The Utah Mammoth will face the Seattle Kraken on January 17, 2026, at the Delta Center in a special Next Gen game. Utah enters on a six-game points streak, while Seattle aims to end a two-game losing run. Both teams sit near the top of their divisions in the Western Conference.
The matchup pits two competitive Western Conference squads against each other in Salt Lake City. Utah, with a record of 24-20-4 and 52 points, holds fourth place in the Central Division. The Mammoth have earned points in six straight games and rank tied for the most in the NHL with 13 in January. Their recent 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars featured goals from Nick Schmaltz and John Marino, with goaltender Karel Vejmelka making 26 saves for his 22nd win of the season.
Seattle, at 21-16-9 with 51 points, occupies third in the Pacific Division. The Kraken dropped a 4-2 decision to the Boston Bruins last time out, with Chandler Stephenson and Eeli Tolvanen scoring. Joey Daccord faced 23 shots in that game. Offensively, Jordan Eberle leads with 16 goals and 30 points, while Vince Dunn tops the team with 22 assists.
Utah coach André Tourigny emphasized the challenge of penetrating Seattle's defense. "Seattle is a team who clogs the middle a lot, it’s tough to get inside and have quality shots," he said. He stressed the need for a quick attack and awareness against Seattle's defensemen, who have scored the eighth-most goals among blueliners league-wide. On special teams, Seattle's power play ranks seventh at 23.7% efficiency, including three goals over their last two games.
This is the second of three meetings this season; Utah won the first 5-3 on December 12. Utah's attack is led by Dylan Guenther's 23 goals, Clayton Keller's 31 assists and 44 points, and Schmaltz's 17 goals, 26 assists, and 43 points. In net, Vejmelka boasts a 2.53 goals-against average, while Seattle's Philipp Grubauer has a .922 save percentage.
The game highlights Utah's strong defensive play, allowing the fifth-fewest goals per game at 2.75, compared to Seattle's ninth-fewest at 2.85. Following this, Utah concludes a seven-game homestand against Philadelphia on January 21.
