One of the very best stories of the 2025-2026 NLL season resides 5,280 feet above sea level in the beautiful city of Denver. It is here on the front range of the Rocky Mountains where the Colorado Mammoth have ski jumped their way to a 5-2 record, including winning four consecutive games since Jack Hannah joined the club courtesy of a late December trade with the Las Vegas Desert Dogs.
In the wake of winning the 2022 NLL title and following that achievement up with a runner-up finish in 2023, the inhabitants of Ball Arena fell into a two-season malaise, going 5-13 and 8-10 in the successive years that followed the back-to-back championship round appearances.
For longtime head coach Pat Coyle and the rest of the Colorado organization, despite all the successes of the early 2020’s, two seasons of struggle provided all the evidence needed to lower the curtain on a memorable era and finally hit the reset button.
“We made a conscious decision after not making the playoffs for the second year in a row,” explained the 56-year-old bench boss. “It was tough that we win the championship, we lose in the championship, and then it felt like we fell off a cliff and didn’t make the playoffs the next two years. The only good thing about us not making the playoffs and coming in last was we got Will Malcom with the first pick in the dispersal draft, and I think we’re starting to see the benefits of having a player like that.”
The Mammoth’s reversal of fortune has been driven by Malcom’s arrival in Denver, prior to last season, followed by the more recent acquisitions of Hannah and the highly skilled Andrew Kew, who was acquired via an offseason trade with the Georgia Swarm. At 26, 25 and 29-years-old respectively, this trio of talent represents the new and improved foundation of what had been an aging Mammoth roster.
Coyle feels a sense of gratification regarding the ability to add players of Malcom, Hannah and Kew’s stature, within a relatively short time period, while strongly believing that a core group of this makeup could signify the spine of the franchise for the foreseeable future.
“We’re super lucky,” beams Coyle. “For so many years, it sort of felt like it was Eli McLaughlin and Connor Robinson on the left side, with Zed Williams and Ryan Lee on the right. It’s hard to turn the page on guys that you’ve been so successful with and have been such warriors for your team. Having Jack and Will come along and be that young. We were lucky enough to see a player like Eli McLaughlin develop because we drafted him, seeing the stages he went through, and now comparing that to Jack and Will. These are guys not even in their prime yet. It’s exciting. I feel good about our team for the present and for a lot of years to come.”
The NLL Hall of Famer later described the practical aspects of having players like Malcom, Hannah and Kew playing very prominent roles on a team.
“It balances the floor out a little more. We’ve got a real threat on the left side with Malcom and Kew, and then you put Hannah on the other side. It really changes an offense when you can score from both sides of the floor.”
Malcom has been a revelation in Denver, posting 18 goals and 23 assists, thus far this season, good for seventh in the overall points category.
Though having competed in fewer games than Malcom, the Kew-Hannah combo has also been stellar. In three contests, Kew has nine goals and 13 assists, while in four games, Hannah’s stat line features six goals and 16 assists, including two separate six-assist performances since donning a Mammoth jersey.
“Malcom and Kew are incredible players; everyone loves playing with guys like that,” shares Hannah. “I think the organization has built a great foundation for success, and I’m happy to be a part of it. Will and Andrew would have the same answer as me, the offense as a whole is the reason we are playing well.”
The Mammoth’s retooling of its roster runs far deeper than the aforementioned guys who garner the lion’s share of the headlines. All 23-years-old and under, names like Braedon Saris, Owen Rahn and Thomas Vela have brought a newfound energy to the squad, while the procurement of 26-year-old Dylan McIntosh added yet another contributor, chock-full of upside.
“The NLL is becoming such a fast and athletic league,” assesses Coyle. “We felt like we were maybe a step or two behind in some cases. So, we wanted to bring in athletes who can handle the ball. I give a lot of credit to our GM, Brad Self, who’s made some good draft picks and made the trade for Dylan McIntosh in the offseason. That’s been a really solid move for us. Just seems like the pieces are fitting well together, but the commonality in all those pieces is that they’re all athletes, they’re engines.”
Observing the youth movement’s contributions, Hannah wholeheartedly agrees with the man who leads Colorado into battle.
“The hard work of Saris, Rahn, McIntosh and Vela can’t go unnoticed when discussing Will, Andrew, and myself,” opines the Milford, Ohio product.
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With the concepts of renewal and change serving as the overarching storylines in Denver, one aspect of the Mammoth operation that remains a constant is the steady presence of legendary goaltender Dillon Ward. The third overall selection, all the way back in the 2013 draft, is having an outstanding season between the pipes, tallying an 8.89 GAA, alongside an 82.9 percent save percentage.
Both Coyle and Hannah possess the utmost respect concerning both Ward’s career resume and the guidance he is providing during this season’s Mammoth renaissance.
“Dillon’s leadership style would be mostly by example, gleams Coyle. “He’s a really competitive guy. He hates to lose, and that’s something that we really want our guys all to feel. I would rather they hate losing more than they love winning. Dillon is not a rah-rah guy. He’s not a guy who’s going to say a lot, but when he does say stuff, people listen. He is our team’s backbone. I’ve probably taken for granted that he’s made my job a lot easier as a coach, that’s for sure.”
Despite being a part of the Mammoth locker-room for a short time, Hannah has already been drawn to the aura of his iconic brother between the pipes.
“Dillon Ward is one of the greats for a reason. His play has been fantastic this year, but his leadership and attitude when things get tough puts confidence in every guy listening,” states Hannah.
When factoring in the quality of his NLL environment, combined with being a full-time Denver resident, Hannah is supremely satisfied when the topic of playing in his adopted hometown becomes a part of the conversation. A love affair that began during his college days at the University of Denver and continues through the former All-American’s work with LacrosseDen, a youth-college lacrosse training center.
“Denver and Colorado lacrosse have supported me from day one of arriving to DU’s campus. Hard to find words for the impact the DU program has had on my life,” reminisces the proud Pioneer alum.
Hannah then went into further detail regarding the scope and mission of his lax initiative.
“We use box and field concepts to help the kids in the Denver area maximize their potential in the sport of lacrosse,” illuminates Hannah. “Alex Figge has invested his time and capital into JJ Sillstrop and myself to better the lacrosse community in Denver. We have added Greg Weyl and Ally Gibb to our operation and continue to grow for the betterment of the lacrosse community in Denver. Seven days a week, kids can learn from our incredible coaching staff of former pro and collegiate players.”
As Hannah and his associates work diligently to further enhance the Denver lacrosse scene, the city’s most accomplished overseer of the Creator’s Game is loving every aspect of the Jack Hannah/Denver collaboration.
“Jack is a guy that was sort of synonymous with Denver lacrosse even before playing for us. Having him in our community works both ways. Jack wants to build a lacrosse business of his own, but I think he helps build the Mammoth name in our community, and if that’s who our representative of the Mammoth is, we’re really lucky,” boasts the NLL championship coach.
When discussing what makes Denver and Colorado such a special place for Hannah to call home. The man of many pursuits keeps his approach to life away from the field as simple and succinct as humanly possible.
“My free time is spent fishing with my dog in the great outdoors!”
The words of a man who appears to be quite fulfilled with his current lot in life.
