The Utah Mammoth were one of the pleasant surprises in the NHL last season, but they won’t be sneaking up on anyone when they open their 2026-27 campaign Thursday night against the Chicago Blackhawks in Salt Lake City.
Chicago opened its season with a 5-2 loss at the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.
The young Utah squad finished fourth in the Central Division last spring and took a 2-1 lead against Vegas in the first round of the playoffs before losing in six games.
The Mammoth added a pair of veterans to their youthful core in the offseason. Forward Anders Lee, 36, signed a three-year free-agent contract and center Vincent Trocheck, 33, came over in a July trade with the New York Rangers. Lee had 19 goals and 23 assists in 82 games with the New York Islanders last season and Trocheck had 16 goals and 37 assists in 67 games.
“We’re right there,” forward Logan Cooley said. “Adding Lee, Trocheck, guys that are experienced guys, I think that’s really going to help us.”
Lee and Trocheck join a forward group that includes Clayton Keller, who led the Mammoth with 88 points (26 goals, 62 assists) last season, 23-year-old Dylan Guenther, who led Utah with 40 goals, and Cooley, who had 43 points (24 goals, 19 assists) in 54 games.
“The team, obviously, a lot of potential,” Trocheck told NHL.com. “Been taking a lot of strides the last few years. A very good young team and I think, for me, one of the biggest things is just going to a team that has a chance to win.”
One player the Mammoth won’t have Thursday is 22-year-old defenseman Maveric Lamoureux, the team’s 2022 first-round draft pick. He recently had surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder and will be out 4-6 months.
Goalie Karel Vejmelka, who started 63 games last season, will likely get the start and be backed up by 23-year-old Sebastian Cossa.
On Tuesday night, the Blackhawks fell behind early and rallied to within 2-1 and 3-2 but could not get the equalizer. Patrick Kane and Jordan Greenway scored, and Spencer Knight made 32 saves.
Greenway, acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres back in June, scored Chicago’s first goal midway through the second period.
“You just have to keep learning and getting better,” Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said. “We shouldn’t be satisfied with the level of game we had tonight because I don’t think it was nearly our A game.”
Kane, 37, signed a two-year contract in July to return to the team for which he played his first 16 NHL seasons. He helped win three cups in that first go-round and now the team is looking to end a six-year playoff drought.
“I feel like anyone,” said Kane, whose goal made it 3-2 early in the third. “You get better as you get into the game a little bit more and you start getting more ice time and playing a bit more. I thought I was the same as the group, got better as the game went on.”
The Blackhawks are without captain Connor Bedard, who had 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games last season. He is expected to be out until November as he recovers from shoulder surgery.