Q&A with Utah Mammoth president Chris Armstrong: ‘Hockey has always been my biggest passion in life’

Chris Armstrong was never far from sports’ biggest stars.

During 14 years as an agent, Armstrong helped build the Wasserman Group’s golf arm and managed the careers of top players like Tony Finau. Armstrong was also a leader in founding the firm’s Canadian business before he helped establish Wasserman’s hockey practice in 2018.

Evidently, hockey always called to him.

That’s why Armstrong left the agency to become president of Utah’s NHL franchise last year.

The Salt Lake Tribune sat down with Armstrong to discuss his transition and the team’s first season.

It was your first year in the NHL — why did you want to be a part of this instead of the career you had established with Wasserman?

“Hockey has always been my biggest passion in life since I was a little boy. Obviously I continued to be around the game at the highest level even though I wasn’t working on the team side or on the league side. I was certainly around some of the best players in the world at Wasserman. And I never lost that itch for the opportunity to build something. When Ryan [Smith] and I had the opportunity to start discussing this a couple years ago, about what hockey might look like in Utah and why we felt that Utah would be a great NHL market — I think when we successfully landed the plane and secured a franchise for Utah, the opportunity to come over and be a part of that was something I couldn’t pass up.”

Going back to your love for hockey, during your time at McGill University in Montreal, you got recruited to help scout and be an assistant student coach — how did that all start?

“For me, I was actually recruited to play at McGill. When I got there, there were two goalies ahead of me and so I was asked to consider playing in Quebec Tier II in Lachine. I went there first and foremost to get my education. The opportunity to play hockey while I was doing that was awesome, but at the end of the day, I didn’t want to lose sight on why I was there. So I continued to practice with the team as a third goalie and I just didn’t feel like I was able to contribute enough just doing that.

“An injury in my second year there sort of caused me to face reality that the playing days were coming to an end, but I still really wanted to be involved in the team. So head coach Marty Raymond at the time asked me to join the coaching staff. First as a video coach and then became a student assistant coach and then a scout for them in the Canadian Hockey League after I left McGill to do sports management at Brock [University]. Marty went on to coach with Guy Boucher — another McGill alum — and in Tampa and Ottawa. It was another example of the many relationships I kept throughout the hockey world and the NHL that kept me connected to what was going on and continued to serve that passion I have for the game.”

Do you lean on that at all? You’ve had a lot of experience since then, but do you look back to your starting days in scouting and management?

“For sure. I lean on it a great deal. It was something that I didn’t realize I missed as much as I did until I got here — being part of that team environment again. Everybody is motivated towards the same goal of winning and having success.

“And I think my experience then — working with my then teammates at the time at a coaching capacity, continuing to try to help them get better and for the team to be successful — and then 20 years of representing athletes, I think that really did inform my experience of what the mindset of the athlete is and what the environment that they need to be successful is physically and mentally. I rely on that everyday as well in terms of the culture we are creating here.”

Given that, I imagine there was a lot to learn coming in. What was that challenge like for you?

“I sort of relied on my experience at Wasserman most. When I opened a Canadian office for them in Toronto and sort of helped to grow that multi-faceted business from the ground up, it was really similar to what we were doing here. The difference being there was already this incredible organization and all this infrastructure to hit the ground running with. It was a huge challenge, of course, what we accomplished in a short period of time and now having played our first season.

“But, I would say you didn’t really have time to think about the challenge. You just knew it had to be done. You accepted what you couldn’t control and just focused on the things we could get right. And I feel like we did — not all of them — but most of them. You’re sometimes a beneficiary of not having too much time to think about it. You just do. And we have a lot of doers here at SEG that made it possible.”

What was it like going back to Montreal when Utah played the Canadiens as president of an NHL team?

“It was super surreal. I started playing the game because of Patrick Roy and obviously went to a ton of games when I was in school there and grew up a Habs fan. I was born in Montreal. So it was in my blood. Very surreal, full-circle experience for me to be there in that capacity, knowing I helped to create an NHL franchise and that we were there competing against the Canadiens. It’s something I will probably never forget.

“That and my time going back to Vancouver when we played the Canucks. It is a building I went to the most games out of anywhere growing up. Again, I just tried to take moments throughout the year to reflect on how special that was and how fortunate and grateful I am to be in the position I’m in.”

Were you pulling for the Habs a bit this postseason?

“Oddly, no. It’s funny — when I was representing Kyle Dubas when he was working for Toronto Maple Leafs and having to have a rooting interest in the Maple Leafs, it killed it for me. And obviously now I’m all in on what we’re doing here.”

Away from hockey, just moving to Utah with your family, life away from the rink — how has that been for you? What parts of the community made it feel like home?

“I think the team certainly felt like home. Being part of SEG certainly felt like home. I think that was the biggest factor in making the adjustment. Immediately, I felt like I had that sense of belonging with both the team and the organization. The people in the community were so welcoming and so excited about what we were building, so that immediately gave you a sense of pride for where you live — to see that you’re having that kind of an impact on people.

“And then I think the surrounding beauty is very similar to what I experienced growing up in the Pacific Northwest; snow-covered mountains in every direction. We don’t have the ocean here, but we have some spectacular mountain ranges and ice caps. I think that, for me, seeing that every day was a familiar sense of home for me.”

Still a little different from Los Angeles?

“Definitely in terms of pace. I’ve enjoyed the ease with which you can get around here and the proximity we are to everything. I enjoyed the experience of living in LA. We still have a place there and I’ll spend some time there this offseason. But Utah is home now and hopefully for a long time to come.”

Lastly, working with Bill Armstrong. He’s been here since 2020, has this vision, is so deep in it. What has been the benefit of you coming in with a fresh pair of eyes, to work together to bring this to the next level?

“I view my role as it relates to Bill as providing support and resources for him to carry out the vision that he has for the team. To be able to take from my experiences and hopefully provide a different perspective. Ultimately, what I’m hoping we do every time is optimize our decision-making process and that we can be great thought partners in the direction this franchise takes for the future to get us to where we all want to be, which is winning a championship.”

“We’re very fortunate. This has been a great year of observation for me, traveling with the team as you’ve observed yourself firsthand to get to know everybody and see how they respond in different situations and how they communicate. I’ve been thrilled with what I’ve observed and I think we have a really strong group here.”