Ryan Smith, co-owner of the Utah Mammoth and Smith Entertainment Group, speaks during a press conference announcing the Utah Hockey Club is changing their name to Utah Mammoth held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
Utah Mammoth and Jazz owner Ryan Smith had a busy Wednesday night between the NBA Draft and a two-for-one trade that brought Sabres forward JJ Peterka to Salt Lake City.
Smith joined the Pat McAfee show on Thursday to discuss the draft and the Mammoth’s big deal.
“This is a bittersweet trade for us..
Kesselring and Doan are amazing humans..
Getting JJ Peterka was a move that we had to make and we’re very excited about him” @RyanQualtrics #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/yPz6Zg1Ep6
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 26, 2025
When asked about the deal, Smith pointed out what Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan had done for the team before addressing anything else.
“This is bittersweet,” Smith said. “(Michael) Kesselring and (Josh) Doan are amazing humans. They’re both young. It’s obviously what Buffalo wanted. Kess and Doan were huge in our first season. They handled the transition, the move, they rallied, and there are a lot of leaders on the team. It’s a little bittersweet, but it’s a move we have to make.”
Although it hurt to send off two early Utah staples, Smith went on to discuss the huge talent that is Peterka.
The 23-year-old forward has true first-line, 70+ point potential. Smith said the Mammoth had front-line on the offseason wishlist, and they got just that with the deal.
“To take the next step for us, we need a little bit more scoring on that front line. Now, we have four guys under the age of 26 who are 60-point guys. I think that’s really encouraging for the Mammoth. When it was brought to me, it was something that we were pretty excited about. I don’t think we saw it coming this way, but I think it’s good news for Mammoth fans.”
The good news is, Utah’s defense is still set up to be strong going into next season with guys like Sean Durzi and Mikhail Sergachev.
The winner of the trade will depend on each guy’s fit with their new squad, as well as what development looks like for each player. However, it appears that both sides addressed a need with the deal.
Bill Armstrong on adding JJ Peterka:#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/bqFy9oR9zt
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) June 26, 2025
Looking to add scoring punch next season, the Utah Mammoth reached an agreement in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres for forward JJ Peterka. Buffalo received Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan in return.
NHL insiders Frank Seravelli and Elliott first reported the deal late on Wednesday, June 25.
“We are excited to welcome J.J. to Utah and know our fans are going to love what he brings,” Utah president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said. “On the other side of this, it is never easy to say goodbye to players of the highest character like Michael and Josh – we are certainly grateful for their contributions to our organization and trust their careers will continue to flourish in Buffalo.”
RELATED: Utah Mammoth Draws No. 4 Overall Pick In 2025 NHL Draft Lottery
Trade call being arranged. This is happening. https://t.co/hKiECg6RJO
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 26, 2025
Seravelli also reports that Peterka is expected to sign a contract extension with the Mammoth.
“J.J. is a highly skilled, creative, young forward with extremely high upside,” said Bill Armstrong, general manager of the Utah Mammoth. “He will help solidify our scoring and add to what is already a great young core of forwards on the roster. Signing J.J. to a long-term extension is another positive step towards building a sustainable contender here in Utah, and today is an exciting day for our entire organization.”
According to Seravalli, Peterka is signing a 5 year x $7.7M extension. https://t.co/tgURDxo0Nj
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) June 26, 2025
Peterka sits seventh in career points and sixth in goals and power-play points (11-19-30) among all players from his 2020 draft class.
The trade comes two days before the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft on Thursday, June 27.
