Mammoth To Host Winter Classic In 2027
5:00 p.m.: According to Brogan Houston of Deseret News Sports, the Mammoth will host the Colorado Avalanche in the 2027 Winter Classic, as predicted. As previously noted, it will be the Mammoth’s first outdoor game, whereas it’ll be Colorado’s fourth. Still, it’ll be the Avalanche’s first time playing in the Winter Classic, and their first as an ‘away’ team for an outdoor matchup.
10:05 a.m.: The NHL and Mammoth ownership are expected to announce an outdoor game awarded to the Utah franchise for next season, Frank Seravalli of Victory+ reports. With the Stars already announced as the host of a Stadium Series game in February 2027, it will likely be a Winter Classic game being hosted by the NHL’s newest franchise, although the league has opted for two Stadium Series events per year in the past.
Utah is one of five teams to never host an outdoor game, but they’re the only franchise to never have appeared in one, even if you opt to include the legally distinct Coyotes franchise in that definition. The Panthers were the last team with that designation, but can no longer lay claim to it after hosting the Winter Classic in Miami last week.
The league has historically shown a propensity to award special events to new franchises as soon as logistically possible. The Kraken hosted their closest expansion brethren, the Golden Knights, in the Winter Classic in just their third year of existence in 2023-24.
Just like Seattle, year three in Utah will mark the first time the Mammoth head outdoors. After next season, only the Canadiens, Ducks, and Golden Knights will be left without a hometown appearance – unless you prefer to count the 2021 Lake Tahoe games as a host contest for Vegas (they were technically the visiting team against the Avalanche). The Lightning haven’t hosted one yet either but have the Stadium Series on their home turf next month.
Hurricanes Acquire Juuso Valimaki From Mammoth
Late tonight a small trade occurred as Juuso Välimäki has been traded from Utah to Carolina in exchange for future considerations, as was first shared by Utah. According to Stephen Whyno of Associated Press Hockey, Välimäki will report to AHL Chicago.
The former first round pick cleared waivers just prior to New Years, and was assigned to AHL Tucson, but now will receive a fresh start with the Hurricanes organization.
Selected 16th overall by Calgary in 2017, Välimäki figured to be a future top-four two-way defender with high end skating and IQ, along with size at 6’2″. Unfortunately, like so many other defenders in the 2017 class, the Finn has not panned out. An off-season torn ACL prior to his age 21 season in 2019-20 seriously stunted Välimäki’s growth, and after 82 total games as a Flame, he was placed on waivers before 2022-23, catching on with the Arizona Coyotes.
Showing resilience, Välimäki had a career year at age 23, putting up 34 points in 78 games, and earning an extension. It appeared that Calgary had relinquished their former top prospect too soon. The defenseman continued to contribute in the Coyotes final season, moving along to Utah in their inaugural campaign. After 43 games with underwhelming play, Välimäki was waived and found himself back in the AHL with the Roadrunners. There, he tore his ACL again, immediately ending his 2024-25 season.
Finally healthy again now, Välimäki hasn’t been able to return to form with Utah. In three AHL games this season, he has recorded three points, but the 27-year-old has simply been passed up on the Mammoth depth chart, and due for a change of scenery. Even if he does not crack the Hurricanes lineup at any point, Välimäki joins a considerably better AHL team in Chicago and will give them a big boost on the back end with his 271 games of NHL experience.
An unrestricted free agent at season’s end, Välimäki brings a cap hit of $2MM at the NHL level, but now in Chicago, it will drop to just $850k. The former first rounder may bring intrigue as a depth option for the Canes, with his past legit NHL production, but his inflated contract may make it more difficult to work himself into the big club. After much adversity to this point, hopefully the lefty will stay injury-free and make his mark with his third franchise in a bid to extend his North American career.
Mammoth Activate Karel Vejmelka From Injured Reserve
The Mammoth announced that goaltender Karel Vejmelka has been activated off injured reserve. Per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com, he’ll be starting this afternoon’s game against the Islanders. Utah assigned Matt Villalta to AHL Tucson in the corresponding move.
Vejmelka only missed the Mammoth’s last two games with an upper-body injury, but given Utah’s light schedule over the holidays, it’s been a week and a half since he’s played. His absence against the Avalanche on Dec. 23 was so last-minute that Utah couldn’t get a goalie call-up to Denver in time, forcing 21-year-old Tier II junior goalie Colten McIntyre onto the bench on an amateur tryout as Vítek Vaněček‘s backup. Vejmelka was retroactively moved to injured reserve prior to Utah’s last game against the Predators on Monday, allowing Villalta to back up Vaněček instead.
