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Olympian Showdown: Avalanche vs. Mammoth
26 Feb
Summary
- Avalanche and Mammoth face off in final regular-season game.
- Key Olympians like Nelson and Keller expected to play.
- Colorado leads Western Conference; Utah aims for home dominance.

The NHL season continues Wednesday with a highly anticipated Central Division matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and the Utah Mammoth in Salt Lake City. This game represents the fourth and final regular-season encounter between these two teams.
Players returning from the 2026 Winter Olympics are slated to be active for this game. Among them are Avalanche forward Brock Nelson and Mammoth captain Clayton Keller, both of whom were part of Team USA's gold medal victory.
The Utah Mammoth will seek to replicate their strong performance from before the Olympic break, having won their last two games. Goaltender Karel Vejmelka achieved his 27th win of the season in their most recent outing against the Detroit Red Wings.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche aim to solidify their position at the top of the league standings. Despite a recent slump in their last 10 games, they secured a win against the San Jose Sharks prior to the break. Coach Jared Bednar confirmed that players returning from Olympic duty will not be "load-managed."
In a notable transaction, the Avalanche acquired defenseman Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round draft pick.



