Simashev 'has all the tools' to be difference-maker for Mammoth

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 of the Kontinental Hockey League, where he had 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 137 games.

"He's a great kid, very enthusiastic and very smart, mature for his age," Mammoth defenseman Ian Cole said. "He has all the tools in the toolbox as a hockey player, too. He's big, he's long, he can skate. He has a good head on his shoulders.

"So, I think in terms of what we've seen, the sky's the limit for how good he can be, which has been great to add as many assets to our team as we can."

Simashev, who has played his first four games with Cole, said the veteran has been a big help to him.

"He's such a great player. He has good experience," he said. "He helps me on the ice because I can make a couple of mistakes. For sure, I'm young and I make mistakes, and he helps me. He's so reliable, he gives me the puck, I try to skate. Actually, it's a hard job on the ice because he's a fast skater. He's amazing."

To adapt to the NHL after time in the KHL, Simashev has watched plenty of video with the coaching staff. Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny said several other factors have led to Simashev adapting faster.

"I think his level of maturity, his level of focus, his urgency," he said. "He did a really good job, and he absorbed the information really well. He's very coachable so that helps the transition for him, for sure."

Mikhail Sergachev, another Mammoth defenseman, has also been a big help. Sergachev knows what it's like to make the tough transition from Russia to North America in hockey and language. He made his NHL debut in 2016-17, playing four games with the Montreal Canadiens before playing his first full season in 2017-18 (79 games) with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who acquired him for forward Jonathan Drouin on June 15, 2017.

"I remember myself making the team twice in Montreal and Tampa and how anxious and how excited and all the emotions I had," Sergachev said on Oct. 9. "It feels great.

"He's been a pro the last two years, and he has all the tools. He can skate, shoot and move the puck. He's really good at everything so I guess he's going to be a hell of a player in the future. He's going to help us."

Simashev's affable personality comes through in his interviews and Mammoth videos. Wearing a mic heading into his NHL debut against the Colorado Avalanche, Simashev said he assured his mom he wouldn't say bad words during the warmup -- "I said, 'Mom, I would think about mic like in warmup,'" he said -- and told forward Kailer Yamamoto to find him during the game.

But Simashev has been good at buckling down when necessary. That balance should serve him well as he continues in the NHL.

"I think you need to find that happy medium between, 'Hey, this is really, really important, but it doesn't overtake everything in my life,'" Cole said. "'I have to be at my best, but I'm not so concerned that it's anxiety inducing,' which would be a performance detractor.

"You need to be able to find that middle ground. As you get older and have experience, you kind of naturally find that. He has a very calm demeanor, a calm confidence that I think has thus far suited him very well."

Simashev has had a great time the past few months, from training camp to making the Mammoth and enjoying the mountains and sunshine of Salt Lake City. The work is just beginning, and he's ready for it all.

"It's amazing," Simashev said. "To play in the NHL was always the dream when I was a kid. Of course, I'm just living my dream now, but I want to get better every day, I want to improve my game. I speak with the coaches every day. It's my job, you know? I'm a hockey player, we play hockey, this is my job, and I just do what I love."