Utah Mammoth begin season with 6-0 shutout of Chicago as Clayton Keller and Andre Tourigny stress staying even-keeled

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Mammoth delivered a statement opener Thursday night, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 6-0 at Delta Center as the team leaned on crisp play and disciplined structure early in its campaign. With “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs playing as the game approached its closing seconds, the Mammoth and their home crowd celebrated a Game 1 performance Utah described as the kind they want to build from immediately, particularly with expectations running high for the season.

Utah’s 6-0 win came in a context that made the result stand out: the Blackhawks had defeated the Mammoth in all four meetings last season (0-2-2) and outscored them 13-5. Against that backdrop, the Mammoth’s start gave them an early shift in momentum as they began what they framed as a season-long push to match or surpass last year’s progress to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in just their second NHL season.

Mammoth captain Clayton Keller highlighted the importance of carrying forward a strong beginning without letting it change the team’s mindset. After the win, Keller said, “It’s a good start. Obviously, the start you want to have, a big one like that and now we have to keep it going,” adding that Utah must learn quickly from any mistakes and continue through its upcoming road trip. He added, “Short memory, learn from the mistakes in the game tonight and go on this road trip.”

Coach Andre Tourigny credited the Mammoth’s early execution to a culture the team insists is built on continual improvement, describing how Utah evaluates and addresses areas for growth in the present moment rather than resting on the result. Tourigny said, “It’s assessing that and now taking action and being serious about addressing that,” and he characterized the team’s approach as consistent regardless of score. “I liked our approach today, whether we were leading 2-0 or 5-0 or in the third. I didn’t see our team change our approach. I didn’t see us cheating, didn’t see us cutting corners. We just kept playing the way we should be playing.”

The Mammoth’s game included detailed elements of control. They were 39-for-54 (72.2 percent) on face-offs, and the team also maintained what the NHL’s game recap described as sharp play across skating and passing. With multiple phases functioning in parallel, Utah’s ability to keep possession and execute cleanly helped set up an offense that became a major driver of the final margin.

Offensively, Utah spread production throughout the lineup in its opener. The team had 14 different players record at least one point, underscoring that the win was not dependent on a single scoring trend. Dylan Guenther led the scoring impact with two goals, and he framed the result as a productive first step toward the season’s longer grind. Guenther said, “It’s great to see. Everyone’s anxious to get this season going, so to start like that is a good feeling. Hopefully we can take that momentum into the long road trip.”

Utah’s expectations heading into 2026-27 are shaped by what the franchise already accomplished last season. The Mammoth advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in their second NHL season and were eliminated in the Western Conference First Round in six games by the Vegas Golden Knights, who went on to reach the Stanley Cup Final. According to the NHL recap, Utah’s experience in that postseason run was part of the rationale behind the team’s framing of the current campaign as a next step rather than a reset.

Beyond the result, the Mammoth pointed to leadership and team connection as priorities as the season develops. Tourigny said “Leadership is one. Being connected as a team (is another),” adding that “it’s not something you can decide” in a single moment. He argued that consistent connection shows up through how players read one another and apply shared pace, describing a view of what championship teams can sustain over longer stretches.

Those themes have been paired with offseason roster movement that brought additional veteran leadership into Utah. The Mammoth signed free-agent forward Anders Lee to a three-year contract worth $16.2 million ($5.4 million average annual value) beginning July 1. On the same day, Utah acquired forward Vincent Trocheck from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Sean Durzi, forward Cole Beaudoin and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Both Lee and Trocheck made notable impacts in their Utah debuts in the 6-0 win. Trocheck recorded the primary assist on Nick Schmaltz’s goal at 9:47 of the second period, and Lee scored his first goal with the Mammoth at 13:06 of the second. Keller later described that influence directly, saying, “Great leadership by both of them. Two very smart hockey players and they’re easy to read off and both of them are only going to get better, more comfortable. It’s a completely different system, team. They did a great job tonight and both had great games, for sure.”

The Mammoth’s early statement is also tied to the challenge of their division. Utah competes in the Central Division, where the team expects to jockey for position with clubs such as the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild. Even with Thursday’s result setting a positive tone, the Mammoth’s next stretch is already framed by the need to move through the season’s typical rigors and to treat the opener as one data point rather than an endpoint.

For Guenther, the win carried a message that aligns with Utah’s expectations theme: the team wants to be ready for high-level matchups and ensure games matter to both the roster and the building. Guenther said, “It feels good. We want to be a good team in this League and we want the expectations. I think that’s a good feeling. You want people to get up for these games and be ready for it, so we’re excited for that.” With that, the Mammoth began their season with a clear, lopsided win that provided both momentum and specific on-ice markers—face-off success, broad scoring, and leadership contributions—heading into the road trip.