Utah Prospects Wrap Up Week at Mammoth Development Camp

PARK CITY ??? As offseason activity ramps up following the 2025 NHL Draft and the start of free agency, the Utah Mammoth turned their focus to the future with the club’s annual Development Camp, held June 29 through July 3 in Park City.

The five-day event featured a mix of on-ice practice sessions, off-ice training, and team-building activities for 32 prospects within the organization, including 14 forwards, 13 defensemen and five goaltenders. Six of Utah’s seven 2025 draft picks were in attendance, including the fourth-overall selection of this year???s class, Caleb Desnoyers.

The purpose of Development Camp is to give the organization’s prospects, especially recent draft picks, a chance to get to know team personnel, bond with fellow players and build a foundation for future development. The format also provides returning prospects with the opportunity to showcase their progress since last year.

This year marked a shift in structure, as the on-ice sessions were led by Utah’s development staff rather than Tucson’s AHL coaching staff, who had typically run practices in years past. Still, the Roadrunners staff was heavily involved throughout the week, with Head Coach Steve Potvin, assistants Zack Stortini and John Slaney and goaltending coach Jeff Hill all on hand working closely with players during drills and sessions.

???When Development Camp comes around, it???s important that our development staff builds those relationships because they???ll be the ones communicating with the players once they return to junior or college,??? Potvin said in an interview with Wildcats Radio 1290 ahead of camp. ???My role is to support the development staff and interact with all the new prospects so they know I???m behind them and ready to help them take the next steps.???

Two of the more familiar faces at this year???s camp for Roadrunners fans were forwards Owen Allard and Noel Nordh, who spent the bulk of the 2024???25 season in the OHL with the Soo Greyhounds, but both began and ended the year with Tucson in the AHL.

Nordh, 20, was a third-round pick by Arizona in 2023 and had a strong year with the Greyhounds, putting up 53 points in 47 games. He finished fourth on the team in goals, assists, and overall scoring, and added three assists in five playoff games.

Before returning to junior, Nordh led the Roadrunners in preseason scoring with four points (2g, 2a) in two games and appeared in the club???s first two contests of the season against the Colorado Eagles.

???From moving to the OHL and getting up to the AHL, there???s lots of new things there. I learned a lot. So, I think I grew as a player in Tucson,??? Nordh said during Tuesday???s post-practice media availability. ???I???ve gotten better at skating, and I???ve worked a lot with Lars Hepso (Utah Mammoth skating coach). He???s helped me out a lot with my skating and getting faster.???

Allard, 21, wrapped up his fourth season in the OHL with 28 points in 31 games and chipped in four more during the playoffs. A fifth-round pick by Utah in 2024, the 6-foot-2 forward brings a strong mix of size and scoring touch. He was also given the Fittest Player award at Development Camp, sharing the honor with fellow prospect Cal Thomas.

The Renfrew, Ontario native opened the season with Tucson before heading back to junior, then returned to finish the year practicing with the Roadrunners and getting another look at the pro-environment.

???Once you get to that level, you???re playing against men ??? guys who are trying to put food on the table for their families,??? Allard said during his media availability. ???Then you go back to junior hockey, and you???re playing with 16- or 17-year-olds. It???s definitely different. You play because it???s fun, but at that level, the switch has to flip at some point. That???s what I noticed during my time in Tucson.???

While both prospects will be pushing for a roster spot with the Mammoth this fall, Allard and Nordh remain names to watch for Roadrunners fans. With their junior careers behind them and still early in their pro development, there???s a possibility they could start the 2025???26 season in Tucson.

That path would give them time to continue building their game, something both players are focused on after a week of instruction and evaluation in Park City.

???The development staff has been giving all the prospects tons of feedback on what we have to work on,??? Allard said. ???For me, it???s trusting my speed and physicality. I???m a big body out there, so I have to use it more. That???s going to be a big adjustment at the pro level next year.???

That early exposure to the professional environment is exactly what the Roadrunners coaching staff aims to provide during Development Camp.

???It starts by showing them the ropes and putting them in situations where we know they???ll be at the pro level,??? Potvin said. ???We want to offer them support and help prepare them for summer so they can work on the right things to elevate their game.???

With the NHL Draft and Development Camp in the books, the next stops on the offseason calendar are the 2025 Rookie Showcase and the start of training camps in September ??? key opportunities for many of the players who spent the week in Park City to compete for spots with Utah.

For now, Development Camp offered valuable experience for prospects like Allard and Nordh as they continue their growth and gave fans an early look at two names who could soon make an impact in both the desert and Salt Lake City.