{coyotes} Mammoth pummel Kings 6-2 to create more separation in Western Conference wild-card race

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LOS ANGELES (AP) Alexander Kerfoot and Logan Cooley scored two goals each, Mikhail Sergachev tied a franchise single-game record with four assists, and the Utah Mammoth beat the Los Angeles Kings 6-2 on Saturday night.

Nick Schmaltz and Jack McBain also scored, Karel Vejmelka made 29 saves, as the Mammoth avoided a second losing streak of at least three games in March.

Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings, who have won one of their last six games. Darcy Kuemper allowed five goals on 16 shots before being replaced by Anton Forsberg to start the third period. Forsberg made 11 saves in relief.

The Mammoth continued their charge toward a playoff berth when Kerfoot opened the scoring 2:31 into the game, followed by two goals from Cooley late in the first period. Cooley struck on the power play to pick up his second with less than nine seconds remaining, canceling out any momentum Los Angeles had when Kopitar got them on the board two minutes earlier.

Utah is now five points ahead of Nashville for the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference, which would put them against the Pacific Division in the postseason and away from the Central Division powerhouse trio of Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota.

The Kings started a critical seven-game homestand with a chance to move into the second wild-card spot ahead of the Predators - a team they face twice next week - but instead face planted with a dismal showing.

Special teams was particularly dire for Los Angeles, giving up two goals on the penalty kill plus an even-strength tally to Kerfoot shortly after its own power play expired midway through the second period.

Mammoth: Visit Seattle on Thursday night.

Kings: Host St. Louis on Wednesday night.

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{coyotes} Ovechkin's 29th career hat trick powers Capitals past Mammoth, 7-4

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Alex Ovechkin had his 29th career hat trick, Ivan Miroshnichenko scored twice, and the Washington Capitals beat the Utah Mammoth 7-4 on Thursday night to snap a two-game losing streak.

Anthony Beauvillier and Rasmus Sandin also scored for the Capitals, while Logan Thompson made 35 stops for Washington, which scored four unanswered goals after falling behind 3-1.

Dylan Guenther scored twice for Utah. Logan Cooley and MacKenzie Weegar added a goal apiece and Vitek Vanecek made 17 saves for the Mammoth, who have dropped six of their last seven games at home.

Miroshnichenko's first goal of the season at the 2:07 mark of the first period gave the Capitals the early lead. Jakob Chychrun sent the puck back to a trailing Miroshnichenko and he scored on a long-distance slap shot.

Guenther scored on a power play with 6:56 left in the first off a feed from Clayton Keller to make it 1-1. Guenther put Utah ahead with 3:01 remaining, threading in a perfectly timed backhander also set up by Keller.

Cooley extended the lead with 5.4 seconds left in the first with a power-play goal.

Ovechkin erased the deficit in the second. He scored his first at the 5:01 mark of the period when he tipped in a puck in traffic and equalized with 8:32 left in the second, chipping the puck under the crossbar.

Beauvillier's tip-in put Washington ahead 4-3 at the 2:43 mark of the third. Sandin made it a two-goal lead at 6:02 when he caught Vanecek out of position and threaded the puck between two defenders.

Weegar pulled Utah back within one just two minutes later, but Miroshnichenko restored a two-goal lead at the 9:54 mark.

Ovechkin completed the hat trick with an empty-netter with 5.2 seconds left. Utah is the 21st different NHL team he's had a hat trick against.

Capitals: at Vegas on Saturday.

Mammoth: at Los Angeles on Saturday.

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{coyotes} Mammoth forward Hayton week to week

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Barrett Hayton is week to week with an upper-body injury, coach Andre Tourigny said ahead of the Mammoth's home game against the Washington Capitals at Delta Center on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; Utah16, MNMT). The forward left a 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday after colliding with teammate Jack McBain one shift in the first period. Hayton has 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 67 games. … Daniil But was recalled from Tucson of the American Hockey League on Wednesday and will likely skate at left wing on the second line with center Logan Cooley and right wing Dylan Guenther.

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{coyotes} NHL sets date for 2026 Draft Lottery

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Fans with teams not going to the playoffs have a new date to look forward to.

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will take place on May 5 and can be seen on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.

As has been the case since 2021, the first two picks in this June's NHL Draft will be determined after two draws. The team that wins the lottery can move up a maximum of 10 slots in the draft.

