Mammoth 2026-27 Season Schedule: 12 Must-Watch Games

Get your calendars out. The Utah Mammoth’s schedule for the upcoming 2026-27 season is here. With it comes the first-ever 84-game schedule for the team as the NHL shifts to a shorter preseason and longer regular season.

Here is the Mammoth’s 2026-27 schedule. The first 84 game one in franchise history. #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/eMMtr64qeS

— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) July 16, 2026

As always, there are some big games in the books for the Mammoth, including some returns of familiar faces, the Winter Classic, and, of course, some matchups against some familiar foes. Here are the dates you should circle in your calendar.

The Home Opener (Oct. 1 vs Chicago Blackhawks)

As always, the very first game of the season should be a big date on all Mammoth fans’ calendars. For the second time in the past three years, the Mammoth will start the season at home at the Delta Center against the Blackhawks.

The Mammoth took on the Blackhawks in their inaugural game back in 2024, winning 5-2. Last season, the team started their season on the road in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche. While they lost that game 2-1, the Mammoth went on to win their second straight home opener 3-1 against the Calgary Flames. They now look to remain perfect come Oct 1.

Like always, the home opener is expected to be a party. There will more than likely be a patio party with the annual Mountain Blue carpet walk-in complete with rally towels in the building. Fans who attend will also get to see the debuts of many new faces, like free agent signings Anders Lee and Andrew Peeke, along with offseason acquisition Vincent Trocheck.

The Mammoth are 3-2-3 all-time against the Blackhawks. However, they lost every single game against them last season. With the acquisitions of Bowen Byram and Cole Smith, the Blackhawks do look like a better team. That will be put to the test against the Mammoth.

The game will also mark Ian Cole’s first return to Salt Lake City since signing a one-year deal with the Blackhawks this past free agency. The defenseman played all 164 games in the Mammoth’s two-year history, putting up 40 points. Cole was a big leader in the locker room and a solid presence on the team’s bottom pairing on the blueline.

Olli Määttä Finally Returns to Utah (Oct. 27 vs Minnesota Wild)

Just a couple of weeks after Cole’s return to Utah, another former defenseman will return to the Delta Center for the first time since leaving the Mammoth. Fans will get their first chance to welcome back Olli Määttä since he was included in the team’s trade for MacKenzie Weegar at the last trade deadline.

Määttä was originally acquired by the Mammoth during the team’s first season, getting traded from the Detroit Red Wings. The defenseman revived his career with a solid 18-point season, helping reinforce the blueline when the team was dealing with injuries to John Marino and Sean Durzi. He was rewarded with a four-year extension.

However, last season, Määttä found himself sitting in the press box most nights with the emergence of Nick DeSimone and Dmitri Simashev. Needing a new opportunity, he was packaged along with draft picks in a trade to the Calgary Flames for Weegar. In total, Määttä played 92 games with the Mammoth, producing 19 points.

Määttä played 22 games with the Flames after the trade. He fit in well, producing 14 points, including producing an assist against the Mammoth when they visited Calgary. However, his time as a Flame was short-lived as he was traded to the Wild this summer.

Oct. 27 will also be the Wild’s first time in Utah this season. Fans will get to see top players like Matt Boldy, Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber, and Kirill Kaprizov take the ice. With the Mammoth only getting better, it will be interesting to see if a rivalry develops between the two Central Division teams. The Mammoth are 5-1-1 against the Wild all-time.

A Playoff Rematch in Sin City (Nov. 11 @ Vegas Golden Knights)

The Mammoth won’t have to wait long to see the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season. Just a little under six weeks into the season, they will play the Golden Knights for the first time since May 1, when they were knocked out by the eventual Western Conference champions in six games.

The Golden Knights will look a little different than the last time the Mammoth saw them. Over the offseason, Smith, Keegan Kolesar, Kaeden Korczak, Colton Sissons, and Pavel Dorofeyev all departed the team. While they added Parker Wotherspoon and Victor Olofsson, the Golden Knights don’t look as deep as they did during their playoff run. 

It wasn’t just players departing the Golden Knights over the summer. John Tortorella was let go in favor of the promotion of Henderson Silver Knights head coach Ryan Craig. It will be a much different team than what the Mammoth faced in May in terms of not just players but how the team plays, too.

The Mammoth will play the Golden Knights three times this season. Twice in Las Vegas, including this game, and on Dec. 3, and once in Salt Lake City. Mammoth fans will have to wait all the way until April 3 to see that game. They are an all-time 3-2-1 against the Golden Knights.

