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SALT LAKE CITY — John Tortorella’s Monday morning media availability, ahead of Game 4 between his Vegas Golden Knights and the Utah Mammoth, barely lasted more than a minute.

The veteran coach wasn’t in the mood to talk, other than to say his team would be ready to play. He answered three questions with nothing more than, “We’re ready to play.”

And he was right, at least for the first half of the game.

The Golden Knights came flying out of the starting blocks, shredding the Mammoth with an unrelenting forecheck and scoring three straight goals to open the game. Utah stormed back with four straight goals of its own to force overtime, then Shea Theodore won it for Vegas 5-4 with less than a minute left in overtime to tie the series 2-2.

Pavel Dorofeyev opened the scoring on his first shift of the game. Jack Eichel made a strong play behind the net, absorbing a hit from Utah’s MacKenzie Weegar before finding Ivan Barbashev in the low slot. Barbashev bumped the puck across to Dorofeyev, who crushed it into the wide-open net for his first goal of the series. It was the fourth point of the series for both Barbashev and Eichel, which leads Vegas.

Utah winger Michael Carcone had a golden opportunity to tie the game early on the power play, but sailed his shot over the crossbar. The puck was bouncing in the slot when Lawson Crouse made a great play to dive and knock the puck across to Carcone, who had a wide-open net to shoot at.

Brett Howden extended Vegas’ lead to two with a shorthanded goal late in the first period. Utah netminder Karel Vejmelka hesitated to move the puck and eventually flipped it to the half wall, where it was collected by Vegas forward Mitch Marner. Marner found Howden all alone in front, and he finished the play with a deke around the goaltender.

The Golden Knights controlled the opening frame, pressuring the Mammoth and living in the offensive zone. They allowed only three shots, and took a two-goal lead into the intermission.

Vegas extended its lead to three goals early in the second period, when fourth-line winger Cole Smith scored the first playoff goal of his career. As most of Vegas’ offense did on Monday, it started with a turnover forced on the forecheck. Noah Hanifin shot it from the point, and the puck was sailing well wide of the Utah net before Smith reached out and redirected it past Vejmelka.

The Mammoth eventually found their game midway through the second period and pulled within a goal thanks to back-to-back goals by Nick Schmaltz and Ian Cole. Schmaltz’s goal was a great individual effort, batting a rebound out of the air past Vegas goalie Carter Hart. Only 29 seconds later, Cole made it 3-2 with a shot from the point that beat Hart’s glove, went off the post and into the net.

As the game wore on, Utah’s speed started to show more and more. This game followed a similar pattern to the last two, with the Golden Knights needing far more time with the puck to generate offense than the Mammoth. Vegas holds the puck in the offensive zone for shift after shift, but creates very little with it. Then Utah scores in the blink of an eye going the other direction.

Utah opened the third period with two goals to take a 4-3 lead. The first was a blistering one-timer by Carcone, who redeemed his miss earlier in the game with a shot from a bad angle that beat Hart on the short side. The second was a goal credited to Clayton Keller, who sent a centering pass in front of the Vegas net. It bounced off the traffic in front to give the Mammoth their first lead of the night.

The Golden Knights answered, though: Howden scored his second of the game with a gorgeous tip on a shot from Hanifin to tie it 4-4 midway through the final period.

For a moment, it appeared Dorofeyev won it for the Golden Knights 10 minutes into overtime, putting a rebound over the line, but after a review the officials determined Jack Eichel entered the zone offside, so the goal was overturned.

Theodore won it for Vegas with only 51 seconds left in overtime, one-timing a puck past Vejmelka from the slot.

Dorofeyev ends drought

Tortorella had been searching for a place for Dorofeyev, and he found it Monday night beside Eichel on the Golden Knights’ top line — at least for the start.

The 25-year-old winger, who led Vegas with 37 goals in the regular season, had gone 10 straight playoff games without a goal entering Game 4, and hadn’t scored at even strength in 13 postseason games dating back to 2024.

Dorofeyev started Game 3 on Friday with Mitch Marner and Brett Howden on Vegas’ second line, but Tortorella moved him around throughout the game. At one point, he moved Dorofeyev down to the third line with Tomas Hertl, before eventually bumping him all the way down to the fourth, checking line near the end of the game. Interestingly enough, that’s where Dorofeyev earned his best scoring chances of the series to that point, which was enough to give Tortorella the confidence to put him on the top line beside Eichel to begin Game 4.

