Utah Mammoth Clayton Keller is a celebrated Olympian returning from the 2026 Winter Olympics to the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Wed Feb 25, 2026 (photo by Tom Walker-Sports Radio Service)
By Tom Walker
SALT LAKE CITY–Utah Captain Clayton Keller was celebrated for his Team USA gold medal, but Colorado came out on top in return to NHL action. February 25, 2026 by Tom Walker
Three weeks ago the Utah Mammoth (30-23-4) wrapped up a trio of home games prior to the Olympic break with a dominating 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, giving Utah a 12-4-1 record in the new year. With play resuming Wednesday night at Delta Center against the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche (37-9-9), the Mammoth hoped to revive their momentum for the back half of the monthlong homestand which will also include games against the Minnesota Wild on Friday and the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. In a fluke of the schedule, Utah did not have a single road game the entire month of February.
One of the biggest questions entering Wednesday night’s contest was the impact on each team resulting from numerous players having recently returned from Olympic play in Milan. Mammoth captain Clayton Keller returned to Utah sporting gold for Team USA.
Olli Määttä brought home bronze for Finland, while JJ Peterka and Karel Vejmelka gained valuable experience while representing Germany and Czechia. Eight Avalanche players also participated in the 2026 Olympic games including gold medalist Brock Nelson, whose family has participated in each of the 3 Team USA gold medal squads going back to 1960 and 1980; Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews who represented Canada in their silver medal effort; and Määttä’s Finnish teammates Mikko Rantanen, Artturi Lehkonen, and Joel Kiviranta. Gabriel Landeskog also competed for Sweden.
Returning to the ice for the Mammoth from Injured Reserve were Logan Cooley, who had been out since December 5, and Alexander Kerfoot. In 29 games prior to his injury, Cooley had recorded 14 goals and 9 assists for 23 points. During Cooley’s absence, Utah went 16-11-1.
Shortly before game time, an Avalanche team spokesman told the Denver Post that Nathan MacKinnon would be scratched because of “maintenance.” We can safely rule out a hangover following a Team Canada victory celebration.
During the first TV timeout in the opening period, the Mammoth showed a video tribute to their Olympians on the Jumbotron, concluding with the entire ice sheet turned into an American flag as Clayton Keller and Team USA were honored to the roar of the crowd and the sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird.”
When play resumed, Colorado was able to put the puck past Vejmelka to seemingly take a 1-0 lead, but Utah successfully challenged for goaltender interference with the video replay clearly showing an Avalanche stick knocking the glove of Veggie just prior to the puck flying past him.
The Mammoth have been successful in 6 out of 7 coach’s challenges on the year. The first period ended in a scoreless draw as Vejmelka and Colorado netminder Scott Wedgewood each turned away eight shots.
The second period was anything but a scoreless draw. Colorado drew first blood at 3:26 on Parker Kelly’s 13th goal of the season, assisted by Brent Burns and Josh Manson. At 9:13, Victor Olofsson made it 2-0 with his 11th goal of the season, assisted by Sam Malinski and Kelly. Just past the halfway mark, Gabriel Landeskog was whistled for holding against Lawson Crouse which opened the door for Dylan Guenther to cut the deficit in half with his 26th goal of the season, a wicked one-timer top shelf blast over the right shoulder of Wedgewood, assisted by Mikhail Sergachev and Keller. 91 seconds later, Brock Nelson restored Colorado’s two-goal lead with his 30th of the season, assisted by Landeskog and Martin Nečas.
Exactly one minute later, Guenther went top shelf over the right shoulder of Wedgewood once again for his second of the game and 27th of the season, matching his career high which was set last season, courtesy of some great moves by Logan Cooley who brought the puck up the ice, with the further assist to Jack McBain, closing the gap to 3-2.
McBain gave the Avalanche a power play opportunity late in the period when he went to the sin bin for tripping Valeri Nichushkin, opening the door for Nečas to score his 23rd of the season on the power play, assisted by Cole Makar and Nichushkin, sending the teams to the locker room with Colorado leading 4-2.
If one missed the second period, one would never know that a goal had ever been scored because the third period was a replay of the first, with both netminders completely shutting down the opposition, albeit Wedgewood faced only three Mammoth shots compared with Vejmelka stopping 13 from the Avalanche.
With the win, Colorado takes the season series with Utah winning three of four. Each of the previous three matchups were decided by a single goal. Of the Olympians on the ice, the only points in the game came from Nelson with his goal, and Keller, Landeskog, and Makar each with an assist.
“I think no matter the result, we want to make sure that we get back to our game as quick as possible. I just don’t think that was us,” said Dylan Guenther in the locker room after the game. “I think just the little intangibles, the battles and stuff like that, but we actually did a better job in the third, but I think just getting back to how hard we have to work to win games.”
Asked about how it felt to be back on the ice after his long rehab, Cooley said, “Personally, it felt pretty good. It’s good to be back out there with the guys. It’s no fun sitting in the stands watching them, and it kind of felt like a long journey. There’s a lot of hard work that went into it, big thanks to the trainers and everyone, my family supported me coming back and it felt good to be back, but now it kind of shifts to the team and how we need to be better.” Coming off of the Olympic break, the Mammoth do not yet fully have their groove back. Cooley noted, “You could tell there was some rust out there, and I don’t think it was just small details. It was losing battles, not coming back quick enough, not defending in front, little things like that that are our identity and what makes us successful. And we didn’t do that tonight.” Talking about Guenther, Cooley said, “He’s a pure goal scorer, you know? He could score from anywhere. You just try to find him when you’re in the O-zone, and, like I said, he could score from anywhere. It’s so fun playing with him, so smart, and hopefully he can keep a few more coming here.”
Head coach André Tourigny began his post-game remarks by saying, “We played a good team, but I didn’t like our grind. I didn’t like our physicality. I thought we didn’t have the pace we should have in our zone and on the forecheck. I don’t think we were the fastest team tonight, and that’s what makes us special. We need to realize that and be much better next game. … There’s a lot of man-on-man, and you need to win those battles. If you don’t win those battles, you don’t possess the puck enough, and you obviously have to defend too much.” On Cooley’s return, Bear commented, “Like everybody else, I think I saw a lot of rust and tough decisions with the puck. Not playing fast at all with and without the puck.”
Utah (30-24-4) returns on Friday to face the Minnesota Wild (34-14-10) which sports a lineup including Matt Boldy, who scored the opening goal for Team USA in the gold medal match, and Quinn Hughes, who scored the game-winning overtime goal against Sweden in the Olympics quarterfinals.
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