This year's NHL Draft class features multiple players who could go with the No. 1 pick. That group includes: Ivar Stenberg (Frolunda, Sweden), Gavin McKenna (Penn State, NCAA) and Keaton Verhoeff (North Dakota, NCAA).

Last year, the New York Islanders won the NHL Draft Lottery and moved up 10 spots to select defenceman Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 pick.

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{coyotes} McDavid scores twice to give him 401 career goals and 1,200 points as Oilers top Mammoth 5-2

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Connor McDavid scored twice to give him 401 career goals and 1,200 points, sparking the Edmonton Oilers to a 5-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday night.

McDavid became the fifth player in Oilers history to reach 400 goals when he took a feed from Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard and beat Karel Vejmelka with 7:53 left in the second period.

The go-ahead goal was his 40th of the season and put Edmonton in front 3-2. He scored his 401st goal on an empty-netter with 7.5 seconds remaining that also gave him his 1,200th point. McDavid also has 799 career assists.

Evan Bouchard had three assists to give him 82 points as he joined Cale Makar, Erik Karlsson and Roman Josi as the only NHL defensemen to record multiple 80-point seasons since 2005-06.

To complete the milestone-rich contest, Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins posted his 800th career NHL point with an assist in the first period on a goal by Roslovic, who had two scores. Matt Savoie scored a short-handed goal in the second.

Edmonton had 24 blocked shots and allowed just 18 shots on goal. Tristan Jarry made 16 saves.

The Oilers have won their last five games against the Mammoth and leapfrogged the Vegas Golden Knights (79-78 points) for second place in the Pacific Division as the playoff races heat up.

Alexander Kerfoot and Lawson Crouse scored for Utah. Vejmelka stopped 11 shots, but was replaced after the second period by Vitek Vanecek.

Utah's André Tourigny coached his 400th career NHL game (164-191-45).

Mammoth forward Barrett Hayton left in the first period with an upper-body injury and didn't return.

Oilers: Visit Vegas on Thursday night.

Mammoth: Host Washington on Thursday night to finish their four-game homestand.

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{coyotes} Mammoth becoming NHL destination thanks to trust in players, team

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Belief and trust -- in himself and the organization's faith in him -- sold Dylan Guenther on the Utah Mammoth.

It's why the 22-year-old forward signed an eight-year, $57.14 million contract ($7.14 million average annual value) on Sept. 20, 2024.

"I was playing in the minors the year before," Guenther said. "You don't even really know if you're going to be a full-time NHL player. That kind of commitment from them and trust from them was a good feeling to have, especially at such a young age."

The Mammoth have since shown that high level of commitment and trust in goalie Karel Vejmelka, and forwards JJ Peterka, Jack McBain, Logan Cooley and Nick Schmaltz. 

They've all reciprocated with autographs on long-term contracts; eight years for Cooley and Schmaltz, five each for Vejmelka, Peterka and McBain.

Defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, in the third season of an eight-year contract, showed his belief in the Mammoth by agreeing to waive his no-trade clause to go to Utah from the Calgary Flames on March 4.

Utah previously had acquired defenseman Mikhail Sergachev in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 29, 2024. He too is in the third season of an eight-year contract.

In all, the Mammoth have eight players signed through the 2029-30 season.

"The players are vested in the vision, the vision of trying to become a championship organization, and they know that you have to play together long term to do that," Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said. "When Guenther stepped up and he was the first one to say, 'This is where I want to be,' that was huge. It kind of parlayed into Cooley saying, 'I want to be here,' and then 'Bainer' saying 'I want to be here too.' We traded for JJ and 'Sergy', and 'Vejy' saying 'I want to be a part of this too.' Well, here we go."

The buy-in has the Mammoth (37-28-6) in position to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. 

They haven't clinched, but they currently hold the first wild card in the West and a seven-point cushion with 11 games to play, including against the Edmonton Oilers at Delta Center on Tuesday (9:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN1, TVAS).

"The fact the guys stay here means they love each other, they believe in each other, they want to be together and they believe they can achieve great things together," Utah coach Andre Tourigny said. "To follow that, they believe the organization will give them the means to succeed together. They believe everything will be put together to achieve their goals. 

"They have huge belief in (owners) Ryan and Ashley (Smith) with the way they've done things since we arrived in Utah. All the players that we have talk about the community here, the atmosphere at Delta Center, how the fans react to them. I think everything brings the vibe in the right direction."