The fit makes sense. Barbashev is great on the forecheck and at winning possession along the boards. Eichel is the Golden Knights’ best playmaker and hasn’t looked to shoot very often in these playoffs, so giving him the team’s best finisher is a natural fit. It didn’t take long for the move to pay off. They scored on their first shift of the game, with all three players factoring on the goal.

The trio didn’t last, though. Dorofeyev turned the puck over in the defensive zone, leading directly to Utah’s first goal, and spent a lot of the second period on the bench. He eventually found his way back onto Hertl’s line in the third period.

Schmaltz finds his game

As well as the Mammoth have played in this series, their top-line center hadn’t done much coming into Friday’s game. That changed in a big way, as Schmaltz was all around the front of the Vegas net and registered two massive points.

Schmaltz willed Utah onto the scoreboard midway through the second period, fighting his way through Vegas defenders to establish position next to the net. He pounced on a rebound, batted it into the net and started the comeback.

Less than two minutes into the third period, Schmaltz assisted on Keller’s goal to give Utah a 4-3 lead. He gave Utah a much-needed boost.

Goaltending troubles on both ends of the ice

Vejmelka had been playing really well for Utah through the first three games of the series, but his postseason save percentage plummeted below .900 after allowing five goals on 33 shots on Friday night.

The big Czech goalie made some big stops throughout the night, but just wasn’t as sharp as he had been prior to Game 4. It just appeared his timing was slightly off, as pucks that he had been absorbing were hitting his chest and bouncing perilously into the slot. Vejmelka was sliding around, outside of his posts more than usual for a sound positional goalie of his caliber.

That being said, Vejmelka stood on his head early in overtime. Mark Stone had a chance from point-blank range on the power play, and Vejmelka robbed him by kicking out the pad.

On the other end, Hart continues to struggle for the Golden Knights. Part of the reason Utah has matched or exceeded Vegas’ offense in this series without having nearly as much possession is Hart’s inability to come up with big saves.

A couple of Utah’s goals were strange bounces in front, but the Carcone goal came from outside the dots, with no traffic, and beat Hart’s glove hand clean. It’s not the first time the Mammoth have beaten Hart’s gloves in this series. It will be interesting to see how long Tortorella, who has expressed nothing but the strongest confidence in Hart, will stick with his former Flyers goalie with Adin Hill on the bench. Hill had an awful 2025-26 regular season, but he backstopped Vegas to the Cup in 2023 and has a .917 career save percentage in the playoffs.

This story will be updated.

These resources will help the program deliver the highest quality fertility care to patients while giving students, residents, and fellows experience that prepares them for advanced practice in reproductive medicine.

Looking ahead, IVI RMA North America plans to build a new, state-of-the-art fertility laboratory in 2028, which will serve as a premier laboratory for future REIs in fellowship at the University of Utah. IVI RMA North America brings decades of experience in clinic and lab operations.

“Affiliating with University of Utah Health and its renowned reproductive medicine division represents an exciting step forward in advancing fertility care and training new cohorts of REIs that will sustain and strengthen the field,” said Lynn Mason, CEO of IVI RMA North America. “We share a deep commitment to high-quality, innovative care. Together, we are providing fellows and students with real-world laboratory experiences, advanced clinical training, and mentorship that will prepare them to deliver exceptional care and shape the future of this field.”

As part of the affiliation, University of Utah fellows will have the opportunity to train directly with IVI RMA North America and the company’s board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians, who have deep knowledge of Utah and the mountain states communities. They will also gain access to the expansive resources of IVI RMA Global, the world’s largest company exclusively devoted to assisted reproduction technology, and its renowned IVI RMA Global Research Alliance, a world leader in scientific research and technology development in reproductive medicine.

“Training reproductive endocrinologists is at the heart of our mission—and this relationship with IVI RMA North America takes that commitment to a new level,” said Erica Johnstone, M.D., Fellowship Director at the University of Utah. “IVI RMA’s leadership and reputation for innovation in fertility care means our students and fellows will gain valuable industry experience so they are ready to deliver excellent, evidence-based care from the moment they graduate.”

“The affiliation with University of Utah Health underscores IVI RMA North America’s goal of forging relationships to advance both patient care and physician training,” said Thomas Molinaro, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at IVI RMA North America. “Our investments into shared research, innovation, and clinical excellence translate directly into better doctors, stronger fertility programs, and broader access for families.”

