Utah Opens 2026 Against New York Islanders

THE DETAILS

WHO: Utah (18-19-3) vs New York Islanders (22-14-4)

WHEN: Jan. 1, 2026 – 1:00 p.m. MT

WHERE: UBS Arena

TV: Utah16, Mammoth+

RADIO: Mammoth App, NHL App, NHL.com, KSL Sports Zone (97.5FM/1280AM), KSL Sports App

MORNING SKATE NOTES

• Head coach André Tourigny said the team will use the same lineup, no change.
• Tourigny also shared that goaltender Karel Vejmelka is a game-time decision.
• Thursday is the first game of 2026 and the first of three-straight on the road.

Strong Game Management

To start 2026 on the right foot, the Mammoth need to have strong game management and keep things simple against the Islanders.

“I think we play really good hockey lately,” Tourigny explained. “We just need to make sure we manage the game the right way. Meaning, sometimes, we take complicated decisions (which) make the game tough for us. We do a lot of good stuff, we generate good offense, we play good defense, our PK has been good, power play is getting better. I think for us it’s to make sure we have the right management, the right change, the right puck management, those kind of things."

Facing the Islanders

Tourigny also discussed some of the Islanders’ strengths and what his team needs to do against New York.

“The way they play with the puck, they hold on pucks, they like to enter in possession,” Tourigny shared. “They have a lot of poise with the puck. So, it’s important for us to be stingy in the neutral zone, make sure we reload, we’re always above and we cut their rush.”

THE PREVIEW

Today's Matchup

Utah

• Utah is 18-19-3 this season and 4-6-0 in its last 10 games. Currently the Mammoth are fifth in the Central Division with 39 points.
• The Mammoth fell 4-3 to the Nashville Predators in their most recent game.
  • Both teams traded goals in the first and second periods. JJ Peterka (PPG) opened the scoring 5:48 into the game while Mikhail Sergachev scored 3:41 into the second. Dylan Guenther also had a goal early in the third period (4:02); however, Steven Stamkos scored twice in two minutes to lead Nashville to a win.
  • Vítek Vaněček played his 200th NHL game against the Predators. He stopped 22 of the 26 shots he faced.
• Dylan Guenther’s 17 goals lead the Mammoth and his 32 points are third on the team. Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Sergachev are tied for the most assists on the Mammoth with 21 each. Keller and Schmaltz are tied for the most points on the team with 33.
• Utah’s starting goaltender Karel Vejmelka is currently out with an upper-body injury; however, he is eligible to return from IR at any point. Vítek Vaněček is 2-9-1 through his 12 games played this season. He has a 2.92 goals against average and a .879 save percentage. The Mammoth called up Matt Villalta from Tucson on Monday.
• Thursday is the first game of a three-game road trip for the Mammoth. Utah will face the New Jersey Devils on Saturday and the New York Rangers on Monday.

New York

• New York is 22-14-4 this season and 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. Currently the Islanders are second in the Metropolitan Division with 48 points.
• In their most recent game, the Islanders beat the Chicago Blackhawks in a shootout, 3-2.
  • Calum Ritchie and Bo Horvat (PPG) each scored in the first period to give New York a 2-0 lead. However, Chicago responded with a pair of goals in the second period to tie the game. Bo Horvat scored the game winner in the shootout to pick up two points.
  • David Rittich stopped 17 of the 19 shots he faced in the win and stopped all three shots he faced in the shootout.
• Horvat’s 21 goals lead the Islanders as do his 33 points. Mathew Barzal’s 20 assists are a team-high, and the forward is second in points with 30. Emil Heineman is second on the team with 12 goals while Anders Lee and Barzal are tied for third with 10.
• Ilya Sorokin is currently on the IR with a lower-body injury. As a result, David Rittich has played in Sorokin’s absence. Rittich has a 10-4-2 record with a 2.27 goals against average and a .918 save percentage.
• Thursday’s game starts a three-game homestand for the Islanders. New York will host the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils before going back on the road next Thursday.

By the Numbers

• Utah went 40-35-10 overall in 2025, with points in 26 of its last 37 home contests (1/18-12/29: 21-11-5). Clayton Keller led the team with 86 points (29g, 57a) in 85 games in 2025, including a team-high 52 points (13g, 39a) in 42 contests at Delta Center.
• The Mammoth are tied with the Vancouver Canucks for eighth-most goals on the road with 64.
• Horvat’s 21 goals are tied for ninth-most in the NHL.
• The Islanders have the 11th best faceoff win percentage in the NHL (51.3%). Jean-Gabriel Pageau has the sixth highest win percentage out of players who have taken at least 15% of a team’s total faceoffs. (58.9%)

Against New York This Season

• This is the second of two games between the Mammoth and the Islanders this season. In the first meeting, New York secured a 3-2 overtime win at Delta Center.

Season Series

• Nov. 14: NYI vs UTA – Game Recap
• Jan. 1: UTA vs NYI

Upcoming Schedule

• Jan. 3: UTA vs NJD
• Jan. 5: UTA vs NYR
• Jan. 7: OTT vs UTA