The Utah Mammoth might already be the envy of some NHL fan bases.

On this episode of SLC Puck, Austin uses the Vancouver Canucks as the ultimate contrast point. Reports say Canucks ownership wants to cut payroll by as much as $20 million, even with the NHL salary cap rising to $104 million. This is the same Vancouver team that finished dead last last season with just 58 points — 14 behind the next-worst Chicago Blackhawks — and still didn’t land the Gavin McKenna lottery win.

Meanwhile, Utah is heading into year three with Ryan Smith spending money, the Delta Center renovation on the way, playoff hockey already in the rearview mirror, and a clear mandate to chase something real. Austin also gets into why comparison can actually bring a little joy, why Mammoth fans should still keep the pressure on, and why concerns about moves like the Vincent Trocheck trade, Barrett Hayton’s role, and the backup goalie situation haven’t magically disappeared.

This one is part gratitude, part rant, part reminder: things are pretty good in Utah — but that doesn’t mean the hunger should go away.

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