For three games now, the Utah Mammoth have done more than survive against a heavyweight contender — they have gone stride for stride with one of the NHL’s most decorated rosters and, at times, looked like the better team.

Vegas arrived in this series carrying the aura of a championship-caliber franchise and a lineup packed with proven names. Jack Eichel centered Team USA’s top line in the Olympic final just two months ago. Mark Stone and Mitch Marner skated for Team Canada. Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin logged major international minutes on the blue line. On paper, few teams looked more formidable entering the postseason.

Yet it has been Utah’s younger, less celebrated core that has dictated large stretches of this matchup.

The Mammoth seized control of the series Friday night with a convincing 4-2 win in front of a thunderous home crowd witnessing its first Stanley Cup Playoff game. With the victory, Utah moved ahead 2-1 in the series and delivered another statement against an opponent many expected to control the matchup.

It had been four years since MacKenzie Weegar played in a home playoff game, and he wasted little time making up for it. Early in the opening period, the veteran defenseman blasted a slapshot that ricocheted off Carter Hart’s mask and into the net, igniting the arena and handing Utah an immediate surge.

The atmosphere only intensified from there.

Dylan Guenther, still just 23, delivered the night’s most electric finish with another blistering strike. After scoring 40 goals in the regular season, the winger has seamlessly carried that scoring touch into the playoffs, producing dangerous chances and timely goals in consecutive games.

For a player making his postseason debut, Guenther has looked remarkably composed. He recorded Utah’s first multi-point playoff outing in Game 2, then followed it with the franchise’s first playoff power-play goal in Game 3.

Utah’s veteran leadership also answered the moment. Lawson Crouse scored twice, while captain Clayton Keller orchestrated the attack with two assists and constant pressure. For a franchise still building its identity, those were foundational performances from cornerstone players.

Utah stormed to a 4-0 lead with two goals in the first period and two more in the second, stunning a Vegas club accustomed to controlling games of this magnitude.

The Golden Knights pushed back over the final half of the contest, scoring twice and piling up shots in an effort to tilt momentum. Vegas finished with a 32-12 edge in shots on goal, but the numbers did not tell the full story. Utah was sharper, more opportunistic, and far more dangerous with the chances it created.

That distinction mattered.

The Mammoth defended with commitment, blocked lanes, won battles, and made their opportunities count. It was less about volume and more about execution.

There will be those who frame this as a temporary swing — a hot shooting night, an emotional crowd, a brief surge that will fade as the series continues.

But three games in, that explanation is getting harder to sell.

Utah’s top players are creating offense. Its veterans are steadying tense moments. Its young talent looks unfazed by the stage. And its belief appears to be growing by the shift.

Head coach André Tourigny pointed afterward to the international experience many of his young players already possess. Guenther has delivered on big stages before. Logan Cooley helped Team USA capture gold at the World Championships. Keller represented his country at the Olympics. The names may be young, but the moments are not new to them.

Friday night felt significant not simply because Utah won, but because of how it won.

This did not look like a franchise happy to be invited to the postseason. It looked like one prepared to stay.

Three Utah football standouts took one step closer to having their dreams of playing professional football come to fruition over the weekend as the 2026 NFL Draft played out from Pittsburgh.

On Thursday, offensive linemen Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu heard their names called by commissioner Roger Goodell, with the former going No. 9 overall to the Cleveland Browns and the latter getting picked up by the New England Patriots at No. 28 overall.

Nearly 48 hours after his teammates made history as the first Utes to be drafted in the same first round in program history, Dallen Bentley helped put a bow on the three-day event as the Denver Broncos selected him with the penultimate pick (No. 256 overall) on Saturday.

With their departures from Utah official, let’s take a look at the impact of each, starting from the least to most significant.

3. Dallen Bentley (TE)

Bentley was basically Utah’s No. 2 receiving option in 2025, as he hauled in 48 catches for 620 yards and six touchdowns. The 6-foot-4 Snow College product also played a role as an extra blocker in the Utes’ dominant run game, which finished No. 2 in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 266.3 rush yards per game and 41 rushing touchdowns in 13 games.

That being said, Utah has a potential star in the making in rising sophomore Hunter Andrews, who was on track for a big freshman year until an injury in September derailed his 2025 campaign. The former three-star recruit isn’t the same type of tight end as Bentley — he’s much more of an H-back than anything else — though his versatility and route running will make him an essential part of the Utes’ passing game in 2026.

