By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com
Utah is a long way from Almaty, Kazakhstan, but Almaty’s own Magzhan Sagadiev has been a long way from his hometown for several years already. When he pulls on the Utah Outliers’ jersey for 2024-25, that will be his fifth season playing in North America at a 15U or higher level.
Sagadiev had a strong first year in the NCDC, which was also his first junior hockey season as a 2005-born forward. He put up 21 points in 45 games with the Outliers, after coming from Northfield Mount Hermon and the GBL Jr. Bruins split-season team.
“As a team, I thought we had a quality season. We started off pretty slow and had to deal with a ton of adversity, but we adapted and found solutions to achieve better results,” said Sagadiev. “By the end of the season, it felt like we really came together as a team and found ways to stay among the top in our division. However, we ended up finishing second and fell short in the playoffs, which definitely left our team with a sense of unfulfillment.”
That was only part of what drove Sagadiev to put his name to paper for one more campaign with an Outliers team he’s come to take to his heart like a family.
“I decided to re-sign with the Outliers because of how much I enjoyed being part of the team and the culture we had. I also noticed how much my game evolved and developed over the last season,” said Sagadiev. “I plan to continue that trend, and the Outliers have all the tools I need to be successful in doing so. I believe our team has a real shot at becoming Dineen Cup Champions this season with all the knowledge and experience we gained from the previous season.”
Sagadiev scored seven goals and 14 assists for 28 points, and he also put up an assist in seven playoff games. Year 2 for the Outliers is expected to see even bigger growth and development for this still young college hockey prospect.
“I think last season I became a more well rounded player in all areas of the ice. I developed new strengths in my game that allowed me to play in all three zones more effectively, especially defensively,” added Sagadiev. “I think this season I’m going to try to step up my offensive production along with staying solid in the back end. At the end of the day, it’s about doing everything you can to win the game, and that’s what we are going after this season.
“I have definitely taken some massive strides in my development with the Outliers so far. The team and the coaching staff provided us with everything we needed to take our game to the next level,” he added.
Sagadiev also likes the platform that the NCDC provides to sharpen his game, playing intense and fast games every night across the Rocky Mountain states.
“I really like how our division is set up with teams being able to adapt and learn from each other, but also having enough diversity to not play the same teams over and over again,” Sagadiev said. “The competition in the Mountain Division improved greatly during the last season, and I think it’s going to continue to do so in the upcoming season.”
After the Outliers’ local rivals the Ogden Mustangs put up a 7-3 victory in Game 1 of the 2024 Dineen Cup Finals, it showed the hockey world that the first-year Mountain Division is on an even par with the long-standing Eastern U.S. Divisions. That, Sagadiev said, will help draw more NCAA eyes towards the Mountain Division.
“I haven’t had any talks with colleges yet, but I believe the Mountain Division is going to draw a lot of eyes this year and hopefully I will be able to showcase my game when the time comes,” he added.
The NCDC wishes Magzhan Sagadiev and the Utah Outliers the very best of luck in the upcoming 2024-25 season.