After playing well enough to keep Utah in the playoff race through much of last season, Vejmelka has continued to provide stable enough services as a No. 1 behind a stingy Mammoth defense that allows just 25.1 shots per game, second-best in the league. His .894 SV% and 2.70 GAA in 29 starts have been good for a 16-10-2 record and 6.2 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.
The Mammoth had won four out of Vejmelka’s last five starts, so they’ll be anxious to get him back in between the pipes today after dropping their last two decisions with Vaněček in net. It’s been a struggle for the veteran backup since signing with Utah in free agency, logging a .870 SV%, 2.92 GAA and a 2-9-1 record in 11 starts and one relief appearance.
Villalta, 26, is in his third season as the third-string option for Utah/Arizona. The former OHL standout has made three appearances during that time, but none this year. In 15 games for Tucson, he’s got a 9-5-1 record with a .903 SV%, 2.94 GAA, and one shutout.
Mammoth’s Juuso Valimaki Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL
Dec. 29th: According to a team announcement, Välimäki has successfully cleared waivers and has been reassigned to AHL Tucson.
Dec. 28th: The Mammoth announced Sunday they’ve placed defenseman Juuso Välimäki on waivers for the purposes of assignment to AHL Tucson.
Välimäki, 27, has been IR-bound for the entire season and then some. The former Flames first-rounder played 43 games for Utah last year before being waived and reassigned to Tucson in January. Weeks later, he sustained a season-ending ACL tear and was given an eight-to-nine-month recovery timeline. Given the surgery was in early March, he ended up missing that target by a couple of weeks.
As expected, he won’t stick around with the Mammoth after being medically cleared. He struggled to hold onto a bottom-pairing job in Salt Lake last year, averaging 16:33 per contest while being limited to a 2-3–5 scoring line and a -5 rating.
The 6’2″, 201-lb lefty will be an unrestricted free agent next summer after inking a two-year, $4.4MM extension with Utah in 2024. That deal came after Välimäki had put up back-to-back solid bodies of work in top-four minutes for the Coyotes, notching 51 points and a +2 rating in 146 appearances from 2022-24 while averaging 18:36 per game.
When Välimäki got pushed down the depth chart thanks to the additions of Mikhail Sergachev, John Marino, and Ian Cole before Utah’s inaugural season, his performance no longer justified his cap hit. While he’s been costing $2MM against the Mammoth’s picture while on IR, his cap impact will drop to $850K if he clears waivers and is reassigned to Tucson.
Mammoth Recall Matt Villalta, Place Karel Vejmelka On IR
The Utah Mammoth announced that they’ve placed netminder Karel Vejmelka on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury, retroactive to December 23. In a corresponding roster move, the Mammoth have recalled Matt Villalta from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners.
Due to the holiday break last week, Vejmelka, 29, will only miss two games at a minimum. There’s no indication that the injury is severe, meaning he could be activated from the IR as early as tomorrow, and could return to the starting role as early as New Year’s Day against the New York Islanders.
The Mammoth have expectedly relied on Vejmelka for much of the regular season as the five-year netminder has started in approximately 75% of the team’s games up to this point. Still, Vejmelka has fallen short of the performance he achieved last season.
During the 2024-25 campaign, Vejmelka managed a 26-22-8 record in 58 games with a .904 SV% and 2.58 GAA. According to Moneypuck, at even strength, Vejmelka finished ninth among qualified goaltenders in Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) with a 16.8 mark, earning a five-year, $23.75MM extension with Utah toward the end of the year.
Unfortunately, he has reverted to his previous form for the first half of the 2025-26 season. Vejmelka has earned a 16-10-2 record through 29 games this year with a .894 SV% and 2.70. Of netminders that have appeared in 10 or more games, Vejmelka is 48th in the league for GSAx, two spots behind backup netminder Vítek Vaněček. Hopefully, with the holiday break and the light schedule through the end of the week, Vejmelka can use this time to rest and recover in an effort to find last season’s form.
Meanwhile, Villalta joins the Mammoth for the first time this year. The 26-year-old netminder is in his third year with the organization, spending the majority of his time with AHL Tucson. In 15 games this season, Villalta owns a 9-5-1 record with a .903 SV% and 2.94 GAA. His most recent NHL appearance came on April 14th of last season, securing a win against the Nashville Predators after stopping 28 of 31 shots.
