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The Hockey News - Utah Hockey Club
Anders Lee and the Mammoth Are Becoming a Perfect Fit for Each Other
- Story byThe Hockey News - Utah Hockey Club
- Anders Lee and the Mammoth Are Becoming a Perfect Fit for Each Other
It has now been nearly four months since Anders Lee was signed by the Utah Mammoth in free agency, and it already feels like he's been a core piece of the team for ages. In just six games, the forward has produced five points. Two of those points have been goals, which ties him for third on the Mammoth in that stat.
It sometimes takes a while for chemistry to be built between a team and a player who has spent years in another organization. Lee spent more than a decade with the New York Islanders, producing 549 points alongside guys like Matt Barzal, John Tavares, and Brock Nelson. Yet, the chemistry between young guys like Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley has instantly formed as the trio has made up a pretty productive line for the Mammoth.
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"They're special kids with special talents, and just the last few weeks skating with them, it's pretty evident that these guys are going to have some phenomenal careers and have already started on such great feet," Lee said. "The speed that Cools has as a centerman, the skill. He can make a play coming out of a phone booth. Gunner is such a smart hockey player. He knows where to find those soft spots. He's got such a great shot. The dynamic of our line is really strong. We all bring a piece to that line that can be helpful to one another."
Lee brings a combination of things to the line that Cooley and Guenther really never played with before. He has some underrated speed, which allows him not just to keep up with the two young forwards, but also to retrieve pucks. He then uses his great passing to make stretch passes up to Cooley and Guenther, who can then work their magic and score.
He is also a bigger forward, unlike someone like Kailer Yamamoto, who can survive in front of the net. Lee is able to create screens and tips while being shoved around by his opponent's defense. It creates a common place for Cooley and Guenther to find him with pucks, and he can knock it in for the final play if needed.
"He's a veteran presence who will create a lot of space," Guenther said. "He's really good at possessing it down low and holding on to pucks. That's something that Cools and I have to get better at."
While the trio was separated for the Mammoth's game against the Buffalo Sabres, head coach André Tourigny mentioned that it wasn't a permanent change. It was more to adjust after an injury to Michael Carcone and to spark a change after a disastrous loss to the Boston Bruins.
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Lee's consistency is also a big thing that makes him a valuable asset for the Mammoth. After being in the NHL for such a long time, you know what you're getting with the forward. He knows how to play in the NHL. He pays attention to everything, including the small fine details.
It made for a great training camp for the veteran. Tourigny didn't see any bad days for the forward during late September, calling his camp mature, a very fitting word for Lee.
"You look at our leadership group; they bring that maturity," Tourigny said. "They're even every day. If you ask me which day was the best day of Andy during the camp, I don't know which was his worst. For me, it was pretty consistent. Every day was the same. He's a good pro. He's present, pays attention to detail, works hard, and does what he has to do. He's good in the gym. Good everywhere. Carries himself the right way off the ice. He's a really good pro."
As mentioned, it can be weird for a player who spent so long with one organization to come to a new one, and that's true on and off the ice. Lee and his family have spent most of their lives east of Minnesota. A lot of those years have been on Long Island. Moving his family more than halfway across the country isn't a small thing.
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However, he's loved everything that has come with the move, including his new life in Utah. Salt Lake City is well known as a great place to raise a family, with a lot of the players who have kids really emphasizing that. The entire Lee family has had nothing but great things to say as they settle down in what will be their new home for the next three seasons.
"It's been a wonderful month here for me and my family, getting to Salt Lake, and for me to be here with the team, getting to know everybody," Lee said. "The kids are doing well. Family's settling in."
It's only six games into the season, but the Lee signing already looks like another good one for general manager Bill Armstrong. He's a player who is well known around the league and really wants to be in Utah. The forward could've extended with the Islanders or signed with his hometown team, the Minnesota Wild.
Instead, he took a gamble and signed with the Mammoth. A newer market with a very young team. Every day that passes, Lee feels more comfortable in his new home, and with every day that passes, he's happier to be in Utah.
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"Every day it feels more and more normal and real," Lee said. "It was important for us to get out here a little bit before camp and get our feet wet and get to understand the area and everything, and it's been phenomenal. The people have been great, and everything here at the rink for me has been really strong."
The entire Mammoth locker room benefits from having Lee on their team. He brings a veteran presence that includes being a captain for multiple seasons. For Cooley and Guenther, it's a linemate who brings offense but also physical and fast play. The first six games have shown how good Lee can be for this team. The best, though, is yet to come as he continues to create more and more chemistry with the Mammoth.
