Michael Carcone all but bid farewell to Salt Lake City.
The forward did not have the season he wanted for the Utah Mammoth, and as a pending unrestricted free agent, Carcone thought he would land elsewhere.
He said as much after the players cleaned out their lockers at Delta Center in April.
“I love the guys in there, great group. I don’t think that’s going to be the answer, though,” Carcone said of a potential new contract with the team. “I don’t think we’re going to agree on anything. I spoke to the coaching staff and management, and I think we’re going to go in different directions.”
However, two weeks after the NHL’s free agency opened on July 1, Carcone reupped with the Mammoth on Tuesday. He signed a one-year, one-way contract worth $775,000. Carcone’s last deal was two years with the same $775,000 average annual value.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club left wing Michael Carcone (53) keeps the puck away from Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger (53), in NHL Hockey action between Utah Hockey Club and Vancouver Canucks at the Delta Center, on Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024.
It seems Carcone tested the market and either did not like what he saw or was not offered much. So he went back to the team that knows him best, and could give him the league minimum paycheck.
“We are very pleased to sign Michael to a new contract,” general manager Bill Armstrong said in a news release. ”He’s a play-making forward who plays with an edge, is a strong skater, and improves the depth of our club. We look forward to having him back on our roster next season.”
Carcone — who is 5-foot-9, 182 pounds — felt he was not given enough of an opportunity with the Mammoth. The 29-year-old was often scratched as Utah’s 13th forward and ended the season with 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 53 games. It was a drop off from the year prior, during which he posted 29 points (21 goals, eight assists) in 74 games.
Internal competition — and lineup decisions — pushed Carcone to the outside. It was no surprise that he was looking for an organization that could provide a more consistent role.
Head coach André Tourigny acknowledged the situation back in April.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club head coach André Tourigny watches play versus the Seattle Kraken at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
“I don’t like the situation … but I have no problem to do it. It’s the business. I’m hired to be the coach,” Tourigny said. “But then here’s the personal side — Michael Carcone is one of my favorite guys in that locker room. He’s a great guy, fun to talk to, straight shooter, great family.”
Tourigny will have the same mindset coming into the 2025-2026 campaign. Feelings will not be involved in crafting the Mammoth’s opening night (and beyond) lineup. It will be a harder job for Tourigny this time around, too. Utah’s forward group in training camp will be deep and mixed with new-face signings and budding prospects who will all push for a spot. Carcone’s want for real minutes has not become any more realistic, rather, less.
J.J. Peterka — who was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring — will be expected to take on top-six scoring responsibilities. Daniil But signed his entry-level contract, and Cole Beaudoin will come into camp on a mission to make the team. And, perhaps the biggest competition for Carcone, Utah re-signed Kailer Yamamoto (one-year, two-way) and brought in veteran Brandon Tanev — both of whom can fill that scrappy, bottom-six position. Not to mention Alex Kerfoot, who returns for another year.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club left wing Michael Carcone, second from right, celebrates a goal with teammates versus the Seattle Kraken at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
Carcone has his work cut out for him. But he is a guy who has always believed in himself — this challenge will be nothing new. The undrafted winger spent the better part of seven years in the AHL before getting a real shot at the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes.
“I think you just look back at the success you’ve had. I’ve scored 20 goals in this league,” Carcone said. “There’s no reason I can’t do it again. I think I can do better, to be honest. Just staying confident. Leaning on the guys in that room, I think that helped, too.”
Carcone’s speed, gritty nature, and, historically, his shot can no doubt be an asset. It will be a numbers game, though, filling those 12 forward spots on a nightly basis for Utah. And with the direction this team is going in, no one would blame Tourigny for calling on the players of the future instead of one who previously did not see a way forward with the franchise.
It will be up to Carcone to prove once again why he belongs. One has to believe he will have a pretty big chip on his shoulder.