Utah Starts Homestand Against Los Angeles

THE DETAILS

WHO: Utah (14-13-3) vs Los Angeles (13-8-7)

WHEN: Dec. 8, 2025 – 7:00 p.m. MT

WHERE: Delta Center

TV: Utah16, Mammoth+

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

MORNING SKATE NOTES

• Utah announced that center Logan Cooley is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.
• Mammoth play-by-play broadcaster Matt McConnell will call his 2000 NHL game tonight.
• The Mammoth are back home for a three-game homestand after a season-long six game road trip.

Cooley Injury Update

At the start of morning skate, the Utah Mammoth announced that center Logan Cooley is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Cooley missed the Mammoth’s final game of the road trip against Calgary.

“Unfortunately, will be missing some time,” head coach André Tourigny said after skate. “With that said, I think every team is going through adversity and it’s an opportunity for someone else to step in. (Barrett Hayton) is back in the lineup, did a good job last game. (Daniil But) did good since he’s been called up. Next man up. We need to have that mentality.”

Execute on Home Ice

Entering Monday’s game, the Mammoth have the fifth-highest home points percentage (.682) in the NHL. The team is eager to be back at Delta Center and want to bring a strong effort on home ice.

“We take a lot of pride playing here at home, and we want to show that tonight,” Hayton explained. “Play with a lot of compete, pace, execution, really dig in here.”

Hayton also discussed how his team can play their best against defensive pressure in tonight’s game.

“Playing connected, playing with pace, and then playing with layers,” Hayton shared. “Having traffic at the net’s huge, it’s something we need more of, and I think that’s something that, especially against teams with a lot of pressure, you can break them down with those shots and get those loose puck recoveries and attack from there.”

Facing the Kings

The LA Kings are a strong defensive team and make it challenging for teams to score. Currently, the Kings are averaging the third-fewest goals against per game in the NHL. Tourigny discussed LA’s strong neutral zone pressure and the impact it has.

“Most important for us is stay away from their neutral zone,” Tourigny explained. “That’s what we (talked about) this morning, the way they close the neutral zone … We need to find a way to be quick on our counterattack. Don’t let them set up. That’s a way we can generate some speed.”

THE PREVIEW

Tonight’s Matchup

Utah

• Utah opens a three-game homestand on Monday after finishing the team’s longest road trip of the year. Through the trip’s six games, the Mammoth went 2-4-0. The team is 4-6-0 in their last ten games and has a 14-13-3 record this season.
• The Mammoth’s most recent game was a 2-0 loss to the Calgary Flames. The loss was on the second half of a back-to-back after Utah beat the Vancouver Canucks on the front half.

• Yegor Sharangovich scored 16 seconds into the game off a rebound. Calgary’s 1-0 lead stood until the final three minutes when Connor Zary’s empty net goal sealed the win for the Flames.
• Dustin Wolf was strong in net for the home team and stopped all 27 of the Mammoth’s shots. Utah’s Vítek Vaněček stopped 21 of the 22 shots he faced.

• Logan Cooley’s 14 goals are first on the Mammoth while his 23 points are third. Clayton Keller’s 17 assists and 26 points are team-highs. The Mammoth have 11 players with 10 or more points in the first 30 games of the season.
• Karel Vejmelka has played 22 games this season and has a 12-7-2 record. He has a 2.64 goals against average and a .896 save percentage. Vítek Vaněček has a 2-6-1 record, a 2.87 goals against average, and a .878 save percentage.
• The Mammoth will host the Florida Panthers and Seattle Kraken this week before heading back on the road.

Los Angeles

• Los Angeles starts a two-game road trip on Monday after a four-game homestand where the team went 2-2-0. The Kings are 4-3-3 in their last ten games and has a 13-8-7 record this season.
• In their most recent game, the Kings shutout the Chicago Blackhawks, 6-0.

• Brandt Clarke scored twice, while Warren Foegele, Andrei Kuzmenko (PPG), Mikey Anderson, and Alex Turcotte all added a goal each.
• Darcy Kuemper stopped all 23 shots he faced in the win.

• Kevin Fiala’s 10 goals lead the Kings while Adrian Kempe’s 24 points are a team-high. Kempe and Quinton Byfield are tied for the team-lead with 15 assists. The Kings have 11 players with 10 or more points through 28 games.
• Kuemper has a 9-6-5 record through 20 games. He has a 2.24 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. Anton Forsberg makes up the second half of LA’s goaltender tandem. He has a 4-2-2 record with a 2.69 goals against average and a .894 save percentage.
• The Kings wrap up this short road trip with a game against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.

By the Numbers

• Utah has played the most games on the road (19) and least games at home (11) in the NHL.
• The Mammoth’s penalty kill continues to be one of the best. Utah has killed off 82.1% of their penalties which is the ninth-best average in the NHL.
• Los Angeles’ defense is stringy and is averaging the third-fewest goals against per game in the NHL. The Kings have allowed the third-fewest first period goals (T-Minnesota, 19) and third-fewest third period goals (T-Seattle, 21) as well.
• Kings Captain Anže Kopitar’s 55.8% faceoff win rate is 18th best in the NHL.

Against Los Angeles This Season

• This is the first of three games between the Mammoth and the Kings this season and the first of two at Delta Center.

Season Series

• Dec. 8: UTA vs LAK
• Mar. 22: UTA vs LAK
• Mar. 28: UTA at LAK

Upcoming Schedule

• Dec. 10: UTA vs FLA
• Dec. 12: UTA vs SEA
• Dec. 14: UTA at PIT