Speaking of which, Utah shouldn’t be as limited at wide receiver as it was in 2025. The presence of Braden Pegan and Kyri Shoels should open things up for the Utes’ other pass catchers.

2. Caleb Lomu (LT)

Losing a starting left tackle who was an all-conference player as a redshirt sophomore is going to sting — even if his replacement ends up being a first-round pick in a few years.

The Utes hope blue chip 2026 recruit Kelvin Obot is the next pro-caliber offensive lineman to come through the program’s doors, though only time will tell if the Idaho native reaches his full potential. For now, he’s a freshman with plenty to learn and absorb from his more-experienced teammates.

Of course, there’s a possibility Obot is a really good right off the bat, which would help relieve some of the sting from Lomu’s departure. Either way, though, the Utes aren’t plugging in another bonafide first-round talent at left tackle.

1. Spencer Fano (RT)

Surprise, surprise: The departure of a consensus All-American and Outland Trophy recipient (nation’s top offensive lineman award) shapes up to be Utah’s biggest offseason loss.

It’s not enough that Utah is losing someone who didn’t give up a sack in over 350 pass blocking opportunities last season; the Utes are saying goodbye to a program stalwart and someone who could’ve realistically played guard or center in Spencer Fano. That versatility is partly why the Cleveland Browns selected him with the No. 9 overall pick.

Utah has some experienced players who could step in and fill Fano’s vacancy; Zereoue Williams and Keith Olson stand out as potential candidates going into fall camp. But as is the case at left tackle, the Utes don’t have someone of Fano’s caliber to plug in and protect the right side of the O-line.

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A few Utah stars took one step closer to living out their dreams of playing professional football as the 2026 NFL Draft played out in Pittsburgh over the weekend.

Three Utes were phoned by NFL teams over the past three days, including two in the first round for the first time in school history.

Here’s what Utah’s 2026 draft class looked like following the seventh round on Saturday:

• Spencer Fano (OL): Drafted No. 9 overall by the Cleveland Browns
• Caleb Lomu (OL): Picked No. 28 overall by the New England Patriots
• Dallen Bentley (TE): Selected No. 256 overall by the Denver Broncos

It was the fourth time since 2020 that multiple Utah players were selected in the same draft. Fano became the third-highest drafted player in program history, behind only Alex Smith (No. 1 overall in 2005) and Jordan Gross (No. 8 overall in 2003).

As historic as the 2026 draft was for the Utes, how does their latest draft class compare to some of the previous classes they’ve produced? Let’s take a look at some of Utah’s other notable draft classes and figure out how the next batch of pro Utes fits into the equation.

Utah’s Best NFL Draft Classes

2020

• Jaylon Johnson (2nd round, No. 50 overall)
• Julian Blackmon (3rd round, No. 85 overall)
• Zack Moss (3rd round, No. 86 overall)
• Terrell Burgess (3rd round, No. 104 overall)
• Leki Fotu (4th round, No. 114 overall)
• Bradlee Anae (5th round, No. 179 overall)
• John Penisini (6th round, No. 197 overall)

Average career length: 4.6 years (four active in 2025)
Accolades: 1x Super Bowl champion (Burgess), 2x Pro Bowls (Johnson)

2017

• Garett Bolles (1st round, No. 20 overall)
• Marcus Williams (2nd round, No. 42 overall)
• Joe Williams (4th round, No. 121 overall)
• Isaac Asiata (5th round, No. 164 overall)
• Brian Allen (5th round, No. 173 overall)
• JJ Dielman (5th round, No. 176 overall)
• Sam Tevi (6th round, No. 190 overall)
• Pita Taumoepenu (6th round, No. 202 overall)

Average career length: 4 years (two active in 2025)
Accolades: 1x All-Pro, 1x Pro Bowl (Bolles)

2019

• Marquise Blair (2nd round, No. 47 overall)
• Cody Barton (3rd round, No. 88 overall)
• Mitch Wishnowsky (4th round, No. 110 overall)
• Matt Gay (5th round, No. 145 overall)
• Jackson Barton (7th round, No. 240 overall)

Average career length: 6 years (three active in 2025)
Accolades: 1x Super Bowl champion, 1x Pro Bowl (Gay)