Latest On Karel Vejmelka
Shortly before tonight’s game in Colorado, the Utah Mammoth shared that starting goaltender Karel Vejmelka is unable to play, due to an upper-body injury. Vítek Vaněček has gotten the start, looking to improve upon his 2-7-1 record this season.
Minor Transactions: 12/20/2025
The midpoint of the season has sparked a flurry of action across the hockey world. Some players are finally being moved from a slow start to the season, while others are finding their first contracts of the year. The notable moves have been rounded up and captured below:
- Former New York Islanders center Leo Komarov has signed a one-year contract with HC Davos of Switzerland’s National League. The 38-year-old Estonian spent the last two seasons with HIFK of Finland’s Liiga. He scored 23 points in 55 games with the club, but wasn’t able to secure a contract for this season. That will change with a move to Switzerland, marking the eighth professional hockey league that Komarov has played in – on top of tenures in Finland’s Mestis and Liiga, Russia’s KHL, the AHL and NHL, and Sweden’s SHL. He will offer Davos veteran depth.
- Also signing an overseas contract is former Buffalo Sabres goaltender Dustin Tokarski, who has left his professional try-out contract with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to sign a deal with Lowen Frankfurt of Germany’s DEL. Tokarski made two appearances with Grand Rapids on his try-out, posting one win and a .929 save percentage. He posted a .897 Sv% in 21 AHL games, and a .902 Sv% in six NHL games, in the Carolina Hurricanes’ organization last season. He’ll join Frankfurt for the second-half of the year and could have an open path to the starting role, with all three of Frankfurt’s goaltenders posting sub-.900 Sv% through the first half of the season.
- Hard-hitting Utah Mammoth prospect Tomas Lavoie has been traded in the QMJHL. He will head to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in exchange for five draft picks, including a first-rounder, headed back to the Cape Breton Eagles. Lavoie was a core piece of the Eagles this season, offering stalwart defense and reliable puck-moving. The former third-round pick has 21 points in 24 games this season and could bring a reliable, shutdown role to a Saguenéens lineup currently leaning on high-octane defenders like Alex Huang.
- Seattle Kraken prospect Alexis Bernier will also head to the Saguenéens in exchange for Leo-Gabriel Gosselin and five draft picks. Bernier is a volume shooter who racked up 14 goals and 46 points in 59 games with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar last season, but hasn’t yet played this year. He could be due for a major breakout after rivaling point-per-game scoring last season, which should only bolster a Saguenéens lineup that has already propped up shoot-first wingers Maxim Massé and Émile Guité. The Saguenéens will go all-in on this season before likely losing Masse, Guite, and many others to pro deals.
Mammoth Reassign Kevin Rooney
The Mammoth announced they’ve returned center Kevin Rooney to AHL Tucson. They’re left with an open roster spot.
Rooney’s run of limited playing time this season continued on his most recent recall. Signed at the beginning of the season after being released from a tryout with the Devils, he didn’t make the team out of camp but has since been recalled four times, clearing waivers twice in the process.
His most recent one came one week ago, only burning seven days off his newly reset 30-day temporary waiver exemption. He didn’t see any action, instead serving as a healthy scratch for Utah’s last four games.
Despite the month-plus he’s spent on Utah’s active roster, he’s only gotten into one game for them, scoring a goal in 10 minutes of action against the Stars on Nov. 28. Last night marked his 20th healthy scratch of the season as the 32-year-old continues to serve as a second healthy extra forward while Logan Cooley and Alexander Kerfoot are on injured reserve.
When the veteran of 331 NHL games has gotten the opportunity to play in the minors, he’s been solid. In 11 games for Tucson, he’s got six goals and an assist with a +2 rating.
Canadiens, Devils, Mammoth Among Teams With Interest In Phillip Danault
The Canadiens, Devils, and Mammoth are among the teams that have interest in making a deal for Kings center Phillip Danault, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports.
Montreal has long been active in the market for a second-line center, a pursuit that only intensified after long-term hopeful Alex Newhook had ankle surgery, knocking him out until March. Danault wouldn’t back nearly as much offensive punch as some other candidates, but he’s a familiar option – playing 360 games for the Habs between 2016 and 2021 as one of the most suffocating matchup centers in the league. His comfort level in a top-six support role, averaging at least 16 minutes per game for nine consecutive seasons, makes him a natural fit even as his scoring has dried up.
