Venue Location
Delta Center (capacity ~18,000+ for hockey), Salt Lake City, Utah. The Mammoth’s home arena (shared with the NBA’s Jazz) features a lively, modern atmosphere with strong fan support for the new franchise. The ice is typically fast and neutral, but Utah’s home crowds have created a noticeable boost this season (17-8-2 home record). High-energy environment expected for this Central Division showdown.
Puck drop is scheduled for 9:00 PM ET (7:00 PM MT local)
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+ (national); local broadcasts on Altitude (COL) and Utah Mammoth regional feeds
- Puck drop at 9:00 PM ET sharp; doors/gates open ~6:30–7:00 PM MT.
Injury Report
Colorado Avalanche
- Logan O’Connor (F): IR (hip) – out until at least Feb 28; significant depth loss.
- Gabriel Landeskog (LW/C): Expected available post-Olympics (upper-body/ribs earlier); likely back or very close.
- Other notes: No major new issues reported; Avalanche largely healthy coming out of the Olympic break with stars like MacKinnon, Rantanen (Olympic lower-body concern monitored but expected to play), and Makar fully available.
Utah Mammoth
- Logan Cooley (C): IR (lower body) – out several more weeks (post-Olympics timeline); big offensive loss (14G, 23P in 29GP).
- Alexander Kerfoot (C/LW): IR (upper/lower body) – out; depth forward impact.
- Other notes: Relatively healthy otherwise; Vejmelka fresh and available after limited Olympic duty.
Recent Team Forms
Avalanche (dominant; ~4-1-0 or better in recent stretch pre-break, 3.85 GF/g, 2.51 GA/g)
- Rolled into the Olympic break with wins like 4-2 vs. San Jose (Feb 4, Lehkonen 2G) and consistent excellence. 8-1-4 in last 13; best offense and special teams in the league. Fresh legs post-break.
Mammoth (solid; W2 entering break, ~3.2 GF/g, 2.75 GA/g)
- Recent wins: 4-1 vs. Detroit (Feb 4), 6-2 vs. Vancouver (Feb 2). 9-7-0 in last 16; good home momentum but missing key forwards (Cooley/Kerfoot). Rely on Vejmelka’s goaltending and depth scoring (Keller, Schmaltz, Guenther).
Series History (2025-26 Season)
Avalanche lead the season series 2-1.
- Oct 9, 2025 @ Ball Arena: Avalanche 3, Mammoth 2? (early season).
- Oct 21, 2025 @ Delta Center: Mammoth 4, Avalanche 3 (OT).
- Dec 23, 2025 @ Ball Arena: Avalanche 1, Mammoth 0 (tight defensive battle).
All-time: Avalanche lead 4-2. Colorado has won 2 of the last 3 meetings; games tend to be low-scoring and physical.
Key Player Matchups
- Nathan MacKinnon / Mikko Rantanen / Artturi Lehkonen (COL top line) vs. Utah top D pair (Sergachev / Marino or similar): MacKinnon’s speed and Rantanen’s playmaking (if fully healthy) overwhelm Utah’s structure.
- Clayton Keller / Nick Schmaltz / Dylan Guenther (UTA top line) vs. Avalanche shutdown D (Makar / Toews): Keller’s creativity tests Colorado’s transition game.
- Goaltending: Avalanche tandem (strong .910+ SV% group) vs. Karel Vejmelka (fresh, .903 SV% season) – slight edge to Colorado.
- Special Teams: Avalanche elite PP (~25%+) vs. Mammoth PK; Utah must contain Colorado’s power play.
Betting Trends & Insights
- Avalanche 16-6-5 on the road and excellent as road favorites; 2-1 in season series.
- Mammoth strong at home (17-8-2) but 1-2 vs. Colorado this year.
- Total: UNDER in 2 of 3 season meetings; recent Central games trend lower-scoring post-break.
Game Odds
Colorado Avalanche – 122
Utah Mammoth 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Tuesday, February 24, 2026
