, Lee spent the majority of his career tied to one organization. But after reaching free agency, the veteran forward believed the next chapter of his career needed to be somewhere with a chance to compete.

That opportunity came in Utah.

Lee signed a three-year contract with the Mammoth, officially closing the door on a 14-year run with the Islanders and opening one with an organization he believes is building toward something special.

“I think as an opposing player in the last few years, you can tell every year they’re taking a step,” Lee reflected. “Their game is more difficult. It’s a hard game to play. Skill’s on a different level. There’s a lot of chasing going on at times and you got to catch up with some of these guys, and you can see that. You can see that on the run last year in the playoffs that these guys, their window (to win) is coming up and it’s open. That was a big part of the fit for me. I wanted to come to a team that has an opportunity to win.”

For Lee, the decision was about more than simply finding a new home.

It was about finding a team capable of accomplishing the one thing every NHL player ultimately chases.

Winning the Stanley Cup.

After making an Eastern Conference Final appearance with the Islanders in 2020, Lee understands how difficult that journey is. Now entering the next stage of his career, the motivation remains the same.

The Mammoth gave him the opportunity to chase that goal again.

During his first visit to Utah, Lee got his first glimpse of the organization he will now call home. He toured the Utah Mammoth Ice Center, met members of the franchise, and began the process of settling into a new city and a new team.

For someone who spent nearly his entire career in one place, the transition has been significant.

But Lee said each day has made the change feel more natural.

“Getting into town (Friday) and yesterday and getting a feel for things, you just start to begin the process of settling in.”

Part of what made Lee attractive to Utah was the exact style of hockey that defined his career with the Islanders.

Physical. Relentless. Difficult to play against.

Lee built his reputation by creating problems in front of the net, battling in the toughest areas of the ice, and making life uncomfortable for opposing defenders and goaltenders.

It is a style he believes can translate immediately with the Mammoth.

“I think as an opposing player in the last few years, you can tell every year they’re taking a step,” Lee said. “Their game is more difficult. It’s a hard game to play.”

That mindset was a major reason Utah pursued him.

After spending years as an opponent trying to stop Lee’s game, Vincent Trocheck — who joined Utah alongside him — described what the Mammoth were getting.

A player who is simply difficult to play against.

A “pain in the ass.”

And now, after years of battling against Utah’s emerging roster, Lee gets to be part of it.

The No. 27 jersey he wore throughout his Islanders career has been changed to No. 72 with the Mammoth, another reminder that this chapter is different.

But the goal remains familiar.

Lee is no longer trying to lead the Islanders.

He is trying to help build something new in Utah.

And after his first experience with his new team, his excitement is already growing.

“Just to be able to come see the facility, it’s a pretty special place honestly,” Lee shared. “There’s not many places, if any, like this in the league, so my first taste has got me pretty excited.”

After 14 years defined by one franchise, Anders Lee’s next journey has officially begun.

This time, it starts in the mountains.

The snow and cold will still feel familiar for Lee after spending his career in New York. But now, instead of the coastline of Long Island, he’ll experience winter surrounded by the mountains of Utah.