The Week Ahead: Oct 6-12

Every week this season, we’ll take a look ahead at upcoming games and opponents to give you a preview of what to expect.

The Utah Mammoth are days away from the 2025-26 season! The teams starts the year on a three-game road trip with stops in Colorado, Nashville, and Chicago before the home opener against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 15.

There are high expectations for Utah this season. This summer, the Mammoth strengthened its roster via trades – forward JJ Peterka – and free agency signings – forward Brandon Tanev, defenseman Nate Schmidt, goaltender Vítek Vaněček. The Mammoth are focused on making the playoffs in the organization’s second season.

The Mammoth announced the team’s 23 man Opening Night roster on Monday. Rookie defenseman Dmitri Simashev has made the team out of training camp as has forward Kailer Yamamoto and Andrew Agozzino.

Utah went 2-4-1 this preseason; however, when the Mammoth played a lineup that was closer to their NHL roster, the team won both of their games. The Mammoth’s two wins were both at Delta Center to wrap up the preseason.

The Mammoth will start the season without several players due to injury:

Injury Updates – Utah

• F Alexander Kerfoot – lower-body injury, IR
• F Liam O’Brien – undisclosed, injured non-roster
• D Terrel Goldsmith – undisclosed, injured non-roster
• D Juuso Valimaki – undisclosed, injured non-roster
• G Anson Thorton – undisclosed, injured non-roster

In the team’s first week of the regular season, the Mammoth will play two games. Let’s take a look at those matchups below!

UTAH AT COLORADO

OCT 9 | 7:00 PM MT

WATCH: Utah16, Mammoth+
LISTEN: Utah Mammoth App, KSL Sports Zone (97.5FM/1280AM), KSL Sports App, NHL App, NHL.com

The Mammoth open their season against their Rocky Mountain Rival, the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 9. Thursday’s game is the first of four games between Utah and Colorado this season with the first at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.

Season Series

• Oct. 9: UTA at COL, 7 p.m. MT
• Oct. 21: UTA vs COL, 8 p.m. MT
• Dec 23: UTA at COL, 7 p.m. MT
• Feb. 25: UTA vs COL, 7:00 p.m. MT

Main Storylines – Colorado

• Colorado signed trade deadline acquisition forward Brock Nelson to a three-year contract in June, re-signed defenseman Josh Manson, and signed T.J. Tynan, Jack Ahcan, and Ronnie Attard to one-year contracts.
• The Avalanche are looking to make a deep playoff run this year after losing in game seven in the opening round of the 2025 Playoffs.
• Colorado went 4-2-0 in the preseason, including two wins over the Mammoth to start their slate of games. However, the Avalanche lost its two final preseason games against the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars.

Injury Updates – Colorado

• G Mackenzie Blackwood – lower body
• F Logan O’Connor – hip, IR
• F Jacob MacDonald – hip, IR
• D Sean Behrens – undisclosed
• D Ronnie Attard – lower-body

UTAH AT NASHVILLE

OCT 11 | 6:00 PM MT

WATCH: Utah16, Mammoth+
LISTEN: Utah Mammoth App, KSL Sports Zone (97.5FM/1280AM), KSL Sports App, NHL App, NHL.com

Utah’s second game of the season is in Nashville against the Predators. Saturday’s game is Nashville’s second of the season and final home game before a four-game road trip. The Mammoth and Predators will play four times this season.

Season Series

• Oct. 11: UTA at NSH, 6 p.m. MT
• Dec. 29: UTA vs NSH, 7 p.m. MT
• Jan. 24: UTA at NSH, 2:30 p.m. MT
• Apr. 9: UTA vs. NSH, 7 p.m. MT

Main Storylines – Nashville

• Nashville signed forward Luke Evangelista to a two-year deal that keeps the 23-year-old in Nashville. The Predators also claimed forward Tyson Jost off waivers on Oct. 1.
• Several young prospects pushed for main roster spots throughout camp and Nashville’s fifth-overall pick this year has made the opening night roster. Forward Brady Martin is one of 23 players to make the team out of camp.
• The Predators went 3-2-1 throughout preseason and picked up a 3-2 overtime win to wrap up their preseason slate.

Injury Updates – Nashville

• F Matthew Wood - lower body, IR
• D Nicolas Hauge - upper body, IR