Utah Mammoth News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Ben McCartney, Tucson Roadrunners (Photo credit: Bennett Silvyn)

Utah Mammoth’s 2024-25 Report Cards: Ben McCartney

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Chase Beardsley | Last updated May 20, 2025 11:55 AM ET

The inaugural season for the Utah Hockey Club (now the Utah Mammoth) is officially over. The team finished with a 38-31-13 record while their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, finished with a 34-32-4-2 record, which was good enough for the seventh playoff spot in the Pacific Division. The Roadrunners went on to lose in the first round of the playoffs 2-1 to the Abbotsford Canucks.

With the season in the books, it’s time to look at the 48 Utah players under an NHL contract (excluding Connor Ingram for obvious reasons) and grade their 2024-25 seasons. We’ll also reflect on how they did during the 2023-24 season and see if they improved or did worse, along with what their future holds. We’re going alphabetically by first name. Next up is Ben McCartney.

Last Season

It was an interesting 2023-24 season for McCartney. He started with the Roadrunners but was quickly recalled by the Arizona Coyotes. In his two days in Tempe, he did not play in any NHL games and was sent back down to the AHL.

In 46 games with the Roadrunners, McCartney recorded 22 points. That put him in 13th place on the team. His six goals placed him 17th and were one less than his totals from the 2022-23 season. McCartney’s 16 assists tied him with Milos Keleman and Curtis Douglas for 13th place on the team when it comes to assists.

Something McCartney ended up in the top 10 for on the Roadrunners was penalty minutes. He had 67 penalty minutes, which tied him for sixth place on the team with Keleman.

McCartney did not appear in a playoff game for the Roadrunners as they were swept by the Calgary Wranglers. Later that summer, he was re-signed to a one-year two-way deal by Utah.

An interesting note is that McCartney is the last player within the Mammoth organization who was drafted by the Coyotes during the 2020 NHL Draft.

This Season

During the preseason, McCartney was sent down to the AHL with Andrew Agozzino whom he ended up playing on a line with during most of the season. He was also named an alternate captain for the Roadrunners. For the first half of his fourth season with the team, McCartney wasn’t much of an impact player. He did rack up a good number of penalties, eventually ending the season as the fourth-highest penalized player.

However, McCartney showed up big when the Roadrunners needed him most. With the team fighting for a playoff spot in the second half of the season, McCartney scored 10 goals, which was much more impressive than the six he had previously scored.

On top of that, McCartney played in 63 games, the most he has ever played in his pro career. He finished the season with 33 points, almost beating his career high of 35 from his rookie season. His 16 goals were good enough for fifth place on the team, while he landed seventh in points.

The @RoadrunnersAHL open the scoring thanks to Ben McCartney!!@TheAHL | @utahhockeyclub #AHL #CalderCup #LetsGoTucson #WhiteOutTucson #UtahHC pic.twitter.com/s1WplPxXwT
— FloHockey (@FloHockey) April 25, 2025

There’s no debating that McCartney took some pretty questionable penalties throughout the season. However, when he wasn’t in the box, he was a very effective player on special teams. In total, he had six power-play goals and three shorthanded goals, the latter of which he led the Roadrunners in.

As mentioned, McCartney showed up in big moments. After not appearing in the 2024 Playoffs, he played in all three of the playoff games against the Canucks. He led the whole team in playoff goals with two and was tied for the lead in points during the series with three. All three of those points came in the lone Roadrunners playoff win in Game 2.

The Future

McCartney’s deal, which he signed back in June, has expired, making him a pending restricted free agent (RFA). However, predicting if the Mammoth will re-sign him is tough.

On one hand, McCartney had a great second half of the season, showed up big time on special teams, and helped the team clinch a playoff spot. He was also one of the Roadrunners’ best players in the playoffs. On top of all of that, McCartney is well-liked within the entire Mammoth organization.

Ben McCartney, Tucson Roadrunners (Photo credit: Bennett Silvyn)

On the other hand, McCartney’s first half of the season wasn’t the best. He also took a lot of stupid penalties throughout the season, which cost the Roadrunners. It’s a big issue the entire team needs to change, and the Canucks exploited it during the playoffs.

You also have to consider whether McCartney is ever going to be a full-time NHL player. Right now, the answer is probably no. While he’s a great player on special teams and is a hard-working individual, he’s never scored more than 35 points in an AHL season, he takes questionable penalties frequently, and the number of players in front of him on the Mammoth’s depth chart is a lot.

With the Mammoth set to have a big offseason, they’ll also look to trim down their number of NHL contracts, leaving players with expiring contracts like McCartney, who, at 23, only has two games of NHL experience under his belt, on the outs.

However, as mentioned, McCartney is a well-liked player within the Mammoth organization. With that being said, it would not be surprising if the team re-signs him to another one-year, two-way deal or, at worst, an AHL contract.

Final Grade

It was a season of highs and lows for McCartney. The second half of the season and the playoffs showed off some of his best hockey that he’s played as a pro. Meanwhile, the first half of the season was a mediocre showing from him. In his four full seasons in the AHL, McCartney has never produced more than 35 points in a single season. It’s hard to tell if that statement will ever change.

There are a lot of question marks around McCartney. Can he ever produce at a better rate? Can he keep his emotions in check? What will happen to him this offseason? What we do know is that he shows up in big moments and is a useful player on special teams. He’s definitely a player the Roadrunners need. However, when it comes to an NHL contract, it’s more about what the Mammoth need.

Going back to McCartney’s 2024-25 season, as mentioned, lots of ups and downs. He was an elite player on the power play and penalty kill, and as mentioned, showed up when the Roadrunners needed him most. His lack of production in the first couple of months of the season and his numerous amount of careless penalties drag down his season, though.

Overall, McCartney is getting a C-plus for this season. This can be a season he can really build off of. If he can take his good production during the latter half of the 2024-25 season and figure out how to keep his emotions in check, he can potentially be more than a bottom-six player in the AHL. As for right now, expect McCartney to receive another two-way deal and be back with the Roadrunners for the 2025-26 season.