It’s the 1-year anniversary of Utah’s inaugural game in the NHL. Here’s what the team has accomplished since then

On this date two years ago, Salt Lake City having an NHL team was nothing but a pipe dream. On this date last year, the Utah Hockey Club played its first regular-season game.

The team only had a few months to get the plane off the ground in the first place — and it didn’t slow down when the puck dropped.

Here’s what the Mammoth, as an organization, has accomplished so far.

What did the Utah Mammoth accomplish in their first year?

Sold out every game

The limited-view seats at the Delta Center aren’t counted as part of the official capacity. With that qualification, the team sold out every game in Year 1 — 11,131 seats each night.

Of course, some of that is due to the “shiny new toy” factor, but the sellouts seemed to continue in their two preseason games in Salt Lake City (most teams don’t even come close to selling out in the preseason).

Named the team

It became clear to the public over the past year why Smith Entertainment Group opted not to name the team off the bat (or should I say off the faceoff?).

The trademark process seemed to be anything but smooth sailing. Even now that they own the “Utah Mammoth” trademark, legal issues are ongoing. They simply didn’t have enough time to figure that out completely before beginning their first season, which was why they used the “Utah Hockey Club” moniker temporarily.

While asking for fan input wasn’t a unique way to name the team, the technology they utilized was. It certainly helps when the owner is the founder of a survey company.

Released new jerseys (twice)

When the first Utah Hockey Club jerseys became available, Utah broke the NHL record for most in-arena, single-day sales.

After naming the team, they dropped another set of jerseys. The team hasn’t released stats regarding any records this time, but there was a line forming outside the Delta Center at about 4 a.m. the day they went on sale, so you know they moved a lot of product.

Constructed a state-of-the-art practice facility

It took SEG 13 months to turn a Macy’s store into a two-rink NHL practice facility.

The building is still not completely finished, but certainly meets NHL standards — and exceeds them in many ways. Several players have called it the nicest facility in the league, including Nate Schmidt, who comes to the team from another team in the running, the Florida Panthers.

Here’s the pool area. Ryan Smith says the sauna area is big enough for a “team steam” pic.twitter.com/DA9pW6xZRj

— Brogan Houston (@houston_brogan) September 17, 2025

Retrofitted the Delta Center for hockey

An NHL-size rink is more than three-and-a-half times the size of an NBA court. Squeezing ice into the basketball-suited Delta Center was always going to be a challenge, but SEG has been innovative enough to find a permanent solution.

Of course, the renovation is still a work in progress. Much of the upper bowl still has limited-view seats, but that will be solved over the next two offseasons.

This summer, they essentially turned two walls into more than 1,100 seats. Every seat in the lower bowl now has full views, and they accomplished it in five months.

Here’s a good angle: This is the view from the top of the lower bowl. https://t.co/n5staTzWv5pic.twitter.com/Tk3xhtOCds

— Brogan Houston (@houston_brogan) October 2, 2025

Cultivated a loyal fan base

Hockey fans existed in the state of Utah long before the NHL arrived, but they were much fewer than they are now.

Lots of the credit certainly belongs to the people. Ryan Smith loves to say “Utah shows up,” and in this context, he was right.

Credit is also due to SEG. It has integrated the team into the community through seemingly weekly events, including many grassroots hockey programs and public availabilities with the players.

Stayed in the playoff race until the end of the season

The team’s goal for last year was to play meaningful games in the final months of the regular season. Whether they made the playoffs or not was secondary.

They did exactly that, being officially eliminated a few games before the season ended. The idea was to get the young guys some experience playing in high-pressure situations so that when they do eventually make it, they’ll be used to it.

What’s left for the Utah Mammoth to accomplish?

Make the playoffs (and eventually win the Stanley Cup)

On the ice, there’s still a lot to be done. Making the playoffs is the organization’s stated goal this season. In future years, the bar will be even higher.

No matter how good a team is, it’s never guaranteed to win the Stanley Cup — but the Mammoth have put themselves in a good position to achieve it in the future. If things work out the way they’d like, they’ll have a solid five to 10 years of Cup contention.

Reveal a mascot?

Jazz Bear served as “Hockey Bear” last season, but most fans are hoping to see an updated mascot now that there’s a team name.

In an announcement made on Wednesday, the Mammoth told fans to be in their seats early for the Oct. 15 home opener “to witness a special surprise moment and pregame entertainment.” Could that include a mascot reveal?

Sustain success over a long period of time

It’s still early in the franchise’s existence. Having all this success within the community is a great first step, but it doesn’t mean much if it wanes over the next decade or two, causing them the same fate as the Arizona Coyotes and the first iteration of the Winnipeg Jets.

Things are going in the right direction. People are taking a liking to hockey, and young kids are a central focus for the team. It’s not unlikely that Utah could eventually become like its neighbor, Colorado, which has enjoyed decades of success and produced many NHL players.