Mammoth's 2nd Year Results in 1st Postseason

I have seen my share of relocations in sports over the years. Hell, I'm a fan of a relocated team. Though the tale (or "terrifying tale," as Homer Simpson put it in one episode) of how the Quebec Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche truly pales in comparison to other insane relocation occurrences in sports. Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg and becoming Jets 2.0. Seattle is still hurting over losing the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City, where they are now known as the Thunder. The Bay Area has now lost two teams to Vegas, with the Athletics' crap being absolutely ridiculous. And Cleveland still curses Art Modell's name nearly 14 years after his passing.

I don't think this one is as shitty as the A's relocation, but how Salt Lake City got the NHL was messy and a bit tragic. There were so many efforts and attempts to keep the Arizona Coyotes afloat, and they all failed. Being playoff failure also didn't help them. The tail end of the 2023-24 season saw the news that the Coyotes team would be off to Salt Lake City, though the Utah franchise is deemed an expansion team while the Coyotes are deactivated until they can get a new arena by 2029. But from what I've read and seen, any efforts to revive the Coyotes are pretty much kaput. So barring a miracle, the Coyotes are finished.

So what's left was known as the Utah Hockey Club in 2024-25, and it was this season that the team received their official name: Mammoth. Utah, despite everything, showed some promise last year, but missed out. I expected more of the same this year, but a funny thing happened. The team exceeded what few expectations they had and went on a winning tear, which reached a point where they can actually lock up a playoff spot on the penultimate Thursday of the season. The Mammoth needed a regulation win over a red hot Predators team, which they accomplished--a 4-1 win over Nashville--and they needed the Sharks to lose. Boy, did they! The Anaheim Ducks gutted the Sharks, 6-1, and for the first time ever, there will be Stanley Cup Playoff hockey in Salt Lake City.

Of course, a vast majority of the Mammoth's roster are all former Coyotes, and that includes the centerpiece of this team, Clayton Keller. I've been fascinated with Keller since his time with Arizona, and he continues to impress. Keller's leading the way with 83 points (26G/57A), and that includes three assists in Utah's playoff-clinching victory. Nick Schmaltz, another Coyotes transplant, is second on the team in points with 72 (31G/41A), and Dylan Guenther (yet another Coyotes transplant) is the leading goal scorer with 39 this season. Mikhail Sergachev, who is known for his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning, is the Mammoth's top defenseman with 57 points (10G/47A).

In net, Karel Vejmelka is continuing to show out in Utah, just like he did in Arizona. Vejmelka is sporting a 37-19-3 record, with a 2.71 GAA and a pair of shutouts, but the save percentage needs improvement: an .898 SV%. The Mammoth are having quite the season, it is surprising on a number of levels. Not only have the Mammoth clinched a playoff spot, they are actually locked into the 1st Wild Card position in the Western Conference, as no one below them in the Wild Card standings can surpass them. With the West's WC2 set to face off against the Avalanche, the Mammoth will face off against whoever wins the Pacific Division.

Which begs this question: if Utah ends up with a better record than whoever wins the Pacific, will Utah get home ice? It is a real possibility. As of now, the Mammoth have 90 points in the standings. That same total actually leads the Pacific Division. I do remember the 2018 West Final saw the Jets with home ice over the Vegas Golden Knights, despite Vegas winning their division, because Winnipeg had a better record. We will see if that does come to pass, but for now, let's drink in the fact that the very city that hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, will now have Stanley Cup Playoff hockey for the very first time!