When the New Jersey Devils signed centre Brett Hayton of Peterborough, Ontario to an offer sheet on Canada Day, the Utah Mammoth had an opportunity to match the offer as Hayton was a restricted free agent. On Wednesday, the Mammoth decided to bring Hayton back on the Devils’s proposed terms. Hayton signed a 0ne-year deal worth $4.775 million according to the Associated Press.
Hayton is one of two players to remain with his respective club after receiving a contract offer in the offseason from another team because he was a restrictive free agent. The Philadelphia Flyers offered Leo Carlsson an eight-year contract worth $90 million, which was matched by the Anaheim Ducks. Carlsson is set to make $18 million this season and will be the highest paid player in the National Hockey League.
In 2025-26, Hayton had 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points in 67 games. He was a +3 with 54 penalty minutes, six power-play points, one game-winning goal, 119 shots on goal, 409 faceoff wins, 29 blocked shots, 34 hits, 13 takeaways and 40 giveaways.
Hayton’s game-winning goal came on January 27 in a 4-3 Mammoth win over the Florida Panthers at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. Hayton scored an empty net goal with 56 seconds left in the game to put the Mammoth up 4-2 at the time. Kevin Stenlund had the lone assist.
