The inaugural season for the Utah Hockey Club (now the Utah Mammoth) is officially over. The team ended with a record of 38-31-13, while their branch of the American Hockey League (AHL), the Tucson Roadrunners, ended with a record of 34-32-4-2-2, which was good enough for the seventh Playoff place in the Pacific Division. The Roadrunners then lost 2-1 to the Abbotsford Canucks in the first round of the play-offs.
With the season in the books it is time to look at the 48 UTAH players under an NHL contract (excluding Connor Ingram for obvious reasons) and their seasons 2024-25. We will also think about how they did during the 2023-24 season and see if they were improved or worse, along with what their future has in store. We go alphabetically by first name. The next is Montana Onyebuchi.
Last season
Fresh from signing his First of all, NHL treats the Arizona CoyotesOnyebuchi was sent to the Roadrunners to start the 2023-24 season. He made his roadrunners debut only on November 4 in a match against the Chicago Wolves.
Onyebuchi immediately announced his presence with a misconduct of the game in his first game. In just his first three games he made 21 penalty minutes and became one of the most physical players in the history of Roadrunners.
In his ninth game with the team, Onyebuchi produced his first point through an assist. A few games later he had his first point streak, where he produced an assist in three consecutive games.
Related: Utah Mammoth’s 2024-25 Report cards: Miko Matikka
Onyebuchi’s first goal of the season came in a match against Iowa Wild in mid -January. During the later part of the season, he became an enforcer for the young roadrunners, fighting and resolving criminal minutes in almost every match, even if the score did not benefit his team.
The second goal of the defender of the season came in a match against the Texas Stars, who eventually became his first career-winning goal. Onyebuchi followed it through back-to-back matches with double figures penalty minutes, including his second fight of the season against well-known enforcer Scott Sabourin.
Onyebuchi closed his season with nine points in 49 games. It was his other statistics that caught the eyes of most. His 145 criminal minutes were good enough for the second on the roadrunners in that category and sixth in the entire competition. He was also a Plus-9, which was bound by the third best of the team. Moreover, onyebuchi was involved in nine fights during the season and helped protect younger boys such as Josh Doan and Dylan Guenther.
This season
To start the preseason, Onyebuchi continued where he had gone by fighting Matthew Stienburg in a match against the Colorado Avalanche. As the regular season approached, Onyebuchi was sent back to the AHL.
It was not long before Onyebuchi brought back his physicality to the Roadrunners. In the second game of the season he fought against Keaton Middleton of the Colorado Eagles. His first point of the season came in his 10th game through an assist against the San Diego -Meeuwen. Onyebuchi took on his second fight during those 10 games.
Onyebuchi started the season combined with Lleyton Moore. Eventually Maksymilian Szuber came to the Line -Up, which landed the combination of Onyebuchi. The two eventually became one of the better defensive combinations in a weak defensive roadrunners team, because Szuber was protected and accompanied by his partner.
Onyebuchi’s first goal of the season came in a match against the Calgary Wranglers in November. From there he had to wait until the end of December at his next point, which came across the Eagles, where the defender had his first multi-point game with the Roadrunners. Strangely enough, Onyebuchi only had one fight during his piece of matches without a point.
All of that changed in January when Onyebuchi had one of his biggest fights so far. In a match against the Wranglers, he put a huge hit on William Stromgren, making him shocked and slow to reach the bank. It remained the well -known AHL enforcer Alex Gallant angry when he came out of the couch illegally to fight Onyebuchi. A great fight followed, but it was brave it was suspended for the next six games Because of leaving the couch to start a fight.
Less than a week later, Onyebuchi fought again, this time against Riley Mckay in a match against the Henderson Silver Knights.
However, it was Onyebuchi’s fight to start with February that remembers the most. It came across the San Jose Barracuda, where, for the fourth consecutive time, the defender of the Roadrunners fought against Sabourin. The fight lasted almost 40 seconds, because the two gladiators had to eventually had to. Onyebuchi recorded an assist in the next match against the Barracuda, giving his fingerprints over a victory that the Roadrunners eventually helped to make the play -offs.
In March, Onyebuchi scored his second goal of the season against the Ontario Reign. It became a critical month for the Roadrunners when they fought against the Bakersfield Condors for the last Play -off place in the Pacific Division. The team needed all the hands on deck when the end of the season is approaching.
