From the first day of training camp in September, Utah Mammoth players, coaches, and management made their goal clear, to make the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Throughout the season, the team battled in what was arguably the toughest NHL season to date. Utah remained in the Western Conference’s first wild card spot for the majority of the year, and later qualified for the playoffs in that spot. Achieving this goal as a group was a significant highlight for many players.
“Our goal definitely was to make the playoffs,” Captain Clayton Keller shared on Sunday. “When you get in the playoffs, anything can happen. You can go on a deep run. There are teams that people thought before the year had no chance of being in the playoffs or making it past the first round, and they're there. It was our goal. It's super hard to make the playoffs, and just how important every game is, and every day is. I feel like our young guys, (me) included, have taken strides.”
“We came in and set a goal as a team, and there was no ifs, ands, or buts,” Associate Captain Lawson Crouse explained. “We were getting to the playoffs, and we did that. Obviously, we need to learn things from the playoffs, but the experience and the knowledge that we just gained will help us in the future. It's just never being satisfied.”
The Mammoth faced the Vegas Golden Knights in a close First Round matchup. Although Utah battled hard and elevated their team game in the postseason, the Mammoth fell in Game 6 and were eliminated from the postseason on Friday night. Through those six games of playoff hockey, the Mammoth learned a lot about what it takes to win playoff games and what they need to do moving forward.
“We were up pretty much in all games in the third period, and we still found a way to lose those games,” Alternate Captain Mikhail Sergachev shared. “It's just understanding those situations, what you got to do, and that comes with experience. When you need a goal, you score a goal, like we actually did, but when we needed to defend, we gave up a goal. It comes with experience and what you got to do in certain areas of the ice, with the puck or without the puck. Those are the details that matter in pressure situations. The good thing about this team is we're young, and we can learn from that, and we can learn quick.”
Now that Utah has made the postseason for the first time in franchise history, the Mammoth will be determined to not only make the 2027 Playoffs, but go on a longer run in the postseason. But it will all start with a consistent effort throughout the season to book a second-straight playoff berth.
“We have the same expectation as this year. I think getting to the playoffs is first and foremost,” Alternate Captain Nick Schmaltz said. “It's hard to do. There are only 16 teams that make it every year. Good teams miss it. We can't overlook the regular season and just think we're going to be in the playoffs. We got to come to work. Our division is probably the best division in hockey. It's not easy, and it's going to be a battle every night. Once you get in the playoffs, anything can happen. Just focusing on getting in first and then go from there.”
“I think you have to get that taste to kind of really understand what it's like,” center Logan Cooley reflected on his first NHL postseason experience. “Honestly, coming into it, I didn't really know what to expect. You see the games, and it looks a lot more physical, but once you're actually in it, it's night and day compared to the regular season. That’s something that I think we all kind of can learn from. Next time we get in that position to end up winning those series.”
Utah is in a strong position for next season with a young, talented core locked up in long-term deals and a veteran leadership group that had significant impacts all season long. However, it’ll take every player committed this offseason and next year to make a second-straight Stanley Cup Playoff appearance and to move past the First Round.
“It was obviously not the way we wanted it to go,” Keller shared. “But like I said after the game, just super proud of this group. We have a very special group of players, coaches, ownership, and management who all want to win. We feel that we're going in the right direction. We're super motivated and excited for the summer and leading up to next season.”