The Mammoth missed the playoffs by seven points last season, their first since the franchise assets of the Arizona Coyotes were sold to Utah.

If they make the playoffs this season it will be the first time the Mammoth/Arizona Coyotes have clinched a playoff berth since 2012. The Coyotes were one of 12 teams in the West that was part of the League's return to play in the 2020 playoffs, but they never clinched.

"I think we can be a dangerous team in the playoffs," Schmaltz said. "We play a pretty hard game. We play fast. We're tough to play against. I think we'll take advantage of it."

Schmaltz said the growth he has seen this season was one of several significant factors in him signing an eight-year, $64 million contract ($8 million AAV) on March 11, along with the term, familiarity, appreciation for Utah and the long-term commitments his teammates have made. 

He could have become an unrestricted free agent after this season. 

"I think we're in a window where we can be a successful team here for the foreseeable future," Schmaltz said. "That's what my thought was and it's nice to see other guys buying in long term. It was kind of a no-brainer."

Weegar came to a similar conclusion after doing his analysis of moving to Utah when the Flames presented him with the opportunity.

"That core group of guys is what is going to drive this team for years, the Cooleys, the Guenthers, (Clayton) Keller, JJ, Sergy," Weegar said. "They have everything in place with their core group of guys and they're good. They're not still just getting their feet wet. They're established now. That was huge for me. I didn't want to go into a place that didn't have a core group of guys ready to win and they have that right now."

The timing was part of the plan put into motion as soon as the team arrived in Utah after the 2023-24 season.

The Smiths, who run Smith Entertainment Group, promised that they would renovate Delta Center and make it into a state-of-the-art arena for hockey. 

That is in the process of happening.

They said they would build the team a first-rate practice facility. They did.

They told the players their travel would be first class. It is.

They promised to build a consistent winning team, which they feel they're doing with the long-term commitments they've already made.

It's possible that forward Barrett Hayton (restricted free agent after the season) will be next, followed by forwards Lawson Crouse (signed through next season) and Keller (signed through 2027-28).

"It's just a totally different level here," Schmaltz said. "Arizona was great. Living there was awesome. But the circumstances weren't ideal and this was a complete 180. Now I feel we have one of the best owners in the League that is willing to do whatever it takes. Whatever he says he follows through and gets it done quick."

The Mammoth have plenty more talent on the way, too.

Defensemen Maveric Lamoureux (No. 29 pick in 2022) and Daniil But (No. 12, 2023), and forward Dmitri Simashev (No. 6, 2023) have played NHL games this season.

Goalie Michael Hrabal (No. 38, 2023) has had three strong seasons at UMass-Amherst and could be ready to turn pro. Forwards Tij Iginla (No. 6, 2024), Cole Beaudoin (No. 24, 2024) and Caleb Desnoyers (No. 4, 2025) are crushing it in the Canadian Hockey League.

"There's a good chunk of good players coming and what we've tried to do is be able to develop them," Armstrong said. "When you have your guys in place it allows you to bring guys in slowly. Instead of putting all of our rookies in and getting our butts whooped, we're going to gradually put one in here, put one in there."

It all comes back to belief and trust in the core, to what Guenther saw and felt when he signed his eight-year contract.

Vejmelka's five-year, $23.75 million deal ($4.75 million AAV) came next, on March 5, 2025. Peterka was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres and signed a five-year, $38.5 million contract ($7.7 million AAV) on June 26.

Cooley signed an eight-year, $80 million deal ($10 million AAV) on Oct. 29. Weegar waived to come to Utah and Schmaltz re-upped for eight more years a week later.

Playoff games at Delta Center should come next, in a couple of weeks if all goes right. 

It's just beginning.

"For me, now it's obvious that's why 'Schmaltzy' wanted to stick around for eight more years," Weegar said. "This team is so good and the ceiling is so high."

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{coyotes} Mammoth sign top prospect Caleb Desnoyers to entry-level contract

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A top prospect is headed to Utah.

The Mammoth signed forward Caleb Desnoyers to a three-year entry-level contract, the team announced on Monday.

Desnoyers, 18, was selected fourth overall by the Mammoth in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., native has spent this season as captain of the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats, with whom he's recorded 22 goals and 56 assists over 45 games.

He led the Wildcats to a QMJHL title and the Memorial Cup last season before falling to the London Knights in the semifinals.

Desnoyers also had six assists in seven games for Canada at the world juniors earlier this year, en route to a bronze medal.

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