Unfortunately, Onyebuchi was in hot water towards the end of the month. At the end of the game against the Barracuda, the two teams led a fight in which almost every player on the ice participated, including Matt Villalta. During the fight, Onyebuchi was pulled away by a referee, but the defender pushed the civil servant. Before that, He was suspended For the next three games due to the abuse of a civil servant.
When he returned to a match against the reign, Onyebuchi showed how important he could be for the Roadrunners. To open the match, he scored the first goal for the Roadrunners. After scoring, the defender fought against old rival Jacob Doty, who fueled some energy in his team when they scored two more goals for a big 3-0 win. It was Onyebuchi’s first game-winning goal of the season, and it was a huge one.
😮 Yes, hello
This goal of Montana Onyebuchi had a bit of everything!@Theahl | @Roadrunnersahl #AHL #Letsgotucson pic.twitter.com/4Sjnyibhan– Flohockey (@flohockey) March 6, 2025
Onyebuchi produced another assist when the Roadrunners achieved a play -off place in their last game of the season. In 64 games, which was a career for him, Onyebuchi had 10 points. All his attacking statistics were connected to his career heights. He also had a career the best 88 shots.
It was again his penalty minutes that attracted attention. His 112 penalty minutes were third best on the Roadrunners. Those criminal minutes led to a combined 257 criminal minutes in his career in the Roadrunners, which Dakota Mermis passed the most in franchise history.
Onyebuchi received his first taste from Play -Ooff Hockey when the roadrunners were opposite the Canucks. In Game 1 he assisted Hunter Drew’s goal for his very first late season. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough, because the roadrunners lost that match and game 3 to be eliminated from the late season.
In the low season as a hanging limited free agent, Onyebuchi signed a two -year -old, two -way extension With the mammoth.
The future
Now that it has been confirmed that the next two years of Onyebuchi will be spent within the Mammoth organization, there are not many more questions that surround the defender. Just like this last season, he will probably play a bottom-pairing role alongside Szuber to start the coming season.
Many will look at the statistics of Onyebuchi and wonder why the Mammoet signed him again. He is a much more important player than what is on the Stat line. As mentioned, he and Szuber formed one of the best defensive combinations on the Roadrunners in 2024-25, even though he was in a team that was not really defensive. His plus-6 rating was the second best among Roadrunners defenders, only behind Artem Duda.
Of course, the most important characteristic of Onyebuchi is his physicality, but it was something that the Roadrunners needed in the past two years. While players such as Doan, Guenther and Maveric Lamouruex came through the AHL, they needed protection to score and develop. Even established boys such as Kailer Yamamoto, who is shorter and not so physically strong, someone needed to help him produce. That is where Onyebuchi came in and became an integral part of the present of the Roadrunners and possibly the future of the Mammoet.
With boys like Curtis Douglas and Onyebuchi locked up for the following season, the mammoth can feel better about sending boys such as Dmitriy Simashev and Daniil, but to the AHL, where they are protected so that they can concentrate on developing. Especially in the extremely physical pacific division, guys like Onyebuchi are therefore needed.
The role of Onyebuchi in the AHL is very similar to the role of Liam O’Brien in the NHL. They are there to protect the team and generate some energy in the players, while they occasionally chip off. It is very unlikely that Onyebuchi will see the NHL time in the next two years (except for injuries) thanks to the defensive depth that the mammoth has. However, his interest in the Roadrunners will continue to increase as more prospects come through the system.
Final grade
Boys like Onyebuchi are difficult to judge. Yes, they have not produced much, but the hockey game is more than just points. Onyebuchi was one of the best defenders on the Roadrunners last season. He defended well and effectively defended his team.
He also helped to guide and protect Szuber during the season. In addition to Duda, Szuber looks like an underrated defender in the mammoth system, and part of it must be credited to Onyebuchi. Although much did not work on the Blueline this season for the Roadrunners, it is a link that head coach Steve Potvin should consider returning for 2025-26.
In general, Onyebuchi gets a B-plus for his season. It was a solid second-year season with the Roadrunners for him when he improved offensively during his 2023-24 season. He was a large part of the late postseason push of the team thanks to his unforgettable match against the reign and his solid defensive game too.
Going in 2025-26, getting a few goals would be a nice improvement for Onyebuchi. The most important thing, however, will continue its consistent defensive game, together with the continuation of his physicality to protect his teammates. Although we are still somewhat removed from it, large prospects such as Iginla, Cole Beaudoin and Caleb Desnoyers can spend some time in the AHL. It is up to Onyebuchi to get up and to help the future top -giant players thrive and develop.
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