GamePreviewWEB 1.17.26

THE DETAILS

WHO: Seattle (21-16-9) vs Utah (24-20-4)

WHEN: Jan. 17, 2026 – 3:00 p.m. MT

WHERE: Delta Center

TV: Utah16, Mammoth+

RADIO: Mammoth App, NHL App, NHL.com, KSL Sports Zone (97.5FM), KSL Sports App

Saturday is the Mammoth’s ‘Next Gen’ Game. Learn more here!

MORNING SKATE NOTES

  • Check back after head coach André Tourigny addresses the media Saturday afternoon at 12:45 p.m. MT.

THE PREVIEW

Tonight’s Matchup

Utah

  • Utah is 21-16-9 this season and is 6-3-1 in the last 10 games. The Mammoth are on a six-game points streak and currently are fourth in the Central Division with 52 points.
  • The Mammoth beat the Dallas Stars, 2-1, in their most recent game.
    • It was a tight Central Division battle; however multiple strong individual performances helped the Mammoth pick up two points.
    • Nick Schmaltz and John Marino both scored for Utah in the win.
    • Karel Vejmelka stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced for his 22nd win this season.
  • Dylan Guenther’s 23 goals are a team-high. Captain Clayton Keller’s 31 assists and 44 points lead the team. Nick Schmaltz is second in all scoring categories with 17 goals, 26 assists, and 43 points.
  • Vejmelka has a 22-11-2 record through 36 games played. He has a 2.53 goals against average and a .903 save percentage. Vítek Vaněček, the other half of Utah’s goaltending tandem, has a 2-9-2 record, a 2.92 goals against average, and a .883 save percentage.
  • Utah wraps up a seven-game homestand next Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. However, the Mammoth will have three days before their next game after starting 2026 with nine games in 17 days.

Seattle

  • Seattle is 21-16-9 this season and is 5-2-3 in the last 10 games. The Kraken have points in three of their last five games and are currently third in the Pacific Division with 51 points.
  • The Kraken fell 4-2 to the Boston Bruins, in their most recent game.
    • Chandler Stephenson and Eeli Tolvanen scored for the Kraken in the loss.
    • Joey Daccord stopped 20 of the 23 shots he faced in the win.
  • Jordan Eberle’s 16 goals and 30 points lead the Kraken while Vince Dunn’s 22 assists are a team-high. Matt Beniers’ 20 assists and 29 points are second on the team while Stephenson’s 12 goals are second.
  • Daccord has a 12-11-5 record through his 28 games. The other half of Seattle’s tandem includes Philipp Grubauer who has a 9-3-3 record, a 2.29 goals against average, and a .922 save percentage.
  • Seattle wraps up a five-game road trip in Salt Lake City on Saturday. Following, the Kraken will start a six-game homestand on Monday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

By the Numbers

  • Schmaltz and Keller have factored into the same goal 200 times. They are the first pair of U.S.-born teammates in league history to reach this milestone.
  • Barrett Hayton became the first skater in franchise history to win all of his draws while taking double-digit faceoffs. He became the first NHL player to do so this season as well.
  • The Mammoth are holding their opponents to the fifth-fewest goals per game (2.75) while the Kraken are allowing the ninth-fewest per game (2.85).
  • Seattle has the seventh-best power play in the NHL and has scored on 23.7% of their opportunities. The Kraken have scored three power play goals in their last two games.

Against Seattle This Season

  • This is the second of three games between the Mammoth and Kraken this season.
  • Utah won the first meeting, 5-3, on Dec. 12.

Season Series

  • Dec. 12: SEA vs UTA – Game Recap
  • Jan. 17: SEA vs UTA
  • Apr. 2: UTA vs SEA

Upcoming Schedule

  • Jan. 21: PHI vs UTA
  • Jan. 24: UTA vs NSH
  • Jan. 26: UTA vs TBL