CHICAGO -- Dmitri Simashev hoped to make the Utah Mammoth roster out of training camp, the defenseman impressing those around him. When he made the cut, he found out in an unorthodox way.
"I just saw the (Mammoth) post on Instagram," he said. "I didn't have a meeting. My agent didn't tell me. I was just lying in my bed, just chilling and I saw this post, and I thought, 'Oh, all right. I got in.'"
Simashev may have taken that big moment in stride, but it's been an exhilarating ride ever since with the Mammoth (2-2-0), who host the San Jose Sharks (0-1-2) at Delta Center on Friday (9 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+).
The No. 6 pick by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2023 NHL Draft, Simashev has played four games, averaging 13:40 of ice time. The 20-year-old spent the past three seasons with Yaroslavl