Dylan Guenther #11 celebrates a goal with teammate Logan Cooley #92 of the Utah Mammoth during the first period of a game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Delta Center on October 01, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Stepping into their third season in the National Hockey League, the Utah Mammoth kicked off the new year with a commanding shutout victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on home ice.
While Dylan Guenther added a third-straight season opening goal to his tally, the Mammoth were nearly perfect from top to bottom as their new additions made an immediate impact to secure the team’s first win over Chicago since the inaugural season.
Coming into the 2026-27 season, the Utah Mammoth wanted to become bigger, stronger and harder to play against.
After adding the likes of Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee, Utah was as advertised in game one as they suffocated the Blackhawks in nearly every facet of the game.
In addition to outshooting their opponents 32-15, winning 78 percent of the draws, finding the back of the net six times and posting a shutout, Utah looked the part of more experienced roster as each of their new vets registered a point.
While Trocheck was a pest near the crease, Lee put something dirty in the net with a well-timed deflection from the low slot.
“A lot of our goals were through traffic, with traffic, traffic [to] create rebounds or deflections,” Head coach Andre Tourigny said. “(Logan Cooley) is at the net screening the goalie; (Anders Lee) is driving the net and creating a deflection…Same thing on (Nick Schmaltz’s) goal; (Vincent Trocheck) is at the net screening the goalie, gives a rebound for (Schmaltz).”
Schmaltz gets his first, but that goal doesn’t happen without Trocheck going to work in front of the net and making a subtle little poke check.
First point as a Mammoth. Utah up 3-0.
pic.twitter.com/Oh3LaYERlR— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 2, 2026
🚨 Welcome to Utah, Anders Lee! pic.twitter.com/THcM7wWCHV
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) October 2, 2026
Even though it was just game one of 84 against an inferior opponent, Utah’s 6-0 victory over the Blackhawks felt like a little bit of a statement.
“We’re all about business,” Tourigny noted. “I like our approach today. Whatever we were leading. Two nothing, five nothing, or in the third. I didn’t see our team change our approach.”
“We just kept playing the way we should.”
As Tourigny pointed out, the Mammoth appear to mean business this season.
They’re no longer a young team simply trying to establish themselves, but rather, a mix of young stars and experienced veterans looking to make some real noise.
That’s the beauty of this newly formed roster.
While maintaining their speed and skill, Utah added a plethora of experience, physicality and grit.
So, while it was only one game and there’s still 83 to go, there was a lot to like across the board for the Mammoth.
Embarking on a five-game eastern conference road trip will be a great opportunity to prove that it wasn’t some fluke.
“I think it’s a good start,” Clayton Keller said. “It’s a start that you want to have a big one like that, and now we have to keep it going. Short memory, learn from the mistakes in the game tonight, and go into this road trip.”
Death, taxes, and Dylan Guenther scoring the first goal of the season seem to be the only guarantees in this life as No. 11 yet again lit the lamp before anyone else.
After opening the scoring for the Utah Hockey Club in 2024 and the Utah Mammoth in 2025, Guenther added another to his tally by doing what he does best.
Wristing absolute laser beams past the goaltender before they can even blink.
If Utah is playing in a home opener you can pretty much guarantee 11 is going to score the first goal.
pic.twitter.com/j3F999UccP— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 2, 2026
“I want to get off to a good start,” Dylan Guenther said. “It feels good to get going early & to get a win early like this the right way is a good feeling.”
Guenther on scoring the first goal of the season for the third straight year:
“I want to get off to a good start. It feels good to get going early & to get a win early like this the right way is a good feeling.”#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/IjWH5MNfC2
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) October 2, 2026
Additionally, Guenther then followed through on his media day promise of diversifying his goal scoring by tipping one into the back of net on the power play.
One wasn’t enough for #11 👀
5-0, Utah. pic.twitter.com/W1R9EsA5L5
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) October 2, 2026
“Doing stuff that I’m not as good at,” Guenther said in regard to taking the next step offensively during his media day interview. “I had zero [tip in goals]. I’m trying to add some of those.”
“Deflections, redirects, that kind of stuff in closer to the net is definitely a goal. To be able to diversify and score in different areas.”
A year ago, No. 11 registered a career-best 40 goals (tied for 13th in the NHL).
I’d be willing to wager that he surpasses that total in 2027.
The Utah Mammoth will begin a five-game road trip against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday at 5 p.m. MDT.
The game will be available on SEG+.
All Mammoth games will also be broadcast live on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM).
Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Follow him on X. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.
