It's Spooky Season for the Utah Mammoth

Utah Mammoth enter a brutal late-October stretch vs. five 2025 Western Conference playoff teams.

If you’re not one for scary movies—maybe because you can’t find someone warm or cuddly to hold while you shrink in horror, or because the actual horrors of Planet Earth have numbed you to the artificial terror Hollywood cranks out (“What is that, red dye and cornstarch? Give me a break!”)—then the Utah Mammoth’s upcoming stretch is your October thrill ride.

It’s officially Spooky Season, and the Mammoth’s schedule to finish out the scariest month is downright terrifying.

To close out October, Utah faces five straight Western Conference playoff teams from last spring—and the last four are on the road. Four of those are Central Division foes, which makes those already grungy matchups even grungier.

What lies ahead:

• Tue, Oct. 21 — vs. Colorado Avalanche (home)

• Thu, Oct. 23 — at St. Louis Blues

• Sat, Oct. 25 — at Minnesota Wild

• Sun, Oct. 26 — at Winnipeg Jets (back-to-back)

• Tue, Oct. 28 — at Edmonton Oilers

Are you kidding me? That’s a murderer’s row if I’ve ever seen one. I’m somehow more nervous looking at that lineup than I am writing this silly little blog while watching my favorite baseball team, the Seattle Mariners, play for the franchise’s first-ever pennant in Game 7 of the ALCS in Toronto.

Great. The Jays just tied it 1–1 on a two-out Varsho single. Perfect.

Forget Jason vs. Freddy. This Western Conference gauntlet is Jason vs. Freddy vs. Michael Myers vs. Pennywise vs. Hannibal Lecter. It’s that scary to me, the average hockey viewer / basement-based podcaster.

Here’s the good news: Utah is rolling. Winners of three straight and undefeated at home (3-0-0). In the last two, Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz have combined for 11 points. Keller went 1G-3A vs. San Jose, then 1G-1A vs. Boston. Schmaltz had a hat trick vs. San Jose with two helpers vs. Boston. Vitek Vanecek looked solid vs. the Bruins as the spot starter while Karel Vejmelka, who we all know as “Veggie” carries the No. 1 netminder load. And here’s good news, but not new news: Dylan Guenther remains clutch.

And yes, a new secret weapon has been unleashed. Or maybe un-thawed is better said. “Tusky Magic” is definitely real—Utah unveiled Tusky before the home opener and hasn’t lost at home since. Can we bring that big, blue, beautiful bastard on the road?

This is the time of year when we do scary things; things we ordinarily wouldn’t. Pay to enter a haunted house so theater-kids can let out blood-curdling screams inches from your face? You bet. Get dragged to a pumpkin patch for cheesy flannel pics? Sure thing, hunny. Let a bunch of 18–22-year-olds ruin your weekend because they coughed up 14 fourth-quarter points to BYU? Go Utes, go.

’Tis the season.

The Mammoth are no different. They’re taking the challenge tusks-on. Partly because you don’t pick your opponents; you just show up. But also because this group has to know this is an important moment. Call it “make or break” if you want—even if it’s coming after just six games of 2025–26.

Why this stretch matters”

• Playoff barometer: Historically, roughly 77–80% of NHL teams in a playoff spot by American Thanksgiving go on to make the postseason. Banking points now pays off later. Thank you for that stat, Clean Hits Trent.

• Back-to-back + travel tax: Four road games in six days, including a back-to-back (Oct. 25–26 at MIN/WPG). That’s a lot of miles and not a lot of sleep. I wonder how cold it is up there already.

• Quality of opposition: As of Oct. 20, Colorado is flying (5-0-1), and Winnipeg has also started hot. Edmonton is, well…Edmonton with the two-headed dragon of McDavid & Draisaitl. Welcome to the deep end.

To be the best, you’ve got to play—and beat—the best. Even when it’s daunting. That’s how you don’t just make the playoffs; that’s how you win when you get there. Say you reach the Stanley Cup Final and draw a healthy and experience Florida Panthers squad. You still need four wins in seven. Ask McDavid how tall that mountain can be. He and the Oilers know it too well.

The road ahead is tough. It’s dark. It’s scary. The trees are overgrown, the moon is full, and the fog machine is working overtime.

But walk this path we must. Collecting standing points is the mission. That’s our damsel in distress.

So pack the garlic. Bring the rosary. And if needed, stab the figurative vampire with a literal Mammoth tusk.

It’s Spooky Season.

Oct. 21: Utah vs. Colorado

Why they’re scary: MacKinnon, Makar, Necas. Maybe the three best skaters in the world, all on the same team and often on the ice at the same time. Sheesh.

Horror comp: Jack Torrance (The Shining) — trapped in Colorado while they axe through your blue line.

Oct. 23: Utah at St. Louis

Why they’re scary: This team plays the hard way and as they showed at the end of last season with a 13-game winning streak to crack the postseason can become an unstoppable buzzsaw.

Horror comp: Leatherface (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) — relentless and underrated. Kicks the door in and keeps hacking.

Oct. 25: Utah at Minnesota

Why they’re scary: GM Bill Guerin is generous with some, see the Kirill Kaprizov and stingy with others, see Clayton Keller’s snub from the Four Nations Face-off. He holds unchecked godless power, blessing and cursing according to his will. Why me? You’ll never know.

Horror comp: Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th) — lake-country killer; blink and he’s on your crease.

Oct. 26: Utah at Winnipeg

Why they’re scary: Hellebuyck steals souls and robs goals, at least during the regular season.

Horror comp: Pennywise (IT) — Whiteout clown vibes.

Oct. 28: Utah at Edmonton

Why they’re scary: McDavid. Draisaitl. Need we say more?

Horror comp: Freddy & Jason (Freddy vs. Jason) — Nightmare + brute force—sleep or skate, you’re getting hunted either way.