Vincent Trocheck will step back into Madison Square Garden on Sunday wearing Utah Mammoth colors, a quick return to the building that was home for four seasons and a stop he would rather handle early than let linger.
The 33-year-old forward was dealt from the New York Rangers to Utah on July 1 in a trade that sent defenseman Sean Durzi, forward Cole Beaudoin and a 2027 third-round draft pick the other way. Utah visits the Rangers at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, with the Mammoth then heading across the river to face the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
“When you spend a few years somewhere, you get comfortable with the area,” Trocheck said. “You grow attached to it, and we certainly did. Leaving is difficult, but it comes with the job. I’ve been through it a few times.”
Trocheck said he is glad the Garden return arrives early on the schedule. He expects the night to carry some emotion, even if he has tried not to dwell on it. He remains in contact with the Rangers teammates who are still in New York.
His Rangers run included 253 points, made up of 89 goals and 164 assists, over 313 regular-season games. Last season he put up 16 goals and 37 assists in 67 games. He helped New York reach the 2024 Eastern Conference Final, where the Rangers were eliminated in six games by the Florida Panthers, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.
New York’s direction changed on Jan. 16, when president and general manager Chris Drury announced a roster retool. Trocheck was among the departing veterans, along with Artemi Panarin, now a member of the Los Angeles Kings, and defenseman Carson Soucy, who remains unsigned.
A new role in Utah
Trocheck has already navigated major changes in his career. Florida selected him 64th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, and he spent parts of seven seasons with the Panthers before a February 2020 trade sent him to the Carolina Hurricanes. After finishing that season and playing two more in Carolina, he signed with the Rangers as a free agent on July 13, 2022.
Across 868 NHL games, Trocheck has compiled 239 goals and 392 assists for 631 points. His playoff record stands at 17 goals and 20 assists in 56 games, and he also won Olympic gold with the United States in 2026.
His Utah debut offered a promising first look. Trocheck recorded an assist in the Mammoth’s 6-0 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, skating on the right side of a top unit with captain Clayton Keller on the left wing and Nick Schmaltz at center.
Schmaltz, who also scored against Chicago, said the adjustment has been natural enough despite Trocheck’s long history at center. The two can rotate through responsibilities, he said, and their ability to read the ice should help the line settle in.
Off the rink, Trocheck said his family has had time to get comfortable in Utah before camp. He praised the welcome they have received and said his children have adapted well to the move.
Anders Lee has been a useful sounding board in that transition. The 36-year-old signed a three-year contract worth $16.2 million with Utah on July 1 after spending the first 14 years of his NHL career with the New York Islanders. His deal carries a $5.4 million annual cap hit.
Lee scored his first Mammoth goal Thursday and said the two families have spent substantial time together during the past month. After years as Eastern Conference opponents, Lee said it has been valuable to share the experience of relocating with another veteran player managing the same family changes.
Lee’s own return to New York will have to wait. Utah’s visit to the Rangers is not his Islanders homecoming; that comes Feb. 15, when the Mammoth visit UBS Arena.
Trocheck and Lee have also added another layer of veteran presence to Utah’s room. Coach Andre Tourigny pointed to Trocheck’s approach during a special-teams practice as an example. Even while assigned to the power play, Trocheck went to assistant coach John Madden between repetitions to ask about penalty-kill positioning.
For Tourigny, that kind of curiosity is the mark of a dependable professional. For Trocheck, the focus is now on helping a new club turn its confidence into results. He said the group has spent plenty of time together ahead of camp, worked through the long summer buildup and is eager to begin a season carrying significant expectations.
