Utah has sent two of its biggest prospects, Tij Iginla and Caleb Desnoyers, to AHL Tucson as the Mammoth continue shaping the next generation of their roster.
Utah’s top prospects will have to take the long way to the NHL.
The Utah Mammoth announced Friday that first-round picks Tij Iginla and Caleb Desnoyers have been assigned to AHL Tucson, sending two of the organization’s most highly regarded young players to the next level of their development.
Iginla, the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, was selected sixth overall by Utah in the 2024 NHL Draft. The 20-year-old winger is coming off a dominant final season with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, where he scored 41 goals and added 49 assists for 90 points in 48 games.
Desnoyers, selected fourth overall last year, put together an impressive season of his own. The 19-year-old recorded 22 goals and 56 assists for 78 points in 45 games with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats and was named the league’s MVP after leading the Wildcats to a championship.
Both prospects also represented Canada at the most recent World Junior Championship, giving Utah two more opportunities to evaluate them against some of the best young players in the world.
Now, the next step will come in Tucson.
Desnoyers’ assignment is particularly notable because he would not have been eligible to play in the AHL under the previous rules. A new agreement now allows NHL teams to assign 19-year-old first-round picks from the Canadian Hockey League to the AHL, opening the door for Desnoyers to begin his professional career in Tucson rather than returning to junior hockey.
Iginla and Desnoyers weren’t the only players Utah assigned to its AHL affiliate.
Goaltender Michael Hrabal, who was named Hockey East Player of the Year last season at UMass, was also sent to Tucson, along with forwards Yegor Borikov and Gabe Smith.
Utah also placed forwards Brandon Tanev and Joshua Roy, along with defenseman Zac Jones, on waivers to reassign them to Tucson.
For the Mammoth, the moves continue to shape what their depth will look like heading into the regular season.
As for everyone else, the next chapter is about to commence.