Danault’s contract, which expires after next season and carries a $5.5MM cap hit, won’t be an obstacle for them or most other teams. The Kings will almost certainly be taking money back in the deal as they seek rostered talent in return for Danault, with LeBrun reporting they’re unwilling to flip him for draft picks or futures.
His putrid scoring line this season, notching just five assists in 30 games with no goals, is bound to scare at least a few center-needy teams off. He’s still averaging a respectable 1.40 shots on goal per game, though, and the Kings have finished at a woeful 7.0% clip with him on the ice at 5-on-5. Some positive regression is bound to occur, particularly with the 32-year-old notching at least 40 points in each of his first four seasons with Los Angeles.
While that offensive falloff and his minutes being cut due to Quinton Byfield‘s move back to center have him looking for a change of scenery, his advanced numbers still remain some of the best on the Kings. He’s managed a +3 rating despite the lack of offensive production while receiving primarily defensive zone starts at even strength. No L.A. forward has been on the ice for fewer shots per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 than Danault at 23.9.
That makes the Devils’ interest in him likely more than just a top-six stopgap while Jack Hughes continues his rehab from a hand injury. When Hughes returns in the coming weeks, Danault would slot in as New Jersey’s third-line pivot behind Hughes and fellow Selke Trophy candidate Nico Hischier while also serving as one of their top penalty killers. It wouldn’t amount to a significant change in role compared to what Danault’s seeing now in L.A., but with only a 10-team no-trade list as part of his deal, he doesn’t have much say in the matter.
Still, he would appear as more of a redundancy behind Hischier than another scoring winger, presumably a higher priority for the Devils as their offense has slipped into the bottom half of the league amid a rough post-Thanksgiving stretch. Weaponizing their already limited cap space on Danault wouldn’t offer a truly meaningful upgrade to their top nine when healthy, especially with their new-look third line of Arseny Gritsyuk, Cody Glass, and Connor Brown posting spectacular results earlier this year.
Like New Jersey, the Mammoth have a short-term need down the middle with Logan Cooley out of commission until February. They have a younger, cheaper, in-house option with a similar archetype to Danault in Barrett Hayton. While he’s also had some offensive struggles this season, he’s still contributed more points than Danault (a 4-3–7 scoring line in 31 games) and is coming off a 20-goal year. He’s struggled in the faceoff dot at 47.8%, though, indicating they may be planning on shifting him to the wing if they do pick up Danault once Cooley is back in the fold.
Image courtesy of David Gonzales-Imagn Images.
These Pending UFAs Have Increased Their Stock
The 2026 UFA class had been highly anticipated for quite some time free agency even opened this year. That excitement only grew through July and August as many potential UFAs didn’t sign extensions with their current clubs. However, that feeling was quickly dampened in the fall as players like Kirill Kaprizov, Connor McDavid, and Jack Eichel began signing new contracts, taking the energy out of the 2026 free-agent frenzy. While many stars have signed new deals, a noticeable group of talented players is still set to hit the open market on July 1, 2026, with some having significantly boosted their stock after a strong start to the season.
Jack Roslovic has encountered two difficult situations in the UFA market, with the first ending in him signing a one-year, $2.8MM deal with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2024. His second attempt this past summer saw him join the Oilers for one year at $1.5MM. This year’s outcome was quite unexpected, given that Roslovic played well last season with 22 goals for Carolina, yet a multi-year deal that suited him never materialized. Roslovic was not alone this summer; defenseman Matt Grzelcyk also couldn’t secure a multi-year contract that met his expectations, despite having a career-best season last year in Pittsburgh.
This summer, however, Roslovic seems to be positioning himself for a multi-year deal that has eluded him. Injuries could affect his market value, but through 23 games in Edmonton this season, the 28-year-old has scored 10 goals and added eight assists. He’s also averaging over three more minutes of ice time per game compared to his career average. These impressive stats could spark a bidding war for his services if he stays healthy and maintains his current level of performance for the remainder of the season.
Nick Schmaltz is another forward whose performance this season has increased his value. The 29-year-old has 30 points (12 goals and 18 assists) in 34 games, and he will likely exceed his current $5.85MM cap hit when he signs his next contract next summer. Schmaltz’s impending free agency puts the Utah Mammoth in a tough spot, as Schmaltz has recorded back-to-back 60+ point seasons and is on track to do so again, which could raise his next cap hit to around $9MM annually.
