Goalie Connor Ingram walks out on Mammoth on camp opening day

On opening day of training camp in Utah, Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong confirmed that goalie Connor Ingram will not attend camp. Instead, the team work to find a new home for the netminder, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.

Ingram missed the end of the 2024-25 campaign while tending to a personal matter, but he was cleared to return to on-ice activities in mid-August. The National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players Association’s Player Assistance Program even released an official update on the status of Ingram, stating that he had once again been cleared to return to play in the NHL.

However it won’t be in Utah…

Armstrong noted that both sides are on the same page about parting ways, as Ingram and the Mammoth are working to seek out a new team. If the two sides are unable to find a new destination for Ingram, the Mammoth intend to eventually place him on waivers.

As for the goaltending situation in Utah, GM Armstrong explained that Vitek Vanecek is slated to serve as Karel Vejmelka’s backup once the regular season gets underway.

However, the Mammoth has also been linked in recent days to Carter Hart, who seeking a “fresh start” as he prepares for his potential return to the NHL. His departure came in 2024 as charges were pending in the London Hockey Trial, which concluded earlier this summer. Hart, along with Alex Formenton, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, and Cal Foote, faced charges stemming from a June 2018 incident at a London, Ontario, hotel following a Hockey Canada gala. All players were acquitted of all charges.

It has not been easy for Ingram, who has openly shared his ongoing struggles since he came into the NHL and with the recent unexpected loss of his mother to breast cancer. Back in March, Ingram took to social media and shared a message with fans in which he was very open about the personal struggles he had been going through since the loss of his mom.

Ingram had shined in goal over the past few seasons as a member of the Arizona Coyotes, but his play saw a significant decline during the 2024-25 NHL regular season. Ingram recorded a 3.27 goals against average and a .882 save percentage over just 22 games last season, by far the worst stretch of play across his entire NHL career.

Hopefully his time in the Player Assistance Program has provided him with both the help he needed at the time and the tools he will need to continue moving forward in what is understandably an extremely difficult period in this young man’s life.

A fresh start elsewhere might be exactly what he needs, and the Mammoth wants to help him get that.