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Jaxson Stauber, Utah Hockey Club (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Utah Mammoth’s 2024-25 Report Cards: Jaxson Stauber

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Chase Beardsley | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 9:35 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 Jaxson Stauber.

Last Season

After a good first pro season within the Chicago Blackhawks organization, Stauber started his second and final season of his entry-level deal in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs. The IceHogs deployed Stauber and Drew Commesso almost equally throughout the season, giving the team two rookies in net.

Stauber started his season in a 7-2 loss against the San Jose Barracuda. However, he quickly bounced back with back-to-back wins over the Iowa Wild and Manitoba Moose. Throughout his season, Stauber posted respectable numbers, including a .931 save percentage (SV%) in a game against the Moose.

February brought Stauber’s best stretch of games. A 15-save win over the Chicago Wolves kick-started a nine-game win streak for him. That stretch included a 24-save shutout for Stauber over the Wolves. He also scored a goal in that game, becoming the first ever goaltender to record a goal and a shutout in the same game. The streak was interrupted when he came in relief for Commesso in the third period against the Milwaukee Admirals.

Stauber won four of his last five games of the season, which included his second shutout in a game against the Grand Rapids Griffins. The wins helped the IceHogs clinch the third playoff spot in the Central Division. In total, the IceHogs won 39 games, 18 of which came from Stauber. He recorded a .902 SV% and a 2.85 goals-against average (GAA).

In the first round of the playoffs, the IceHogs faced the Griffins. Stauber was named the starter for Game 1. In the game, he let in three goals on 37 shots as the Griffins won it in overtime. Commesso was named the starter for Game 2, and Stauber didn’t make another appearance in the playoffs as the IceHogs would lose the series 3-1.

In the offseason, the Blackhawks chose not to re-sign Stauber, making him a free agent. Utah quickly signed him to a one-year, two-way contract after he hit the open market.

This Season

Stauber was sent down to the Roadrunners to begin the season. In the team’s second game against the Colorado Eagles, he made his Roadrunner debut. He made 33 saves on 35 shots and recorded the team’s first win of the season.

After his season debut, Stauber made six appearances across October and November, recording wins in four of those games. While he didn’t record a shutout in any of those games, Stauber put up strong numbers, only dipping below a .900 SV% in one game.

In late November, Stauber was recalled from the Roadrunners due to an injury to Ingram. He appeared in his first game with Utah against the Vegas Golden Knights amidst a three-game losing streak for the team. Against a strong Golden Knights team, Stauber turned aside 29 shots to record the first-ever shutout in franchise history for Utah.

STAUBER! pic.twitter.com/6UCr8PwzCG
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) December 1, 2024

During Ingram’s absence, Stauber appeared in three more games for Utah, going 1-1-1. In January, with Ingram returning, Stauber was sent back down to the Roadrunners.

In his first game back in the AHL, Stauber made 32 saves to win his sixth game with the Roadrunners. Unfortunately, he hit a bit of a rough patch shortly after that game, losing the next three. Across those three games, Stauber let in 16 goals. However, he bounced back in February, compiling a record of 3-0-1.

Jaxson Stauber, Utah Hockey Club (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

To start March, Stauber was suddenly recalled from the Roadrunners. It was later revealed Ingram was taking a leave of absence to take part in the NHL’s Player Assistance Program. While it was expected Stauber would start some games, Utah mainly rode Karel Vejmelka, who had been playing some great hockey ever since the 4-Nations break.

While Stauber was up in Salt Lake City for three weeks, he only appeared in net twice, both times in relief of Vejmelka. Before Utah’s game against the Florida Panthers, he was sent back down to Tucson while Matt Villalta was called up.

In his first start since March 7, Stauber posted a .931 SV% and made 29 saves in a game against the Calgary Wranglers to kick off April. He finished out the regular season, losing two of his last three starts. However, the Roadrunners clinched a playoff spot in the last game of the season, securing a playoff matchup against the Canucks.

Stauber finished out his first season with the Roadrunners with a 12-7-2 record. He also recorded a .897 SV%. With Utah, he had a 2-1-1 record with a .892 SV%.

In the playoffs, the Roadrunners lost the opening game of the series against the Canucks, prompting head coach Steve Potvin to name Stauber as the starter for Game 2. Against one of the best teams in the Pacific Division, Stauber made an impressive 38 saves to win Game 2. However, despite a strong effort from him in Game 3, the Canucks beat the Roadrunners 5-0, ending the goaltender’s season.

The Future

To kick off the offseason, Stauber was given a two-year, two-way extension. With uncertainty still surrounding Ingram, Michael Hrabal choosing to return to UMass for the 2025-26 season, and Stauber’s strong appearance in the playoffs with the Roadrunners, it made sense for the Mammoth to extend him.

With Stauber’s future locked up with the Mammoth organization, the question now shifts to where he will start next season. A lot of that does depend on what happens to Ingram in the offseason. If Ingram returns to the NHL to begin next season, Stauber will most likely battle it out with Villalta for the starting job in Tucson.

However, if Ingram remains away from the organization, it wouldn’t be surprising if Stauber gets the backup role with the Mammoth. A lot can change before the start of the season. Villalta could have a strong training camp and preseason. The Mammoth could go out and acquire another goaltender. As of right now, though, Stauber would most likely get that backup position thanks to his multiple strong NHL starts during the season and being the main factor in helping the Roadrunners force a Game 3 in the playoffs.

It seems like Stauber is on the verge of breaking through as a consistent backup goalie in the NHL. He has played well with two different AHL teams and has put up some strong starts in the NHL. If the Mammoth didn’t re-sign him, it would be hard to imagine that he would stay on the market for long. Maybe a rebuilding team would’ve given him a chance.

To secure an NHL job for this upcoming season, Stauber just needs to elevate his game a bit. If he performs as well as he did in Game 2 in the playoffs, he can surely win a backup role over other goaltenders. However, he needs to earn the trust and confidence of the coaching staff with the Mammoth. His two-year extension shows he has trust within the front office. Now, he needs to show off his talent for a longer period of time in the NHL.

Final Grade

Stauber had an interesting season, and it’s one you really can’t compare with anyone else’s. On one hand, he played in the NHL for the first time since the 2022-23 season and put up decent stats. However, he didn’t get to play a lot and was forced to be on the bench for the majority of his time up in Utah.

On the other hand, Stauber had middling stats during the regular season with the Roadrunners, but when the team needed him most in the playoffs, he stepped up his game and played arguably his best hockey of his career. His performance in Game 2 was arguably the cherry on top in the reasoning behind his two-year extension.

Overall, Stauber is getting a C-plus for this season. His regular-season performance in the AHL was middling and can be improved on, but his NHL outings were decent enough, and his playoff performance showed off what type of goaltender he can be.

While it’s unclear if Stauber will be in the AHL for the majority of next season, what you can expect is reliable goaltending. If he can build off of what he did in the playoffs, the Mammoth won’t need to worry about their backup position with or without Ingram. Even if he can’t elevate that type of play to the NHL, Stauber will be a big part of the Roadrunners next season. It wouldn’t be surprising if Potvin runs it back with him and Villalta splitting time again, creating a potential two-headed monster in net for the team.