The Mammoth might not want to commit to that kind of deal for Schmaltz, which means they will either trade him before the trade deadline or let him walk for nothing at the end of the year. Utah reportedly held trade talks for Schmaltz last summer, and it doesn’t seem likely that a deal will be finalized soon, meaning Schmaltz might enter the open market at the best possible time.
Another forward whose future remains uncertain is Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres. Tuch has scored 11 goals and 17 assists in 31 games and initiated contract talks at the beginning of the season, which puts the Sabres in a difficult position. The Sabres find themselves in a familiar spot at the bottom of the standings, and while Tuch has done his part, the team appears to be heading nowhere. If Tuch continues at his current pace, his value will only increase, which might be what the Sabres want if they plan to trade the Syracuse, New York native.
Two veterans nearing the end of their careers are Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers. Both entered this season with significant questions about their futures, and so far they’ve performed well, raising even more questions about what lies ahead for them.
Evgeni Malkin seems to have no interest in playing anywhere in the NHL other than Pittsburgh. This could lead to some interesting contract negotiations after the season if he maintains his current level of play. Malkin is in the final season of a four-year, $24.4MM contract he signed in the summer of 2022. Many believed last summer that the 2025-26 season could be Malkin’s last in the NHL and possibly his final season as a player at all. However, with the 39-year-old experiencing a significant resurgence this season with eight goals and 21 assists in 26 games, there’s a chance he continues playing, especially if Pittsburgh remains competitive and has a role for him moving forward. Nobody could have predicted that the Penguins would start the season as they have. With more young players emerging and an incredible amount of cap space next summer, the short-term future for Pittsburgh actually looks quite promising. It seemed unlikely that Malkin would receive a contract offer from Pittsburgh next summer, but now it seems like a real possibility he returns, assuming he can maintain his current work rate.
For Panarin, it’s not so much his play this season that has raised his profile, but rather the better options being taken off the table next summer. With many of the top pending UFAs now tied up in extensions, Panarin has risen on the list as one of the best offensive options available. The 34-year-old, for his part, remains a point-per-game player with 11 goals and 22 assists in 33 games, which should attract a healthy market despite his age by NHL standards. AFP Analytics is projecting a four-year, $41MM deal for Panarin, which, considering market conditions and his performance, looks pretty feasible.
On defense, arguably the top available player is Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames. Andersson had a tough year last season but has bounced back in 2025-26, which should give him a strong market if and when he hits free agency. The Flames have started poorly this year, opening up the possibility that Andersson becomes a key trade piece before the NHL Trade Deadline, giving him a chance to play meaningful hockey in the spring if he joins a contender. The 29-year-old has been used in more defensive roles this season but has still managed 22 points in 33 games, after recording just 31 points in 81 games last season. If Andersson maintains this offensive level, his cap hit could rise closer to $9MM a season on his next contract, likely the last major deal of his career. Some teams might hesitate because of his less successful past seasons, but for now, Andersson is hitting his stride at just the right moment.
A couple of honorable mentions to round things out include forwards Victor Olofsson, Jaden Schwartz, and Kiefer Sherwood. Olofsson signed his second straight one-year “prove it” contract this summer, signing with the Colorado Avalanche for a $1.575MM AAV. Since then, Olofsson has been a steady performer for the Avalanche, recording seven goals and 12 assists in 32 games. AFP Analytics projects a three-year deal at $3.41MM per year, which would be a nice bump for the 30-year-old.
A year ago, Schwartz looked like a player who would need to accept a significant pay cut when his current contract ends. The 33-year-old is currently earning a $5.5MM AAV in the final year of a five-year deal. After scoring 49 points last season, Schwartz is on pace for a 65-point season this year, which would be a career best. Considering that level of production, AFP is predicting a two-year deal worth just under $10.8MM, which would be a slight decrease from his next contract but not the huge drop expected a year ago.
Sherwood has become a bit of a goal scorer since joining the Vancouver Canucks in the summer of 2024 as a free agent. He is on track to surpass 20 goals for the first time in his NHL career (after posting 19 a year ago), and the timing could not be better since he is expected to hit the open market next summer. His lack of long-term NHL experience may somewhat limit Sherwood’s market value, as he was a late bloomer, becoming a full-time NHLer at the age of 28. He has just one season with more than thirty points (last year), but if he can do that again, he should still attract a team willing to offer a multi-year deal at an AAV that might surprise some people.