Smith scored a goal and added two assists in QMJHL Moncton's 7-6 loss to Chicoutimi in Game 5 on Friday.
Smith is up to nine points in five games during this series. The Mammoth prospect leads the QMJHL playoffs with 19 goals and 33 points in 20 appearances. Despite his strong performance, Moncton is now in must-win territory, as it trails the series 3-2 following this high-scoring loss.
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Mammoth's Gabe Smith: Earns three points in win
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Smith scored twice and added an assist in QMJHL Moncton's 4-3 win over Chicoutimi in Game 4 on Wednesday.
Smith has earned six points over four appearances in the QMJHL Finals, with his effort in this win tying the best-of-seven series at 2-2. The 19-year-old forward has made quite the impression this postseason with 18 goals and 30 points over 19 outings. He'll have at least two more games to add to his totals.
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Mammoth's Caleb Desnoyers: Earns three points in win
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Desnoyers scored a goal and added two assists in QMJHL Moncton's 5-2 win over Chicoutimi in Game 1 on Friday.
Desnoyers crossed the 20-point mark this postseason with the effort. He has six goals, 15 helpers and 53 shots on net over 16 appearances in the playoffs. The Mammoth prospect is playing well and is looking to help Moncton get to the Memorial Cup, where fellow Utah prospect Tij Iginla's club (WHL Kelowna) awaits as the hosts.
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Mammoth's Gabe Smith: Tallies twice Friday
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Smith scored two goals in QMJHL Moncton's 5-2 win over Chicoutimi in Game 1 on Friday.
Smith got off to a good start in the QMJHL Finals, helping the Wildcats to a 1-0 series lead. The 19-year-old center has earned a remarkable 16 goals and 26 points over 16 playoff outings following his 34-goal, 77-point effort over 60 regular-season contests. Smith will look to keep the offense flowing as Moncton tries to book its ticket to the Memorial Cup in Kelowna.
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Mammoth's Yegor Borikov: Signs entry-level deal
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Borikov penned a three-year, entry-level contract with Utah on Thursday.
Borikov saw action in 59 regular-season games for Dynamo Minsk this season, registering 16 goals and 14 assists before adding two more points in seven playoff games. Selected by the Mammoth in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the 20-year-old winger could make the jump to North America for the 2026-27 campaign, though he likely will spend some time in the minors developing.
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Mammoth's Caleb Desnoyers: Three points in Game 7 win
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Desnoyers scored a goal and added two assists in QMJHL Moncton's 6-2 win over Blainville-Boisbriand in Game 7 on Tuesday.
Desnoyers has produced 18 points over 15 playoff contests. That includes three goals and five assists over seven games as the Wildcats got by the Armada for a spot in the QMJHL Finals. Desnoyers still hasn't reached the level he showed in last year's playoffs, when he produced 30 points over 19 outings. He and the Wildcats will face Chicoutimi next, with the winning team heading to the Memorial Cup.
Yamamoto scored a goal on two shots in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 6.
Yamamoto kept the Mammoth from getting shut out, scoring at 7:41 of the third period. The Golden Knights answered with three goals after that to close out the series. Yamamoto saw second-line usage at even strength throughout the postseason, earning one goal, four assists, four shots on net, 22 hits and a plus-2 rating. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, though he's coming off his best campaign in three years with 23 points over 59 regular-season outings. That could be enough for the Mammoth to consider bringing him back on a depth deal after he played 2025-26 on a league-minimum contract.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Can't shake skid in time
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Vejmelka allowed four goals on 25 shots in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 6. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.
Vejmelka helped the Mammoth to a 2-1 series lead after Game 3, but he followed it up by allowing 14 goals over the last three contests of the series. In all, the 29-year-old netminder went 2-4 with a 3.13 GAA and an .883 save percentage over six playoff outings in his first taste of postseason action. He's under contract for four more years, so expect Vejmelka to handle a starter's workload in 2026-27, though perhaps not at the same level as 2025-26, when he led the league with 64 regular-season appearances.
McBain (lower body) is expected to be in the lineup in Friday's Game 6 versus the Golden Knights, per the NHL media site.
McBain was out of the lineup for the last four games, though the team had not indicated it was for an injury until Friday. The 26-year-old is expected to fill a fourth-line role. Barrett Hayton (upper body) will exit the lineup after returning from an injury of his own in Game 5.
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Mammoth's Barrett Hayton: Out of action
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Hayton (upper body) won't play Friday in Game 6 versus the Golden Knights, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.
Hayton played in Game 5 but is still managing pain from an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old won't be in the lineup as the Mammoth try to keep their season alive, and if that effort fails, he won't be able to play again until the 2026-27 preseason.
McBain (lower body) is expected to be a game-time decision for Game 6 against Vegas on Friday, per Cole Bagley of KSL Sports.
McBain had been dealing with a lower-body injury before playing in Game 1 against the Golden Knights on April 19. However, his return to the lineup was short-lived, and he's missed Utah's past four matches. He had nine goals, 25 points, 84 PIM, 106 shots and 271 hits in 75 regular-season appearances with Utah in 2025-26. If McBain is an option for Friday's matchup, then he might occupy a bottom-six role.
Hayton (upper body) was classified as a game-time decision ahead of Game 6 versus Vegas on Friday, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.
Hayton has been managing pain from his upper-body injury. Utah hasn't been forthcoming with injury news, and the 25-year-old could be a game-time call until the team's playoff run is over. During his first postseason appearance in Game 5 on Wednesday, the Ontario native registered two shots, one block and a minus-1 rating in 12:49 of ice time.
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Mammoth's Karel Vejmelka: Exits ice first
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Vejmelka was the first goalie to leave the ice ahead of Friday's Game 6 clash with Vegas, indicating he'll patrol the home crease, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.
Vejmelka is coming off back-to-back losses in which he gave up a combined 10 goals on 72 shots (.861 save percentage). If the Mammoth are going to force a Game 7 on Sunday, the 29-year-old backstop will need to return to the form he displayed in the first three games of the series when he recorded a 2.36 GAA.
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