SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 12: Nate Schmidt #88 of the Florida Panthers skates with the puck against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period in Game Four of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 12, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Mammoth are aggressively fortifying the roster for what the club hopes is the first of many playoff runs. The second-year franchise added F Brandon Tanev, D Nate Schmidt, and D Scott Perunovich.
Utah Mammoth insider Cole Bagley reported the signings on Tuesday, July 1. Perunovich joins the club on a two-way, $775,000 one-year deal. Schmidt and Tanev signed three-year contracts.
The trio brings significant experience to Utah with a combined 166 playoff games under their belts.
Brandon Tanev to Utah.
I REALLY like that. Some grit. https://t.co/2S3lvExQct
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) July 1, 2025
Tanev is a veteran forward presence with 59 games of playoff experience. He did not score in 13 postseason games with Winnipeg this spring.
Schmidt has 741 games of NHL experience. He helped the Florida Panthers repeat as Stanley Cup Champions in 2025, contributing 12 points in a career-high 23 playoff games.
Perunovich, a defenseman, will be entering his fourth NHL season.
Tanev is a 6’0, 189-pound forward from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
“We are very pleased to sign Brandon to a three-year contract,” said Bill Armstrong, general manager of the Utah Mammoth. “He brings playoff experience, is good on the penalty kill and will upgrade many areas on our team. We look forward to having Brandon in Utah.”
He began his NHL career with Winnipeg in 2015-16. Tanev scored 25 goals and 31 assists in five seasons with the Jets before moving on to Pittsburgh.
Tanev spent two seasons in the Steel City before getting selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL expansion draft.
Utah bound! 🦣
We’ve signed Brandon Tanev to a three-year contract. pic.twitter.com/qEInRatg2D
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) July 1, 2025
He went on to play 238 games with Seattle, scoring 83 points (41 goals, 42 assists).
The Kraken dealt Tanev to Winnipeg for a 2027 second-round pick in March 2025.
A longtime NHL vet, Schmidt joins the Mammoth on a three-year, $10.5 million deal.
“Nate is an efficient defenseman and we are very pleased to have him join the organization,” said Bill Armstrong, general manager of the Utah Mammoth. “He has a great work ethic and will be an excellent role model for our younger players. He’s a warrior who played a key role in Florida’s Stanley Cup run, and we are thrilled to have him join our team.”
A mammoth signing getting #StanleyCup champion Nate Schmidt! 🦣 #NHLFreeAgency pic.twitter.com/Zkk05CzftQ
— NHL (@NHL) July 1, 2025
The 33-year-old defenseman finished in the top four of Panthers defensemen for goals (5), points (19), and blocked shots (71), while helping the Panthers secure the franchise’s second consecutive title.
Schmidt has 52 goals and 187 assists in his NHL career.
He previously played for Washington, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Florida.
Perunovich was a second-round (45th overall) pick of the St. Louis Blues in 2018. He played three seasons of college hockey before embarking on his professional career.
Perunovich was an All-American defenseman for the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs in 2019. He earned the 2020 Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top player in college hockey.
The Bulldogs earned back-to-back national titles in 2018 and 2019.
We have signed Scott Perunovich to a one-year, two-way contract. pic.twitter.com/36hYa2Uuc4
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) July 1, 2025
Perunovich scored 105 points (20 goals, 85 assists) for the Bulldogs from 2017 through 2020. He was the NCHC’s Best Offensive Defenseman all three seasons.
His NHL career began in 2021-22 when he played 19 games with St. Louis. Perunovich scored two goals in 97 games with St. Louis before a midseason trade sent him to the New York Islanders in January 2025.
Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.
Brian Preece is a KSLSports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
