Mammoth’s Yegor Borikov on Utah’s Support, NHL Readiness, and Big Hockey Dreams – Hockey Writers – Utah Mammoth

After being taken by the Utah Mammoth in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft with the 110th overall pick, Yegor Borikov of Belarus crossed the ocean to sign with the team. The 20-year-old forward signed a three-year entry-level contract with Mammoth in early May, ending a successful Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) career that saw him become one of Dinamo Minsk’s most reliable talents.

In this translated interview, which originally appeared on the Belarusian portal Onliner, Borikov talked about Utah’s constant involvement in his development, his readiness for the challenge of the NHL, and his aspirations for the future.

**You can read the first interview in Russian by Anton Sherevinov on Onliner by clicking here**

Borikov wasn’t a household name when Utah called his name last summer. But the Mammoth organization quickly showed it was serious about its investment, maintaining regular contact with the young player throughout the 2025-26 season. “Utah was always in touch,” Borikov said.

“I can say that they led my entire season. The Utah staff responsible for developing young hockey players were always in contact with me. If I had any injuries, they would talk to me via video, clarify the nature of the damage, and advise me on the best way to recover. The goal was one—to bring me to the best condition. I saw their dedication, their interest, and I made my decision about the contract with that in mind.”

Borikov Breakout season

Borikov’s 2025-26 campaign justified Utah’s faith. In 59 regular season games with Dinamo Minsk, he recorded 16 goals and 14 assists for 30 points—both career highs. He finished second on the team with 78 hits and scored four game-winning goals. During the 2024–25 KHL postseason, he scored seven goals in 11 games, tying Evgeny Kuznetsov’s record for most goals in a single KHL playoff run by a player 20 years of age or younger.

“Playoffs are the best time in hockey,” Borikov noted. “I came off the ice thinking I’m enjoying that moment. It worked for me because we had a good line with Chris Tierney and Daniil Lipsky – we played together for half the season and we got along. Tierney did a lot for us defensively and offensively; there was chemistry. I scored a goal in the first game, I felt confident, and I went forward with those emotions.”

The announcement of his signing with Utah sparked some discussion about whether he is ready to move to the NHL at such a young age. “I don’t think anything about it. These people must understand that this is a hockey player’s decision,” said Borikov. “They say they’re not ready, they’re not ready yet… How do you know who’s ready and who’s not? I understand that’s the job of a professional—to discuss hockey with the players. I handle this well. And I’ve never heard a lot of negativity. People have a right to say that. Time will tell.”

When asked directly if he believed he was ready for the challenge, Borikov insisted: “I’m ready!”

The Way Forward

Borikov’s move to Utah will begin in early July when he will attend the team’s development camp. He will then return to his native Belarus in the summer before heading to Salt Lake City in mid-August to prepare for training camp, which opens in September.

“I want to arrive a few weeks early to settle down, get used to the time zone, get used to the city and local residents,” explained Borikov.

The midfielder has been learning his new hometown and is loving what he has learned. “I watched a lot of videos about the country and the city and talked to Dinamo Minsk players from North America,” he said.

He continued, “Everybody who’s been there says it’s a very cool town—the mountains, the big lake, the friendly people.” For example, the taxes are not as high as in New York, I also found that it is a religious city with many Mormons.

For a hockey player trying to focus on his development, Borikov sees nature as a positive. “It’s a great city for a hockey player—there are no trials. And for Belarusian hockey, this place is a symbol because it’s where our team beat the Swedes in the 2002 Olympics.”

Difficulty and Development

Another area where Borikov admits he needs improvement is his English. While he can handle hockey terms and basic conversations—teammate Robert Hamilton, who spent the last four seasons in the KHL after more than 200 games in the American Hockey League (AHL), recently told him his English was “night and day” compared to when he first joined Dinamo three years ago—Borikov knows that contract negotiations and complex negotiations require fluency.

“Of course I will work with teachers; I have to focus on that,” said Borikov. “The knowledge of the language directly affects the relationship between the player and the coach so that both of them understand me and I understand him. In the future, this will help.”

Before making his decision, Borikov interviewed several Belarusian players with NHL experience. He spoke with Ilya and Alexei Protas, Artyom Levshunov, Egor Sidorov, Andrei Loshko and Egor Sharangovich—all of whom supported his move.

“They said that even if they sent me to the AHL, it wouldn’t be a disaster,” explained Borikov. “After all, if someone in the main team gets injured, he can call me on the front line anytime.”

The young forward also expressed his gratitude to Dinamo head coach Dmitry Kvartalnov, who gave him his chance in professional hockey. “He always believed in me. He gave me a chance, told me what to do, how to train, how to recover. He showed me all the nuances of going from the youth hockey level to the adult level. I am very grateful to him.”

Kvartalnov’s advice to break up worked. “Watch your health; you need to gain a little weight because the boys there are a little stronger. This is so that you don’t get injured all the time.”

Home Communication

Borikov hails from Zhlobin, a small Belarusian town that has become a hotbed of incredible hockey talent. Its best product is Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Levshunov. Borikov’s father, Alexander, is the deputy director of the Belarusian Metallurgical Plant and serves on the board of directors of the local club, Metallurg Zhlobin.

“I am proud of my father – he did a great job to get such a position; he is a role model for me,” said Borikov. The younger Borikov credits his father for instilling the competitive edge that defines his game. “Everything that is hockey to me—courage, character, character—my father instilled in me. From childhood, he kept staring at me and explaining. If I didn’t finish running somewhere, I heard shouts from the houses immediately. I understood that I had to work so that I wouldn’t get yelled at after the game.”

The city’s hockey infrastructure also played an important role. “In Zhlobin, the doors of the ice palace were always open,” Borikov recalled. “You can come anytime, get a key, go to the gym. And the coaching staff is great … all these professionals have invested a lot in us.”

We are looking to the future

While Borikov is focused on making the NHL roster, he hasn’t forgotten his ultimate goals. “Win the Stanley Cup, the Olympics, the World Championship with the Belarus national team,” he said when asked about his hockey dreams. “I think every boy dreams of this. God willing, everything will be fine.”

For now, though, Borikov is taking one step at a time. “I don’t build expectations; I live for today, improve, and try to be better,” he said. “With this, I want to achieve success. I do not predict anything. If I go, I will study America from the inside.”

If things go well, Zhlobin will soon put another top player on the map.