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The Utah Mammoth go into the Olympic break with a firm grasp on the first wild card playoff spot.

Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) watches the puck as right wing Kailer Yamamoto (56) and Detroit Red Wings left wing James van Riemsdyk (21) compete for it during the second period of an NHL game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

Whether it’s a case of Detroit Red Wings fans traveling well, or there’s just a large cohort of Michiganders in Utah, the stands at the Delta Center on Wednesday were littered with red jerseys.

But they were in for a big disappointment.

The Utah Mammoth, who have been nearly unstoppable at home since the calendar flipped to 2026, pulled off a 4-1 win against the league’s seventh-best team.

“Solid game by our special teams. Our goalie was rock-solid. It was a huge win for us,” smiled Mammoth head coach André Tourigny.

Here’s the story.

0204hknmammoth.spt — Utah Mammoth right wing Dylan Guenther (11) celebrates his goal against the Detroit Red Wings during the third period of an NHL game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

Quick catchup

Utah Mammoth: 4

Detroit Red Wings: 1

The game opened like many others in recent Mammoth history: with an early goal. Sean Durzi seemed to catch Red Wings goaltender John Gibson by surprise, floating a shot on net from the boards just inside the blue line.

Nick Schmaltz, who had a hat trick against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, followed it up with yet another goal a few minutes later.

It would remain 2-0 Utah until the third period, when Dylan Guenther would add to the pile with a solid power move.

The Mammoth were playing for goaltender Karel Vejmelka, who was looking to record the first home shutout in franchise history. But a late delay of game penalty put them shorthanded, at which point the Red Wings pulled the goalie to go 6-on-4. Captain and soon-to-be Olympian Dylan Larkin capitalized on the opportunity, ending Vejmelka’s perfect game with just 2:18 to go.

Clayton Keller, who will join Larkin on Team USA’s Olympic squad in mere days, fired an empty-netter to seal the game.

Regardless of what happens in Thursday’s games, the Mammoth will go into the Olympic break with a grasp on the first wild card spot — a great place to be for a franchise looking to take the next step.

Tidbits and takeaways

Steaming-hot Veggies

Vejmelka shared in a walk-off interview after the game that his uncle had passed away two days prior.

“This win is for him,” he said.

He explained a little more in his postgame interview with the media.

“He was a big sportsman. He played tennis really well for a long time, so he taught me a lot,” Vejmelka said. “He was a great human being. ... I played, obviously, for him tonight, so this win is for him.”

Although he won’t get credit for a shutout, his impact in this game should not be understated. Time after time, the phrase “How did that stay out?” ran through the minds of the fans as they chanted his nickname.

Veggie is THAT guy!🤯 pic.twitter.com/WG0ua1mrTi
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) February 5, 2026

“Helps you to win games, no doubt about it,” Tourigny said of Vejmelka’s performance. “I think he’s been on a good stretch, played a lot of hockey. He’s going (to) the Olympics. Happy for him.”

Vejmelka now heads to the Olympics, where he’ll represent his home country, Czechia.

He brings a boatload of earned confidence overseas with him. He leads the NHL in wins (27) and has been the backbone of his team all season long. Czechia’s first Olympic game will be against Canada on Feb. 12.

A group effort

Player selection has been a major topic surrounding the top Olympic teams. Anthony Cirelli, for example, isn’t remotely one of the top-scoring Canadians in the NHL, but he made the team for his defensive ability.

Winning teams, in the Olympics and the NHL, tend to have guys who are really good at their specific jobs. Tourigny explained after the game that the Mammoth are structured the same way — and that was a big part of their group win Wednesday evening.

Schmaltz, Guenther and Keller are among the primary scorers, and that’s exactly what they did against the Red Wings. A number of others, including Durzi, provide secondary scoring.

Jack McBain, Liam O’Brien and Brandon Tanev provide toughness and pace, as evidenced by Tanev’s fight and McBain and O’Brien leading the game in hits (four each).

Kevin Stenlund is among the league’s best penalty killers and, obviously, Vejmelka can stop a puck with the best of ‘em.

“We don’t have guys who are just OK at a little bit of everything,” Tourigny said. “They all have something. ... That’s why we’re capable of being successful, even if we’re missing really good players.”

Well-deserved break

It’s well-documented how action-packed this season is. In case you hadn’t heard, it’s an Olympic year, meaning they have three fewer weeks in which to squeeze their 82-game schedule.

Many of the guys who weren’t selected for international teams are heading to sunny locations — and it seems like Florida is the preferred spot. Tourigny said he’ll spend three days somewhere sunny before going home to Quebec, promising to bring some snow back with him.

The Mammoth are back in action at the Delta Center on Feb. 25, and it’ll be no easy task to get back to their winning ways: the league-leading Colorado Avalanche are coming to town. Practices resume on Feb. 17.

Goal of the game

Dylan Guenther’s power move

Guenther has talked a lot about becoming more versatile, and that’s what he showed on this goal. He is not a one-dimensional player.

“I think (versatility) is important,” Guenther said after the game. “I mean, you can’t just try to score. I think just trying to be reliable. ... Trying to manage the puck and then score in different ways, too.