Every fall, a few teams come out flying and make the hockey world do a double take. This season, two of them — the Montreal Canadiens and the Utah Mammoth — have everyone wondering whether the early surge is for real or just a sugar rush.
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Jason Bukala joined the FAN Hockey Show this week and took on that question: Whose start is more sustainable — Montreal or Utah? As you can tell from the video below, it turned into a surprisingly thoughtful conversation about patience, scars, and what it means to build something that lasts.
The Canadiens Have Learned Lessons the Hard Way
Bukala didn’t hesitate. His pick was Montreal. He said it with the kind of quiet certainty that comes from watching a young team grow up the slow way. “They’ve already built up a layer of scar tissue,” he said. That curious phrase stuck with me, but it’s perfect.
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You can see what he means. The Canadiens have been through it — the highs of a playoff run, the lows of a rebuild that tested everyone’s patience, and the long grind of learning to compete when the stakes don’t feel high. Last season’s late surge didn’t change the standings much, but it mattered in the room. The Canadiens learned how to close out games, handle bad starts, and play through frustration without losing their shape.
Bukala’s point was simple: when you’ve been knocked around a bit, the bumps don’t shake you as much. Montreal’s core — Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and the kids coming behind them — has been learning how to take hits and keep their heads up. That’s the stuff that keeps a hot start from unraveling when the schedule tightens in January.
The Mammoth Are Also Built Right and Built Fast
But the Mammoth aren’t just a flash in the pan either. Bukala was quick to praise what he called their “internal patience.” Utah’s management has been smart, giving young players time instead of forcing trades for instant help.
Related: Utah Mammoth’s Strong Start Shouldn’t Be Ignored
They’ve also built around defense — not the most glamorous route, but maybe the most reliable. When Bukala mentioned their defense, he was referring to the kind of players every young team dreams of landing: steady, physical, and smart enough to make everyone else better.
(Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
He compared the Mammoth to “Montreal of the West,” a young group coming together the right way — from the inside out. They’re still missing a few pieces, and Bukala admitted he’s waiting to see how they handle their first real slump. But there’s no mistaking the tone of respect. Utah’s not pretending to be something it’s not. That’s the difference between luck and foundation.
Both the Canadiens and the Mammoth Are Coming Together
By the end of the segment, a consensus emerged. Both teams are doing things the right way, but Montreal’s been tested longer. The Canadiens’ struggles have given them experience — the kind you can’t fake or fast-track. Utah’s story is still being written, but everyone on that panel seemed to agree: they’re building the right way, too.
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It wasn’t a hot-take conversation. Nobody shouted about goaltending or special teams. Instead, it was the kind of calm hockey talk that recognizes how success actually works. You suffer a bit, you figure out what type of team you want to be, and eventually, the game starts coming to you. Then, you slowly begin to win.
So, Are the Canadiens or the Mammoth the Better Bet?
If you’re keeping score, Bukala’s pick was Montreal. It’s the safer, steadier story. But he also tipped his cap to Utah for doing things the hard way —no skipping steps and letting the process breathe.
Maybe that’s the real takeaway: both teams are reminders that development takes time. One’s a little further down the road, the other’s just finding its stride. But if patience and good habits count for anything, we might be watching two foundations being laid at once.