The Defending Champions Come to Town (Dec. 17 vs Carolina Hurricanes)

It’s always exciting to see the team that won the Stanley Cup and how your favorite team matches up against them. The Mammoth will get their first crack at the Hurricanes on Dec. 18 in their lone appearance at the Delta Center.

The Hurricanes will be icing pretty much the same team that won the cup back in June. It will be interesting to see how this improved Mammoth team does against a team that has had their number the past two seasons. The Mammoth are 1-3-0 all-time against the Hurricanes, losing both of their games against them last season.

Dec. 18 will be the lone chance fans in Utah get to watch the defending Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Jordan Staal, in action, whose contract expires at the end of this season. The Mammoth will make their lone trip to Raleigh on Mar. 7.

The Winter Classic (Dec. 31 vs Avalanche)

Perhaps the most anticipated game of the season will be played on New Year’s Eve as the Mammoth take their rivalry with the Avalanche outdoors in the 2027 Winter Classic. The game will be played at Rice Eccles Stadium, home of the University of Utah’s football team.

This will be the first-ever outdoor appearance for the Mammoth, which is sure to be a special event. Owner Ryan Smith has told the media to treat the Winter Classic as a whole weekend event, which will include a free concert at the Delta Center. Other expected components of the Winter Classic will include the debut of the Mammoth’s new jersey for the game and a ball drop for the new year.

The game will also be played in front of the biggest crowd the Mammoth have ever seen. More than 54,000 people will pack Rice Eccles Stadium. Only a select few players on the team have played in an event like this, including Lee, Trocheck, Weegar, Peeke, Mikhail Sergachev, Brandon Tanev, and Kailer Yamamoto. Meanwhile, the Avalanche have participated in three outdoor games during their history, most recently in 2021.

This will be the third time these two teams meet this season. The first two matchups are scheduled for Nov. 18 and Dec. 14. They’ll play each other once more on Mar. 23 in Denver. The Mammoth are 2-5-0 against the Avalanche all-time.

JJ Peterka Makes His Return to Utah (Jan. 23 vs Boston Bruins)

Jan. 23 will bring back one of the more controversial players in Mammoth history. The Bruins will make their lone trip to Utah with JJ Peterka now on their team. 

Peterka was acquired by the Mammoth last summer, with fan favorites Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring being sent back the other way to the Buffalo Sabres. In 82 games with the Mammoth, Peterka never got to the 50-point mark, which he achieved twice during his time with the Sabres. While his defensive stats improved, he slipped out of the top six towards the end of the season. A poor playoff performance didn’t help his case either, including when he was infamously benched during Game 4.

While it was a disappointing season for the German forward, no one expected him to be traded, especially after he inked a five-year deal with the Mammoth. However, management deemed him not to be a good fit for the team, and he was traded to the Bruins for two first-round picks. One of those picks was traded to the Red Wings for Sebastian Cossa at the draft.

It will be interesting to see how Peterka is perceived by the Mammoth faithful. It will also be interesting to see how well he plays in his return. The forward had two points in his first two games against the Sabres last season and told reporters that getting those points was special. We’ll see if he can do the same against the Mammoth.

Jan. 23 won’t be the first time the Mammoth run into Peterka. They’ll make their trip up to Boston at the very beginning of the season on Oct. 8. That will also mark Peeke’s return to TD Garden. All-time, the Mammoth are 2-2-0 against the Bruins.

The Mammoth’s Lone King Clancy Nominee Comes Back to Utah (Jan. 31 vs Nashville Predators)

The last game of January will be the first time the Mammoth’s divisional rivals, the Predators, come into town. It will also mark Alex Kerfoot’s first return to the Delta Center.

The forward played 115 games with the Mammoth across two seasons, producing 41 points. Kerfoot also played 82 games with the Arizona Coyotes before moving up to Salt Lake City with the team. He was the Mammoth’s King Clancy nominee the past two seasons and was a big part of the youth hockey scene in Utah. Kerfoot signed a two-year deal with the Predators this summer.

If fans miss Kerfoot’s return on Sunday, they won’t have to wait long to see him again. The Mammoth will host the Predators in the very next game on Feb. 2 as well. Meanwhile, the team will visit Broadway twice during the season (Nov. 27 and Mar. 4). The Mammoth are 4-2-1 vs the Predators all-time.