2010

• Koa Misi (2nd round, No. 40 overall)
• Zane Beadles (2nd round, No. 45 overall)
• Robert Johnson (5th round, No. 148 overall)
• David Reed (5th round, No. 156 overall)
• Stevenson Sylvester (5th round, No. 166 overall)
• RJ Stanford (7th round, No. 223 overall)

Average career length: 4.7 years
Accolades: 1x Super Bowl champion (Reed), 1x Pro Bowl (Beadles)

2005

• Alex Smith (1st round, No. 1 overall)
• Sione Pouha (3rd round, No. 88 overall)
• Chris Kemoeatu (6th round, No. 204 overall)
• Parris Warren (7th round, No. 225 overall)
• Jonathan Fanene (7th round, No. 233 overall)

Average career length: 7 years
Accolades: 1x Super Bowl champion (Kemoeatu), 3x Pro Bowl, Comeback Player of the Year (Smith)

Where Utah’s 2026 Draft Class Stands

Obviously, only time will tell just how many combined years and accolades the Utes’ 2026 class racks up at the pro level. If Fano and Lomu each play 10-plus seasons and collect a Pro Bowl nod or two along the way, the 2026 class could rival the 2005 and 2010 classes.

Due to the volume of the 2017 and 2020 classes, respectively, it’s hard to compare the 2026 group to those classes — at least, right now it is. If either (or both) of Utah’s first-round tackles goes on to become one of the best at their position and Dallen Bentley develops into a bonafide starter who contributes on good teams, then we’d have to revisit the conversation.

For now, we’re not going to place that kind of pressure on the 2026 class.

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SALT LAKE CITY — Hours before the first NHL playoff game in the Delta Center, Utah Mammoth fans were lined up outside — holding Vegas Golden Knights jerseys.

Hundreds waited, then tossed their Vegas jerseys into a wheeled laundry bin in exchange for a brand new Mammoth sweater. It was the latest marketing move by Mammoth owner Ryan Smith, who offered former Vegas fans the chance to swap gold-and-grey for blue-and-white ahead of Game 3.

They quickly ran out of jerseys.

The promotion offered a glimpse into a complex regional rivalry between two of the NHL’s three newest teams.

On the ice, this series has been emotional, physical and bloody. On Friday night, the Mammoth impressed in their first home playoff game, securing a convincing 4-2 victory and a 2-1 series lead. In the stands, competing fanbases have taken turns chanting taunts at each other.

Though these remain just the early signs of a burgeoning rivalry, the battle to win hockey fans across the state has been raging much longer. Of course, that’s why there were so many who had Golden Knights jerseys to trade on Friday. The Golden Knights were here first.

“My goal is to make our team the team of the Rockies,” Golden Knights owner Bill Foley said back in 2017.

The Golden Knights’ television broadcast map initially encompassed all of Utah, as well as Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. In their early years, the Golden Knights drove a motorcade through the Rocky Mountains before every season, making stops at Coeur d’Alene in Idaho, at Whitefish and Bozeman in Montana, and, notably, at Salt Lake City.

Players would hop off a logo-wrapped bus to play street hockey with kids. The team played preseason games against the Los Angeles Kings at the Delta Center in 2021 and 2022. Foley went as far as saying his team would be called the Vegas Golden Knights, but “we’re really going to be the Rocky Mountain Golden Knights.”

The team was relatively successful in its venture north. That is, until the Mammoth arrived.

“This was also kind of part of their market as they launched,” Smith said Friday. “That was part of the territory that we took. I mean, Vegas hockey was on TV here. I think you can see that with the jersey exchange today. As much as everyone thinks I’m just trolling them. It’s, you know, 50 percent (trolling), but it’s way more of a respect for how they’ve grown.”

Smith is familiar with Las Vegas. His wife and team co-owner, Ashley Smith, grew up there. The cities are a scenic, six-hour drive apart.

“I think the national landscape doesn’t understand the proximity, in so many different ways, of Utah and Las Vegas,” Smith said. “Growing up, Las Vegas is where our kids went for youth sports, and it’s where we went on the weekends. We’re just close.”

Smith said the Golden Knights’ success gave him confidence that NHL hockey would work in Utah.

“I understand the soul that hockey has brought to Vegas, in a really creative way,” he said. “Watching it succeed there gave me a ton of confidence that it would work here, given my background and the landscape and the way I think culturally, we’re way more similar than different, and that’s the part that most people don’t understand.”

