Mammoth D John Marino signs 8-year, $54M extension

The Utah Mammoth signed defenseman John Marino to an eight-year, $54 million contract extension on Tuesday.

The deal carries an average annual value of $6.75 million and begins with the 2027-28 season.

Marino, 29, had a career-high 36 points (four goals, 32 assists) and finished tied for fifth in the NHL in plus/minus (plus-42) in 80 games with Utah last season.

"We value John's long-term commitment to Utah and what he brings to our group every day," president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said. "His professionalism and competitiveness as well as the stability and puck-moving ability that he provides on our blue line, makes him an invaluable cornerstone for our franchise."

Marino has 157 points (23 goals, 134 assists) in 443 career games with the Pittsburgh Penguins (2019-22), New Jersey Devils (2022-24) and Mammoth.

"We view John as a foundational piece of our future," general manager Bill Armstrong said. "His ability to control the game from the back end, his play in transition and our trust in him to make the right decisions in critical situations allows him to be a difference maker on most nights. Beyond his skill, John brings a level of calmness under pressure that our group feeds off of and that's exactly what you need from your veteran players."

The Edmonton Oilers drafted Marino in the sixth round in 2015 and he played at Harvard from 2016-19.