The only good news about having to scrape the windows in the morning is knowing that hockey season is just around the corner.
After dropping the puck at the Delta Center for the first time last year, the Utah Mammoth will hit the ice again Thursday, when they take on the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.
After playing a trio of games on the road, the Mammoth will return to Utah for their first regular-season action in the renovated Delta Center on Oct. 15.
Team owner and BYU graduate Ryan Smith has kept the pedal down off the ice since buying and relocating the team to Salt Lake City. Now, the question is whether this will be the season the Mammoth take the next step and earn their first playoff berth.
The Team
One of the biggest moves of the offseason came in June when the Mammoth made a blockbuster trade with the Buffalo Sabres for forward JJ Peterka. In exchange for the German winger, Utah sent defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan to Buffalo.
Peterka, entering his fourth full NHL season, is coming off a career year with 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists). After the trade, he signed a five-year contract worth an average annual value of $7.7 million, making him the team’s second-highest-paid player and highest-paid forward.
Buffalo has a puzzling history of trading away players who later become Stanley Cup champions — including Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Brandon Montour and Ryan O’Reilly. Could Peterka be the next name to join that list?
We have acquired JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan.
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) June 26, 2025
Peterka has been signed to a 5-year deal. pic.twitter.com/zvA3k1gUsN
The 23-year-old will be a major boost to a team that ranked 21st in scoring during its inaugural season. He’ll likely slot in on Utah’s top line alongside fellow young forwards Logan Cooley (21) and Dylan Guenther (22). Veterans Clayton Keller, the team’s captain, along with Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz, will likely see equal playing time on the second line, solidifying Utah’s top six.
On defense, Mikhail Sergachev remains the backbone of the Mammoth blue line. He’s coming off his busiest season, averaging over 25 minutes of ice time per game.
Something to watch will be how Utah’s new defenders — rookie Dmitri Simashev, the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and recent Stanley Cup champion Nate Schmidt from the Florida Panthers — contribute to the team’s defensive stability.
Projected Lines
Dylan Guenther - Logan Cooley - JJ Peterka
Clayton Keller - Barrett Hayton - Nick Schmaltz
Lawson Crouse - Jack McBain - Michael Carcone
Andrew Agozzino - Kevin Stenlund - Alexander Kerfoot
(Extras: Liam O’Brien, Brandon Tavev)
Mikhail Sergachev - John Marino
Ian Cole - Sean Durzi
Dmitri Simashev - Nate Schmidt
(Extras: Olli Maatta, Nick DeSimone)
Karel Vejmelka
Vitek Vanecek
The Schedule
The Mammoth's home opener will be Oct. 15 against the Calgary Flames, three hours before puck drop at 4:00 there will be a full slate of festivities outside the Delta Center including live music, exclusive Mammoth merchandise, and welcoming the players on the Mountain Blue carpet.
Fans are encouraged to get to their seats early for what's being dubbed a "special surprise" which many speculate could be the announcement of the team's mascot with the Jazz Bear likely retiring his interim role.
There hasn’t yet been an announcement regarding last year’s $10 student ticket deal, but this season the Mammoth have introduced a $15 “Value Ticket” program — which includes a single-goal view seat, a hot dog, and a bottle of water — in partnership with Smith’s.
Official Utah Mammoth Website | Utah Mammoth
What will it take for Utah to make the playoffs for the first time?
Last season, Utah finished just seven points shy of a playoff berth. Dating back to its Arizona Coyotes days, it marked the team’s fifth straight year improving in the standings, ending the season with 80 points.
In a competitive Central Division, Utah will have its eyes on division rivals the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues, who claimed both wild card spots in last year’s playoffs.
One area the Mammoth will need to improve is their performance beyond regulation. Utah went 8–13 in overtime and shootouts (1–4 in shootouts), one of the worst marks in the league — a weakness that proved costly when points were tight near the end of the season.
Another critical need for Utah is depth scoring. Keller, who led the team with 30 goals last season, ranked just 40th in the league. Without a true goal scorer, the Mammoth relied on their depth to carry the load — but that never came to fruition.
Utah was tied with Boston for the fewest players (six) to reach the 30-point mark last season. While the addition of Peterka will help, if the Mammoth want to make the playoffs, they’ll need increased production from secondary contributors like McBain, Crouse and Kerfoot.
The Mammoth enter this season under significant pressure to bring playoff hockey to the Beehive State for the first time. There has never been a better time to be a hockey fan in Utah and witness whether that dream becomes a reality.