One lucky fan took home an unexpected souvenir after Wednesday night’s Utah Mammoth game. A game-used stick from Mammoth Captain, Clayton Keller. This wasn’t just any game-used stick either. This was the stick that shot the game tying goal that sent it to overtime and ultimately the game winning goal that gave the Mammoth the 5-4 victory.

The stick-toss celebration from Keller came after a game where it looked like all hope was lost.

Late in the third period against Philadelphia, the Mammoth pulled goalie Karel Vajmelka to put six goal scorers and defenders on the ice leaving the empty net while trailing 4-3.

Garnet Hathaway of the Flyers had a chance to put the game away with an empty netter, but Nick Schmaltz swooped in to save the day. On a play where he had no right to take away the goal, he surprised Hathaway and poked the puck free giving the Mammoth a fighting chance.

Enter Captain Keller.

With just over 30 seconds left in regulation, he ties up the game at 4 a piece and sends it to overtime.

In overtime, the Mammoth would strike again as Dylan Guenther would set up Keller for the game winning goal. Utah won 5-4 in OT.

HOTTEST SPORT IN TOWN

The Mammoth now find themselves at eight wins in their last ten games. Their record sits at 26-20-4. That places them as the top wild card team in the West at 56 points.

It is no secret that many Utah residents are still new to the sport of hockey. The first wave of fans hit Southern Utah when the Vegas Golden Knights brought in an expansion team in 2017. This second wave may have been even larger with the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes, now the Utah Mammoth, placing roots in Salt Lake City.

Now, after a season and a half of NHL hockey being played in Utah, sports fans find themselves with sporting options.

Of course the Utah Jazz remain the longest tenured team in town. They have found their fare share of struggles since the departure of their former stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

Then you have Real Salt Lake. The professional soccer team in Sandy, Utah has found their share of success over the years, but only a niche group of fans have continually shown up.

We could argue that college athletics have a home in the conversation. That may be so as teams like BYU men’s basketball and Utah State men’s basketball have found themselves in the top 25 this season, but fanbases remain split across the state.

The addition of the Utah Mammoth to Utah has brought in a unifying sports league that all fans can rally behind. Sure, there are plenty of fans here in Southern Utah that have their allegiance to the Vegas Golden Knights. This does create a breeding ground for rivalries amongst hockey fans in Southern Utah.

After polling Southern Utah Hockey Fans, Southern Utah based sports radio team at The Fan Sports Network found that 47% of fans root for the Mammoth, 38% for the Golden Knights and 15% for other teams.

The Mammoth may not have a solid hold on Southern Utah, but hockey does.

Whether you’re a Golden Knights fan or a Mammoth fan, hockey is here to stay. Each team plays in front of sell out crowds every night. While the Knights have found their playoff success, the Mammoth are yet to set sights on the Stanley Cup.

MAMMOTH GOALS

The Utah Mammoth are on track to have one of the best seasons on record if we are to include the records of the Arizona Coyotes. If they continue on at this pace, they will likely reach at least 90 points by the end of the season. There have been only 8 seasons in which the Coyotes accomplished that feat with most of those coming in back-to-back seasons.

It is important to note that the Mammoth are accomplishing this milestone after being the laughing stock of the NHL during their final seasons in Phoenix.

With the support of sports fans in Utah and an owner that is willing to put money into the organization at an unprecedented level, The Mammoth now stand tall as the best ticket in town.

Their sights are set on the playoffs with the goal of one day bringing the Stanley Cup to Utah. It may not be this year, but the culture is already here. The fans are already here. The facilities are top notch, and players find themselves looking at Utah as a premiere destination in free agency.

As the Mammoth have grown in just the year and a half since the move to Utah, it would not be surprising to see a competitive playoff team on the ice sooner than anyone expected.