Mammoth Recall Biber, Place Yamamoto on IR
Utah recalled 20-year-old defenseman Gregor Biber from AHL Tucson after Nate Schmidt was hurt in Montreal.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Hockey
The Utah Mammoth placed forward Kailer Yamamoto on injured reserve, retroactive to October 29, and recalled defenseman Gregor Biber from AHL Tucson. The moves came after Nate Schmidt suffered an upper-body injury Thursday during the team's game in Montreal.
Why it matters
Schmidt's injury left a gap on Utah's blue line that needed filling, and Biber is expected to serve as the seventh defender while Schmidt recovers. The roster change also gives Yamamoto, who was placed on injured reserve after an upper-body injury, a path back when the team judges him ready.
Yamamoto recorded four goals and three assists across nine games before the injury, while Biber has three assists and 10 penalty minutes in 11 games with AHL Tucson this season. Neither player's recovery or readiness timeline has been publicly specified.
The players
Utah Mammoth
The National Hockey League franchise based in Salt Lake City, Utah, which made the roster moves.
Gregor Biber
A 20-year-old Austrian defenseman who was drafted by Utah and has played junior and professional hockey in Sweden.
The details
Utah created roster space for Biber by moving Yamamoto to injured reserve, and the designation is retroactive to October 29. Yamamoto's original day-to-day tag had lasted more than a week before the move. Biber, a fourth-round pick, 98th overall, in the 2024 draft, signed a three-year entry-level deal with Utah in May.
Timeline
May: Utah signed Gregor Biber to a three-year entry-level deal.
October 29: Yamamoto's injured reserve designation becomes retroactive to this date.
Thursday: Nate Schmidt suffered an upper-body injury in Montreal.
Season Trajectory
The recall of Biber from Tucson follows the pattern of Utah filling NHL depth gaps with prospects developed in its AHL affiliate. The move keeps the blue line stocked while Schmidt is sidelined and Yamamoto recovers.
Biber's promotion means Utah is carrying seven defensemen while Schmidt is out, with Artem Duda the next defender he will sit behind. Fantasy managers tracking Yamamoto should watch for a return date, since he can rejoin the lineup whenever the team clears him.
The takeaway
Roster depth matters when a key defender goes down, and call-ups from the AHL can fill the gap without major changes to the lineup. Readers tracking the Mammoth should watch for updates on Schmidt and Yamamoto's health.
Further reading
Follow the latest Hockey coverage for more on how Utah's roster is shaping up.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NDTVSports.
