Month: February 2026

Judging a team like the Utah Mammoth based off two consecutive losses is unfair.

But seeing as how the Mammoth didn’t just fall apart to Carolina- when it allowed three goals in the final two minutes, losing 5-4 outright in regulation– but it couldn’t rally against in its 3-2 home loss to the Dallas Stars, it is easy to feel discouraged.

“I feel like throughout the whole game, they (Dallas) made really good plays; they put a lot of pressure on us, especially D-zone draws for us,” said JJ Peterka. “We had trouble executing and getting out of that zone. You have to give them credit for that.”

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Add in the pressure of an especially competitive year in NHL, so full of parity that the two-time Stanley Cup champions seriously may lose its playoff spot to the the drought-ridden Buffalo Sabres, it isn’t a surprise that every game is being put on a microscope.

The league feels truly unpredictable and the Mammoth have been in a prime position to take advantage of this chaos. Utah is looking to steal a playoff spot away after all.

Recently, the Mammoth have been rising above the chaos, playing its best stretch of the season in the month of January, going 10-2-1 before these recent losses to cement itself as the top Wild Card team in the Western Conference.

Plus, Utah looked to be elevating its play even with an injury to such a key player like Logan Cooley. Instead of faltering behind, Utah has seen players rise up to the challenge.

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Though the Mammoth have lost back-to-back games, Kailer Yamamoto is having his own wild run, scoring four goals in a two game span and this is coming from a player who has plugged from first to fourth line whenever an injury occurs.

Utah has played incredibly well recently and it looks like a team hungry for a playoff spot.

But let’s get back to Utah’s two most recent losses.

The 5-4 loss Utah had to the Hurricanes- otherwise known as the Hartford Whalers- will be one of the most painful losses of the season.

To somehow lose that game in regulation despite being up 4-2 with less than two minutes to go will haunt Utah if it ends up a point or two short of the playoffs.

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Even more discouraging, the Mammoth come back home after a respectable 2-2 road stretch- with its only two losses coming from the Division leading Hurricanes and Lightning- just to put up only 14 shots on goal against a formidable opponent in the Stars.

To put into perspective how rough of a game it was for the Mammoth’s offense, those 14 shots were the lowest Utah has had in a game all season.

While January has been a great month for Utah, but the month is ending with the Mammoth simultaneously having its biggest collapse of the season and its worst offensive performance.

But it is important not to overreact to these losses. Utah certainly wants to show it can hang with the best teams in the league, but these two teams are some of the best for a reason.

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And though Utah still loss both games, it took a miracle comeback from Carolina and one of Dallas’ best defensive performances of the year to beat this team. There is plenty of optimism still to be had for the Mammoth.

As of now, Utah is still holding onto the top Wild Card spot with 60 points. But a large threat looms with the Anaheim Ducks, LA Kings and San Jose Sharks all tied at 59 points a piece.

Plus, the Seattle Kraken- who are currently third place in the Pacific Division- only are at 61 points.

Things couldn’t be tighter in West and the Mammoth are certainly aware of that.

“At some point in this league, if you feel sorry for yourself, everybody will step in your throat, and nobody will let you get back up,” said André Tourigny after the loss to Dallas. “So there’s no feeling sorry for yourself.”

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A lead is still a lead at the end of the day. So even if these two losses are particularly painful, Utah has played its way into a great playoff-bound position for the moment.

Only two games remain- starting with the league-worst Vancouver Canucks- before the Mammoth go on its long three week break for the Olympics.

If Utah can take care of business with a win against Vancouver, stopping the losing streak early, Utah will find itself in a good place before the break.

Even better, if the Mammoth can beat the Red Wings in the subsequent game, Utah will go into the Olympic break with a win against one of the best teams in the NHL.

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Utah certainly can accomplish its goal of becoming a playoff team this year. This team has shown how well it can play even when injured. But if the Mammoth squander these next two games, it will be a huge disservice to itself.

Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox signed a bill Saturday expanding the state Supreme Court from five justices to seven, a move that takes effect immediately as Republican lawmakers await a crucial redistricting ruling.

The legislation passed with more than two-thirds support from legislators, allowing Cox to bypass the typical several-month waiting period and begin appointing new justices right away.

The timing has drawn scrutiny, coming just days after the Legislature asked the court to overturn a redistricting ruling that gave Democrats a strong chance at winning one of Utah’s four Republican-held congressional seats in the fall. New justices could be in place when the court decides the fate of the congressional map.

Why It Matters

The expansion gives Cox—who will appoint the two new justices—control over five of the seven seats on Utah’s highest court. The change comes amid mounting tension between Republican lawmakers and the state judiciary following a series of legal defeats, raising concerns among legal experts and Democrats about the independence of the judicial branch.

Utah’s redistricting battle is part of a broader national trend of mid-decade redistricting efforts that could reshape control of Congress. President Donald Trump has called for Republican-led states to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of the 2026 midterm elections to preserve the GOP’s slim majority, triggering redistricting efforts in multiple states. Democrats, who need to gain three seats to win back the House, are countering with their own redistricting efforts in Democrat-led states.

In Utah, a judge struck down the districts adopted after the 2020 census because lawmakers had circumvented an independent redistricting commission established by voters.

The Legislature approved a revised congressional map in October, which still requires court approval and could make some seats more competitive for Democrats. Republicans currently hold all four of Utah’s House seats.

What To Know

Republican supporters of the bill argued the expansion would improve court efficiency and align Utah with other similarly sized states. Most states have five or seven Supreme Court justices, though a few have nine. Cox has denied the policy is politically motivated, noting that Republican governors and senators have made all recent appointments.

In Utah, justices are appointed by the governor and approved by the state Senate, unlike many states where justices are elected. The immediate implementation of the bill means Cox can fill the new seats before the court rules on the redistricting appeal, potentially reshaping the court’s composition at a critical moment.

Last month, Republican lawmakers also stripped state Supreme Court justices of their authority to select their own chief justice, giving that power to the governor instead. The moves are part of a broader Republican agenda that includes collecting signatures for a November ballot initiative to restore the Legislature’s ability to gerrymander voting districts.

Utah Chief Justice Matthew Durrant told legislators at the start of the 2026 session that the court had “essentially no backlog” and urged them to add judges to lower courts where the need is greater. Bill sponsors responded by adding some lower court judges and clerks to the legislation.

Two states—Arizona and Georgia—have added justices in the past decade with similar efficiency arguments. In Arizona’s case, several past and present justices said the expansion initially made things less efficient because more people had to review opinions before publication. Arizona’s court now issues slightly more rulings per year, while Georgia’s issues slightly fewer than before.

What People Are Saying

House Majority Leader Casey Snider, Republican bill sponsor: “Seven sets of eyes reviewing the most complex and difficult issues our state has ever faced is better than having only five sets of eyes.”

John Pearce, recently retired associate chief justice: “The more sets of comments you have to take into account, the longer the process takes. If what the Legislature is hoping to do is speed up the work of the court, it’s going to be counterproductive.”

What Happens Next

Cox will begin the process of appointing two new justices to the expanded court, with Senate approval required for each nominee.

Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.