While Smith admires how the Golden Knights have built their franchise and a fanbase in Las Vegas, he hopes to convert remaining Vegas fans in Utah.

“That’s part of their responsibility, is kind of sliding over and letting the new group come in, in a weird way, similar to the way someone slid over for them to come in,” he said. “I have nothing but respect.”

Friday’s playoff debut at the Delta Center was a big step. The buzz in and around the building was palpable. In the hours between the jersey swap and puck drop, fans partied around the rink. Faces were painted, woolly mammoth trunks were swinging as fans danced around the Zammoth. Military helicopters flew overhead.

The event marked the second anniversary of the day the franchise first welcomed then-Arizona Coyotes players and coaches to the city. They were greeted by children at the airport hangar, shown the city, and then visited a packed Delta Center.

“I don’t want to let repetition spoil the prayer, but that was a pretty amazing moment,” Smith said, recalling the welcome. “It was the greatest moment I’ve been to in sports, because it was literally a bet. I don’t think we had (documents) signed at that point. It was literally, ‘Hey, let’s see if Utah can show up for hockey,’ and Utah hasn’t not shown up every night since then.”

“This is a happy night,” he continued. “Let’s go make it special.”

The fans and the Mammoth players did just that.

The vibes from outside spilled into the arena. The sold-out crowd waved rally towels and roared as the players took the ice.

“Right when we came out, it was electric in the building,” Utah defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said. “It was loud, and I saw the towels going, introducing the starting lineups, and felt it after that. The first five minutes give you goosebumps. That’s sort of what it’s about. You know, feeling it with the fans and the players. Both sides appreciate each other so much. But we really felt that.”

“It was amazing,” added Utah captain Clayton Keller, who hadn’t played in a playoff game in six years. “We were so jacked up to play tonight. I think even just in warm-ups, it was an amazing feeling. You could tell that they were invested, and we’re super excited as well.”

The Mammoth may have been too excited in the first 10 minutes of the game. The Golden Knights jumped all over them, controlling the puck and firing a barrage of shots on net. Vegas held a commanding 10-1 edge in shots at one point, but Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka stood on his head to keep it scoreless.

Then Weegar opened the scoring with a slap shot that nearly blew the roof off the building.

“I was looking up in the stands after the first goal,” Lawson Crouse said. “Just seeing all of the rally towels going, and just feeling the energy and the passion from them …  the fans have been incredible ever since Day 1 when we showed up here, but it seemed like they took it to a whole new level tonight.”

Utah poured in three more consecutive goals, two by Crouse, and the building seemed to get louder each time. Players said they couldn’t hear Utah coach André Tourigny barking out the lines at certain points.

“That will be an adjustment,” Tourigny said, “Seriously, we had some confusion on the bench. The guys didn’t know what was up. For the people who know me, I can be pretty loud, but the crowd beat me.”

The Mammoth held on for the win, becoming the sixth team since 1990 to win its first home playoff game. It was a roaring success on a monumental night, and one of many since moving to Salt Lake City.

“What Ryan and Ashley have done, in terms of building a fanbase, making adjustments to this building, having a training facility, getting involved in the community with the assistance of fans, and figuring out Tusky and the Zammoth — everything they’ve done has exceeded our highest expectations,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday. “If you want to know how to write a textbook on how to start a franchise and a community from scratch, nobody is better than what Ryan and Ashley have been able to accomplish.”

The Mammoth are selling out the Delta Center on a nightly basis. They’ll be hosting the Colorado Avalanche for the 2026 Winter Classic at Rice Eccles Stadium on New Year’s Eve. They recently finished construction on their two-sheet Mammoth Ice Center, which will help grow the youth hockey scene.

“If you want to be inspired, just go at three o’clock on any day, and just sit outside our practice facility and watch parents come in with these kids,” Smith said. “(With) their hockey gear, and their hockey stick, and each one stops and almost has a moment with you, saying, ‘You do not understand what this has done for my family. Our kid being able to come in and say he’s found a tribe, or she’s found a tribe.’ It’s a real cool moment.”

In one sense, Utah is just continuing the Golden Knights’ push to prove the sport can thrive in non-traditional hockey markets. In another, there’s a clear rivalry developing.

“Part of the beauty of this series is that rivalries really get intense by playoff series,” Bettman said, “and so this worked out nicely.”