SALT LAKE CITY – After suffering a 4-2 series loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Utah Mammoth finished with an overall record of 45-35-8 (92 regular season points, 4th in the Central Division).
Reflecting on the Club’s second full season in Utah, the following is an analysis and letter grade for forward Lawson Crouse.
Player season statistics
Utah Mammoth forward Lawson Crouse
Stats: 87 GP, 27 goals, 22 assists, +19 plus/minus
Lawson Crouse’s second season in Utah
To fully understand just how good Lawson Crouse was this past season, let’s first rewind to Utah’s inaugural campaign to gather some perspective.
Overcoming struggles and mental battles
While the transition to Salt Lake City was smooth for the vast majority of Utah’s roster, it seemed to weigh on No. 67 more than most.
Despite coming off the second-best season of his career during the NHL’s final year in Arizona, Crouse quickly became a shadow of himself in 2024.
In addition to arguably the worst complete season of his career in terms of production (12 goals, 6 assists), Utah’s Associate Captain noticeably lacked confidence and urgency as he engaged in an intense mental battle to rediscover his game
Coaching feedback on improvement
Eventually, Crouse had seen enough as he and the coaching staff decided that sitting in the press box for a night would offer him some valuable perspective.
According to head coach Andre Tourigny, that’s when everything started to change.
“The way he took ownership of his performance last year and did not look for any excuses, did not want pity of anybody, really took charge, & had urgency every day…wherever we put him, he made everybody better.”
“For sure, Lawson Crouse. The guy I’m really proud of.”
A dominant resurgence in year two
From day one of training camp in year two, 67 was simply a different player.
After conquering his demons from the previous season, Crouse took the ice with a newfound confidence as he dominated the net front, won battles, punished teams physically, was sound defensively, generated offense on a consistent basis and led the team into battle every single night.
Whether he was on the first line, second line or third, he played the same game while lifting those around him.
LAWSON CROUSE!!!! LOOK AT THAT BACKHAND. MY JAW IS ON THE FLOOR pic.twitter.com/izPiRj9DKn
— Cap’n Cook 🏔️ (@JazzePinkman) February 26, 2025
LAWSON CROUSE HAS BLOWN THE ROOF OFF OF THE DELTA CENTER pic.twitter.com/fXu98esyEO
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) October 22, 2025
Playoff performance and highlights
Fast forward to the playoffs and Crouse was arguably Utah’s MVP as he led the team in goals (3) and points (5).
Lawson Crouse had the @utahmammoth crowd hyped as his two goals earned the franchise its first #StanleyCup Playoff win on home ice! 🦣
📺: @GoldenKnights vs. @utahmammoth Game 4 TONIGHT at 9:30p ET on @espn, @Sportsnet, & @TVASports https://t.co/M7pllUgFL0 pic.twitter.com/qwpW1AY0rD
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) April 27, 2026
Grade: A+
Looking ahead to next season
As the Mammoth prepare for their third season in Salt Lake City this fall, there’s not much Crouse needs to do differently or better.
As long as he builds off what he did this past year in terms of production while continuing to mature as a leader, Utah will make another playoff appearance next spring and might even win a series.
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What’s next for the Utah Mammoth?
The next notable event for the Utah Mammoth will be the NHL Draft on Friday, June 26, 2026, at 5 p.m. MT.
Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.
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