Utah Mammoth release expanded 2026-27 schedule, open season at home against Chicago

The Utah Mammoth will open the 2026-27 NHL season Oct. 1 at the Delta Center against the Chicago Blackhawks. The team’s 84-game schedule also includes a New Year’s Eve Winter Classic at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Photo: Utah Mammoth // NHL

The 84-game season includes Utah’s first outdoor game, a New Year’s Eve Winter Classic at Rice-Eccles Stadium

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The Utah Mammoth will begin its third NHL season at home against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, Oct. 1, as part of an expanded 84-game regular-season schedule released Thursday.

The opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Delta Center. Utah has won both of its previous home openers, including a 5-2 victory over Chicago in the franchise’s first game in October 2024.

The NHL increased its schedule from 82 to 84 games per team for the first time since the 1993-94 season. The league’s 1,344-game schedule begins Sept. 29 and concludes April 10, with all 32 teams playing on the final day.

Utah will play 41 games at the Delta Center and host one additional game at Rice-Eccles Stadium, where the Mammoth will face the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL Winter Classic on Thursday, Dec. 31.

The New Year’s Eve matchup will be the first outdoor game in franchise history and the NHL’s 18th Winter Classic.

The Mammoth face a road-heavy opening stretch after the home opener, playing 13 of their next 18 games away from Salt Lake City. That includes a five-game trip from Oct. 3-10 and a season-long six-game road stretch from Oct. 29 through Nov. 11.

Utah will then return for five straight home games from Nov. 12-21. The team’s longest homestand runs from Jan. 23 through Feb. 2, when the Mammoth will play six consecutive games at the Delta Center.

The expanded schedule means Utah will play each of its seven Central Division opponents four times. The Mammoth will also play three games against each Pacific Division team and two games against every Eastern Conference club.

Notable home games include a Dec. 17 matchup against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes and a Jan. 29 visit from Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

The Vegas Golden Knights will make their only regular-season visit to the Delta Center on April 3. The matchup follows the teams’ first-round playoff series in 2026.

Utah’s final home game is scheduled for April 7 against the Dallas Stars. The Mammoth will close the regular season on April 10 on the road against the St. Louis Blues for the third consecutive year.

Most Mammoth games will be available locally on Utah 16 and through the Mammoth+ streaming service. National broadcast information will be announced later.

Single-game tickets went on sale Friday, July 17, at 10 a.m., according to the team.