The inaugural season for the Utah Hockey Club (now the Utah Mammoth) is officially over. The team finished with a 38-31-13 record while their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, finished with a 34-32-4-2 record, which was good enough for the seventh playoff spot in the Pacific Division. The Roadrunners went on to lose in the first round of the playoffs 2-1 to the Abbotsford Canucks.

With the season in the books, it’s time to look at the 48 Utah players under an NHL contract (excluding Connor Ingram for obvious reasons) and grade their 2024-25 seasons. We’ll also reflect on how they did during the 2023-24 season and see if they improved or did worse, along with what their future holds. We’re going alphabetically by first name. Next up is Artem Duda.

Last Season

Last season was a crazy one for Duda. After leaving the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) midway through the 2022-23 season, the Russian defenseman looked to start his career early in North America with the University of Maine. However, due to him playing in the KHL the prior season, the NCAA denied Duda the right to play with Maine twice, leaving him stranded.

Duda didn’t give up. He made his own workout routines despite being denied the ability to work out with the Maine team. On top of that, he passed all of his classes at Maine with flying colors despite still not being 100% fluent in English. 

Related: Utah Mammoth’s 2024-25 Report Cards: Andrew Agozzino

Once he left Maine in December, Duda went on a unique path. He joined Toronto Metropolitan University’s USports team. Many have called USports a hidden gem in hockey. For Duda, it was the only path forward with his NCAA ineligibility.

In 12 games, Duda had seven points, but more importantly, was one of the leaders in ice time in those games for Toronto Metro. With the University hosting the USports tournament, they automatically made the playoffs, where Duda shone. Once again with high ice time, the defenseman scored six points in six playoff games.

In July, Utah signed Duda to his entry-level deal, ending his unique journey to the pros in the best way possible. 

This Season

Duda was sent down to the Roadrunners after training camp. Immediately, he made an impact on the blue line, being paired with Robbie Russo. The duo was in the top three in scoring by a defenseman on the team. Duda had 29 points in 70 games. He was also fourth on the team in shots.

However, Duda’s impact went far beyond scoring. He stepped up, playing some big minutes throughout the season. When Maveric Lamoureux was called up to Utah, Duda took on some of his minutes. He ended up being a plus-15 to end the season, which tied him for second place on the team.

“I was expecting to play lots of minutes,” Duda said. “It’s good for me. I’ve been playing 20-plus minutes all my life, so it’s normal for me. I’m thankful they trust me.”

Big night for Duda!