Utah Hockey Club Record: What Most People Get Wrong About the New Guys

Utah Hockey Club Record: What Most People Get Wrong About the New Guys

Honestly, if you looked at the Utah Hockey Club record back in October, you probably thought they were going to burn the league down.

Starting 3-0? Beating Boston and Colorado right out of the gate? It felt like Vegas all over again. But then reality—the kind involving long road trips to Eastern Canada and injuries to key guys like Logan Cooley—hit the Delta Center hard.

Right now, as of mid-January 2026, Utah (officially taking on the "Mammoth" identity this season) sits at 24-20-4.

They have 52 points. That puts them fourth in a Central Division that is basically a meat grinder. They aren't the best team in the league, but they are miles ahead of where the "experts" said they’d be when they moved from Arizona. They're basically a bubble team with a chip on their shoulder.

Breaking Down the 2025-26 Utah Hockey Club Record

You've got to look at the streaks to understand how they got here. It hasn't been a smooth ride. It’s been more of a rollercoaster.

They started the season like a house on fire. Between October 15 and October 26, they went on a seven-game tear. They were scoring nearly four goals a game. Dylan Guenther looked like he was going to win the Rocket Richard.

Then November happened.

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November was brutal. They dropped four straight at one point. They lost three games in overtime in a single week. If they hadn't struggled so much in the extra frame, that Utah Hockey Club record would look a whole lot sexier right now. Those "loser points" are the only thing keeping them in the hunt.

Current Standings and Context

Let’s be real: catching Colorado is a pipe dream. The Avalanche are sitting on 74 points. But Utah is neck-and-neck with Minnesota and Dallas.

  • Overall Record: 24-20-4
  • Home Record: 13-7-2 (The Delta Center is loud, man.)
  • Away Record: 11-13-2
  • Goal Differential: +15

It’s actually kinda wild that they have a positive goal differential despite being only four games over .500. It tells you they either win big or lose close. The 6-1 thumping of Toronto on January 13 was a perfect example. When they're "on," they look like a top-five team. When they're "off," they’re basically just the Coyotes in cooler jerseys.

The Players Driving the Numbers

You can’t talk about the record without talking about Clayton Keller.

The guy is the heart of this team. He’s got 44 points in 48 games. He isn't just a scorer anymore; he’s a leader. He’s taking the tough minutes, playing on the PK, and basically doing everything Andre Tourigny asks him to do.

Then there's Dylan Guenther. 23 goals. At 22 years old. That is elite production.

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The defense is where things get a bit shaky, though. Mikhail Sergachev is playing nearly 25 minutes a night. That’s a massive workload. John Marino has been a savior on the plus-minus side (he's +26!), but the depth behind them is thin. When Sean Durzi went down for a stretch, the power play, which is currently hovering around 15.4%, absolutely tanked.

Why Most People Are Misreading the Stats

People look at the 20 losses and think the "new team smell" has worn off.

That’s a mistake.

You have to look at the expected goals. Utah is actually top-ten in the league for High-Danger Scoring Chances (HDC%). They create a ton. The problem? They don't always finish. They've got a shooting percentage that's slightly below the league average at 5-on-5.

Basically, they are playing better than their record suggests.

Karel Vejmelka has been the unsung hero. He’s 22-11-2 with a .903 save percentage. That might not sound like Vezina numbers, but if you saw the breakaways he faces because of the team's aggressive forecheck, you'd understand. He's been the difference between a playoff spot and a top-ten draft pick.

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What to Watch for in the Second Half

The schedule is about to get weird.

They have a seven-game homestand that just started. They've already taken down Toronto and Dallas. If they can sweep the rest of this stretch—which includes games against Seattle and Nashville—they’ll be firmly in a playoff spot by the trade deadline.

Keep an eye on the injuries. Logan Cooley being on IR is a massive blow to their center depth. If he doesn't come back soon, the pressure on Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton might become too much.

Actionable Insights for Utah Fans:

  • Watch the Overtime Performance: If Utah can start winning 50% of their OT games instead of losing them, they’ll easily hit 95 points.
  • Monitor the Power Play: At 15.4%, it's one of the worst for a playoff contender. A mid-season adjustment here adds 3-4 wins to the Utah Hockey Club record instantly.
  • Home Ice Advantage: Use the Delta Center energy. They are a significantly better team in Salt Lake City.

This team isn't a fluke. They’re young, they’re fast, and they’re figuring out how to win in a small market. It’s not perfect, and the record shows that, but don't count them out of a Wild Card spot just yet.