Mammoth Players Excited for First Ever Home Playoff Game – The Hockey Writers – Utah Mammoth

Two years ago today, the former Arizona Coyotes players were flown up to Salt Lake City by new owner Ryan Smith to see their new home. When the players arrived, hundreds of fans, including countless kids involved in youth hockey, were waiting for them, cheering and asking for autographs as players and staff walked by.

At that time, the team wasn’t called the Utah Mammoth yet. They didn’t even have the Utah Hockey Club name yet. However, the second they walked off the plane, they were truly Utah’s team, and they all knew that as well. Head coach André Tourigny was taken aback as kids asked for his signature, and that’s when he knew they were going to be alright.

“When we arrived, we passed by the Delta Center to go to the hotel on the bus, and there were about 500 people at 10:30 in the morning waiting to get into the Delta Center for our presentation that was at five or six at night,” Tourigny said. “We were like, whoa, okay. I think it was at 3 pm or 2 pm, we had a press conference. So Bill (Armstrong) and I and Chris Armstrong, we went from the hotel to the Delta Center, and there were thousands of people waiting to get into the Delta Center at that moment. There was no hockey game. It was a presentation of the players. We were like, okay, that’s special.”

Now, two years later, the team has done all the work to get them past Game 82 and into the playoffs for the first time. The Mammoth will host a playoff game at the Delta Center for the very first time. With how much the fans supported them throughout the past two years, ever since that day at the airport, everyone in the organization is hyped to see how Utah shows out for their first home postseason game.

The Fans Have Been Supportive Since Day One

Two years have passed since the team first arrived in Salt Lake City for a presentation of the players. Since then, the fans have shown up a lot. The first home game was sold out, packed to the brim with Utah fans. They then proceeded to sell out every single game since then.

Fans have made individual players feel at home as well. Broccoli headwear has started to pop out around the arena, representing Karel Vejmelka and his nickname “Veggie.” You can be sure to hear that name chanted around the arena every time the goalie makes a save.

When MacKenzie Weegar was traded at the trade deadline, the fans wore wigs to one of the first home games he appeared in, with the action being called “Wigs for Weegar.” It was to help him feel like Utah is his home quickly. The defenseman scored his first goal with the Mammoth in that game, something he says he’ll never forget.

When Clayton Keller’s dad died, and Connor Ingram checked into the NHL Player Assistance Program, during both situations, the fans wrote letters of support to the players. In just a matter of two seasons, the Mammoth fanbase has shown up in big ways.

Now, they’ve been rewarded with one of the greatest treats in hockey: the playoffs. Playoff hockey is just different. It’s more physical, more tense, and more rewarding. There’s a reason why teams play all 82 games. It’s to play in these games.

Mammoth fans saw it at watch parties. The chirps between Logan Cooley and Nic Dowd. Dylan Guenther unleashing his incredible shot on Carter Hart to score his first postseason goal. Cooley getting the game-winner to give the Mammoth their first-ever playoff win. Even five hours away, the Mammoth fans went berserk during each of those moments. Now, they’ll get the chance to see it live, and the players are excited to see how the fanbase shows up.

🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/OlF0UmEnPL

— x – Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) April 22, 2026

“The crowd was buzzing the last few games,” Kailer Yamamoto said. “I can only imagine what’s gonna be like in the playoffs.”

It’s been quite some time since the Delta Center and Utah saw any playoff action. The NBA’s Utah Jazz are in a rebuilding stage and haven’t made the postseason since the 2021-22 season, when they were taken out in the first round by the Dallas Mavericks. The last time they advanced past the first round was the year prior, when there were still COVID-19 restrictions on attendance throughout the season and into the playoffs.

The Anticipation for the Playoffs is High

To celebrate, the Mammoth are getting the party started early. On Friday afternoon, the team hosted a jersey exchange where former Vegas Golden Knights fans could exchange their jersey for a brand new Mammoth jersey. Hundreds of people showed up just to do that. It’s no surprise. Before Utah had a team, the rights to the state’s territory belonged to the Golden Knights, who did summer events in Salt Lake City to help grow the game.

Before Game 3, there was also a plaza party that featured an outdoor hockey rink, shops, food, and of course, the now iconic Zammoth. There was also a helicopter flyover right before the doors opened.

Utah is ready for the playoffs. #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/uwuMZR1p1Q

— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) April 24, 2026

The fans will, of course, be in full force, waving their rally towels with passion. Guenther is excited for the crowd and the excitement around the first playoff game, but doesn’t want his team to change the way they’ve been playing.

“It’s exciting,” Guenther said. “I think you don’t want it to overwhelm us. We need to continue to play that same way. You don’t want to change your game because you’re at home and you have your fans watching. I think it’s that simple game that just tries to wear them down throughout the match.”

Like always, the players’ families will be in attendance. However, they’ll be wearing some special attire. The wives and girlfriends will be sporting specialty-designed playoff jackets that were designed by Lawson Crouse’s wife, Claire, and Victoria Stark, a senior designer for the Mammoth. The players’ kids will also have their own jackets.

This is super cool. Always an awesome tradition for the wives and girlfriends. #TusksUp https://t.co/a7jb7oF3hY

— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) April 24, 2026

It’s expected to be another sellout crowd for the Mammoth for Game 3. Just as the past 82 games have been. Just like the past two seasons, the Mammoth players expect the crowd to be insanely loud.

“I expect it to be really loud, a lot of excitement in the building,” Cooley said. “The most at Delta Center. It’s been a while since there’s been any playoffs in there. The hockey part, too. We got here two years ago now, and just the support of the city has been amazing since we got here. Now we’ve given back to them by being in the playoffs and playing for something here.”

It’s not just the players who are expecting it to be the loudest Delta Center has been in quite some time. The coaches are excited for the next two games as well, and to be in front of what they call the best fans in the NHL. They’re even more excited about what it means for the state of Utah. It feels just like yesterday that they landed on a plane from Arizona. Now, they’re playing to make their way to the Stanley Cup in front of a sold-out crowd.

“It’ll be electric,” Tourigny said. “I think it will be a moment of pride for all of us. When I say all of us, I mean the players, the coaches, but the management, the marketing team, the owner, the fans, everybody, we’re all in this together, all the state, and I think it’ll be a moment of pride, no doubt about it.”

It’s been two years in the making. Through the ups and downs, the Mammoth fans have been there for the team. Now, as they witness the biggest games in the franchise’s history, they’re excited to continue supporting the team, and the whole team couldn’t be more excited to get the Delta Center on its feet.