Colorado Mammoth Open Training Camp with Fiery Effort at Foothills Fieldhouse

DENVER – The Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) are officially back, as the Burgundy Boys began their four-weekend Training Camp at Foothills Fieldhouse with several heavy-hitting sessions of tune-up work, medical examinations, team bonding opportunities and beyond.

Weekends two, three and four are set to take place in various provinces across Canada throughout the remainder of November, so the team was sure to make the most of their time together in 5280 Territory to kickstart what should be another memorable campaign.

Coming off an impressive 12-6 regular season run, the organization has plenty to reflect on.

But the focus has turned to the approaching 2026-27 season, as the team continues to utilize its veteran core while building around and for the future with stars like Jack Hannah, Will Malcom and company.

“It feels great to be back with the boys. It’s been a long offseason. Obviously, we ended last year with a bad taste in our mouths the way things ended, but I love this group and the guys that we’ve got here, and we’re excited to get started,” Mammoth captain Robert Hope shared.

“We’ve got a good group of young guys coming in that are playing well. The vets came back in good shape and we’re excited. It’s great to be back in Denver but we’re hungry and we’re ready to get going.”

Of course, seeing guys like Andrew Kew and company excel early into camp didn’t stop a returning ace like Eli McLaughlin from donning the spotlight during his first reps with the team since Spring of 2025. McLaughlin stepped away from the game to complete onboarding for his firefighting career, which is in full swing, just like the Mammoth.

“The perks of the jobs are that you have to be in shape, so I felt like I’ve taken good care of the body. I think I’ve done a lot of growing up in the last year. I missed the game, so hopefully I can take some of the stuff I’ve learned over the last year and bring it here to help some of the guys – coming back and being a bit more of a leader,” McLaughlin shared following Saturday’s practice.

“It’s great to be back. I missed these guys and missed being here. I didn’t miss the altitude, that still takes my breath away, every time. But I’m excited to be back and get the season going. The boys are looking sharp, so it’s just going to go up from here.”

At just 33 years of age, he’s a young lad around the firehouse. Entering his 11th training camp, he’s one of the team’s most respected veterans, and returned to circles with said reputation intact.

The talented lefty also continues to rank amongst the franchise’s all-time leaders in several categories, which says enough about his role on the turf and what he means to the clubhouse, just the same.

“Stay sharp and get fitter, that’s what we have to work on. We have to take those workouts from Joel (Raether) seriously and put in the work when we’re not here in Denver. That’s what’s most important. It’s the stuff we can do when people aren’t looking that will pay off for us.”

Set to enter his twelfth season as an NLL defenseman, all with Colorado, “Hopey” has pretty much seen it all. Which means he has a fine understanding of the Mammoth’s culture, and what getting guys like McLaughlin, Ryan Lee and fellow vets back in the lineup this season means to the team.

“They’re great people and great friends to have. We missed having them around. Guys have stepped up with them not being around last season, but their leadership, how they carry themselves, and the professionalism is great to have around, so it’s great to have them back. We look forward to them leading the charge on the front end when everybody’s ready to go,” Hope added.

Naturally, the boys began the weekend with a bunch of hugs, handshakes and a shared meal at Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, the team’s home away from home when in town.

Following a few speeches from General Manager Brad Self, Head Coach Pat Coyle and associated scouts and staff, the boys headed off to rest, with an early-morning conditioning test looming.

Everybody can give their all during a competitive streak of down-and-backs. However, the team wanted to see how the pack would respond to six-straight sets of down-and-backs, as the standard was being set in real time.

Throw in some headshots and an afternoon session filled with ramped-up practice and some fresh Capelli Sport-branded practice jerseys, swag and beyond, and the smiles were creating themselves.

As was the sweat equity.

Saturday’s second go featured plenty of stretches, sprints and plenty of drills, with the O and D squads taking some time to themselves before various odd-man, man-up and other scenarios played out in competitive fashion.

And when first dibs on suite seats and within the food line during the evening’s activity were offered up, the last few minutes of practice were practically NLL Finals overtime vibes!

Guys might travel in from every corner of North America with varying sporting team interests. But when the boys are in Denver, specifically at the LOUD HOUSE, they’re full-on Avs fans.

Capping off the three-day weekend, the squad took in Saturday night’s Colorado Avalanche game, cheering on their Ball Arena roommates while kicking back and sharing some laughs.

When the weekend concluded, each of the players in attendance had plenty of personal goals and areas of improvement to home in on. Collectively, the group has some shared goals, too, which Hope and fellow leaders have three more weekends to drive home before the team’s Dec. 5 season-opening showdown against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs at Lee’s Family Forum.

“Getting everybody on the same page. Just making sure the new guys understand the standards and that the vets are pushing the standards higher and higher. And making sure we’re in great shape. A lot of the guys came in in really great shape and I think the standard has been set really high,” Hope concluded.

“We’ve had a good pace at both of our practices and I think that’s some of the best we’ve looked with our communication on the defensive end. Offensively, there’s lots of threats out there, so the quicker we can just get things started in that highest gear possible for the rest of Training Camp and for the start of the season, the better.

Mammoth fans can stay tuned to coloradomammoth.com and Colorado Mammoth social media channels for the team’s latest news, transactions and beyond.