Last Ride at the Saddledome (Feb. 3 @ Calgary Flames)

The Mammoth’s last trip to Calgary this season will be a historic one. While they’ll play the Flames once more (Feb. 24), Feb. 3 will mark the last time the team will ever play at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The Flames have played at the Saddledome since 1983, making it the second-oldest arena in the NHL. Over the past 43 seasons, the team has made three Stanley Cup Final appearances, including winning the cup in 1989. For players who have played on the Flames, the Saddledome isn’t the most luxurious arena, but it’s an iconic one and represents a lot of great times.

Come the 2027-28 season, the Flames will move into Scotia Place and the Saddledome will be torn down. It’s a much-needed action, but at the same time, it’s sad. A lot of hockey history has been made in the arena. Some of DeSimone’s first NHL games were played at the Saddledome along with many other NHLers. Weegar spent a lot of time playing in front of the “C of Red,” memories he’ll always be fond of. Feb. 24 will be their chance to say one final goodbye to the arena.

The Mammoth will play the Flames a total of three times this season. They have compiled a 4-2-0 all-time record against them.

An Expected Emotional Return to the Island (Feb. 15 @ New York Islanders)

There will be quite a few tributes around the NHL this season for players who are now with the Mammoth, but none will be quite as big and emotional as Lee’s return to Long Island on Feb. 15.

For 14 seasons, Lee played for the Islanders. He quickly became a big contributor for the team, reaching the 50-point plateau five times. He also became the heart and soul of the team after John Tavares left, becoming the captain and being the Islanders’ King Clancy nominee six times, winning the award in 2024.

Lee meant a lot to Islanders fans, and Feb. 15 will be their time to celebrate the forward and everything he did for the organization. Leaving wasn’t something he and his family took lightly, but in order to achieve his ultimate goal- winning the Stanley Cup- it was something he had to do.

Both of the Mammoth’s matchups against the Islanders will also feature former Utah forward Matias Maccelli, who played 55 games for the team back during the 2024-25 season. He signed with the team this summer after spending last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Mammoth have a 2-1-1 all-time record vs the Islanders.

A Fan Favorite Defenseman Makes His Return (Mar. 9 vs New York Rangers)

The final return of a former Mammoth player this season could be the most emotional one. The Rangers finally come to the Delta Center on Mar. 9, and with them will come Durzi. The defenseman was packaged with Cole Beaudoin and draft picks in a trade to acquire Trocheck.

Durzi was another fan favorite in Utah. With a very likeable personality, he was another big figure in the community, becoming a very public face for the Mammoth while he was recovering from a significant injury during the 2024-25 season. He was also one of the original Utah players who moved from Arizona after playing 76 games with the team.

Overall, the defenseman played 90 games for the Mammoth, producing 38 points. While he never reached his single-season high of 41 points in Utah, partially due to injuries, he was an extremely important defenseman who could play in the top four if needed. 

Beaudoin will also likely play in this game as well. While he never played a game for the Mammoth, he was the second-ever draft pick in franchise history and one who was well-liked. Beaudoin was thought to be a future leader and middle six center for the team who could really make an impact on every game he played. While Mammoth fans will never get to see that for their own team, it will be exciting to see him grow during his yearly returns to the Delta Center.

The Mammoth are 3-1-0 all-time vs the Rangers. They’ll make their lone visit to Madison Square Garden on Oct. 4.

Wild West Showdown to End the Season (April 7 vs Dallas Stars & April 10 @ St. Louis Blues)

While April 7 and 10 likely won’t be the final times the Mammoth take the ice this season, they do mark the two finales for the regular season. They also mark two of the final games of a 13-game stretch of Western Conference foes.

April 7 will be the Mammoth’s fan appreciation night as the final regular-season game at the Delta Center. It could also be a massive game as they take on the Stars, one of the teams expected to compete with the Mammoth for a Central Division playoff spot. It could even be a first-round preview should the two clinch a playoff matchup against each other.

The two will then head to Texas to play each other once more before the Mammoth round out their regular season in Missouri against the Blues. It’s the third straight time they’ll end the season against the Blues, though the Mammoth are hoping the outcome will not be the same as the last two seasons. They have dropped both of their regular-season finales against the Blues, including in 2025 when the Blues punched their ticket into the postseason with a 6-1 win against their divisional opponent.

Not only are the two finales the end of the 13-game stretch against Western Conference opponents, but they will also be part of the final four games that will all be against divisional opponents. The Mammoth are 3-4-1 all-time against the Stars and 4-4-0 all-time against the Blues.