SALT LAKE CITY — The fans were ready. Waiting. They’d showed up in droves, clad in sweaters of black and white and mountain blue, some even donning tusks, and braced for a history-making night of hockey.
They were buzzing long before puck-drop, a rotation of chants starting early and often and roaring so loud at times it was as though the Delta Center roof might blow right off the place.
So, when Utah Mammoth defenceman MacKenzie Weegar pounced on the puck with seven minutes left in the first frame and fired it past Carter Hart to get the home team on the board, the fans were already on their feet in a full-on frenzy.
So loud, so raucous, so explosive was the revelry that followed, even Weegar himself got lost in the moment. Asked post-game about it, he didn’t have many words — just a chuckle as he admitted it was all just a blur.
“I don’t really know,” he said with a laugh when pressed for details of the celebration. “I just felt excitement. I saw one fan when I banged on the glass — we had a special moment [laughs]. I’m not sure who that was, but I’m sure he’ll remember it, along with myself.”
The Mammoth brought the Stanley Cup Playoffs to Utah on Friday night, the organization hosting a post-season match for the first time ever and showing their fans first-hand the joy of a post-season win. The 4-2 victory, which gives them a 2-1 series lead, capped a 60-minute thrill-ride not just for the fans, but for Utah’s players as they soaked up the feeling of home-ice advantage in the playoffs.
“Right when we came out, it was electric in the building,” said Weegar. “It was loud, and I saw the towels going, introducing the starting lineups, and felt it after that. The first five minutes give you goosebumps. That’s sort of what it’s about. You know, feeling it with the fans and the players. Both sides appreciate each other so much. But we really felt that.”
Five minutes after Weegar’s historic marker, Dylan Guenther unleashed his lethal one-timer on the power play to give the Mammoth a 2-0 lead and continue his personal playoff hot streak. Lawson Crouse scored twice in the second period to go up 4-0.
The only hush, albeit brief, came when Jack Eichel potted a wide-open rebound in the second period to get Vegas on the board. By the time Nic Dowd made it 4-2 late in the third, it was ultimately too little, too late for Vegas.
The first-round series is still very much up for grabs, but this night belonged to the Mammoth. It was only right, really, considering the team’s journey to this point — a path to these playoffs that started long before this spring’s stretch run.
It wasn’t long ago that the idea of NHL hockey in the Beehive State felt like a far-off aspiration. That changed in a hurry in the spring of 2024 when the Arizona Coyotes reached a crossroads and Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith of Smith Entertainment Group offered a path forward, about 620 miles due north in Salt Lake City.
Exactly two years ago to the day, a group of players and staff members from Arizona touched down in Salt Lake City for the very first time, greeted by crowds of passionate Utahns welcoming them home. Thousands more awaited them at the Delta Center, where the NHL’s newest hockey team formally introduced themselves to their new fanbase.
The fans have celebrated every milestone since with the same unbridled joy and enthusiasm.
“The fans have been incredible ever since day one, when we’ve shown up here, and it seemed like they took it to a whole new level tonight,” said Crouse. “We can start to use that to our advantage. They really energize us. I was looking up in the stands after the first goal, and just seeing all the rally towels going and just feeling the energy and the passion from them really gives us that boost.”
Getting that first home playoff win, said captain Clayton Keller, “was amazing.”
“We were so jacked up to play tonight,” he said. “You could tell that [the fans] were invested, and they were super excited as well. It’s great to get a huge win here at home.”
The team gained some new fans, too, thanks to a sweater swap hosted by the team pre-game that called on (former) Vegas fans to trade in their Golden Knights threads and be gifted a brand new home Mammoth sweater in return.
That was just one part of a grand pre-game party in the plaza outside the rink that started long before the game got underway and included live music, an appearance by Tusky, and the team’s newest sensation, the Zammoth.
Inside, the players agreed Friday’s atmosphere was the loudest the rink has ever been — almost troublingly so at times, with even head coach André Tourigny’s booming voice getting lost in the fray. Guenther described a few moments of confusion when he couldn’t hear which line was being called.
“That will be an adjustment,” said Tourigny. “Seriously, we had some confusion on the bench. Guys did not know who was up, and for the people who know me, I can be pretty loud. The crowd beat me, no doubt about it.”
Tourigny’s pre-game message, on the other hand, was heard loud and clear. The Mammoth entered Friday’s matchup with balance in mind — between the exaggerated highs and lows that come with playoff hockey; between sound defensive play and offensive surges when opportunity strikes; between embracing the excitement of the home crowd but not being overwhelmed by it. While they achieved much of that in the victory, this was far from a balanced game on the stat sheet.
Utah managed to get just 12 shots through to Hart all night, capitalizing on four, while allowing 32. While shot attempts were certainly more even, the shot differential will be a big talking point going into Game 4. The Mammoth were opportunistic in their approach — they’ve made a living off that all season — and that was obvious in Game 3, as was the clutch performance of goaltender Karel Vejmelka. He stood tall all game, but especially in the first frame when Vegas fired seven shots his way before Utah could get one. The man nicknamed “Veggie” was a major reason why the Golden Knights left the rink Friday goalless on four power-play opportunities. (He’s also the reason why you’ll see a few sweaters adorned with produce, and a man in the stands wearing a plush-broccoli bonnet.)
Vejmelka will no doubt be tested plenty more in the games to come as the Golden Knights look to wake up their goal-scorers.
“Yeah, we need to get some guys on track,” said Vegas head coach John Tortorella post-game. “I thought we had some scoring chances tonight but we still need to get our guys on track. I still want us to defend the proper way. I think that’s the most important thing. We defend the proper way, then our offence will come and I have full trust in the guys that way.”
In the meantime, Utah, too, will need to quickly shift its focus to Game 4 on Monday, with two days to learn what they can from Friday’s victory and be ready to go for another.
The fans certainly will be.
Said Keller, “I’m sure the crowd will be even better the next one.”