Tonight marks the 1st time the Jets will see the “new” Utah Mammoth logo on their home jerseys in game action. The last game before the Holiday break and the end of a so far unsuccessful road trip will be played at Delta Center. The Jets lost 3-2 to the Avalanche in Colorado on Friday, as a solid overall team effort wasn’t enough against the NHL’s top team in the league standings. Tonight’s opponent, the Mammoth, continue to have their ups and downs this season, currently on a 3-3-0 stretch in their last 6 games.

The now 30th overall 15-17-2 Winnipeg Jets and the 22nd overall 17-17-3 Mammoth will clash on this Sunday afternoon, with the NHL league standings still very close. We’re almost at the half way point in the season, and the difference between a playoff team and a bottom five team in the league is just 6-8 points.

The Winnipeg Jets and Utah Mammoth met once already yet this regular season in Winnipeg. The Mammoth took a 3-2 lead in the 3rd and held on for what was their 7th straight win at the time. The three game season series continues tonight in Utah, followed by the final game in Utah on April 14th, 2026. Since the Arizona Coyotes became the Utah Mammoth, the Jets are 2-3-0 in their games against the Mammoth. These two teams are Central Division rivals who are both desperate to climb back in a playoff spot as soon as possible.

The injury report for the Winnipeg Jets is now completely empty. Haydn Fleury returned to the Jets lineup for the game against the Avalanche, meaning the Jets are now back to full health. The Mammoth aren’t as fortunate, as they have two players listed on their injury report, one of which is a key player. Terrell Goldsmith (non-rostered) is out with an undisclosed injury likely until the new year. Logan Cooley suffered a lower body injury last week, and is currently projected to be out of the Mammoth lineup until early February.

Connor – Scheifele – Nyquist

Perfetti – Namestnikov – Vilardi

Barron – Lowry – Iafallo

Niederreiter – Toews – Pearson

Morrissey – DeMelo

Samberg – Pionk

Stanley – Miller

Hellebuyck

Comrie

The unconfirmed starting goalie is Connor Hellebuyck, who may be making his 5th straight start since returning from injury. After Hellebuyck’s most recent start, he now holds a 9-8-1 record with a 2.39 GAA and a .916 SV%. The rest of the Jets lineup appears slightly changed from line rushes at practice yesterday. Gustav Nyquist is on the top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, meaning several wingers have shifted down in the lineup.

Colin Miller appears to be Stanley’s defense partner tonight, as the Jets continue to give Luke Schenn, Colin Miller and Haydn Fleury some playing time in this spot. There was once again several announced lineup changes by the Jets prior to last game, so make sure to stay tuned to the Jets official X/Twitter account for any late lineup additions or changes prior to puck drop.

Keller – Schmaltz – Peterka

Crouse – Hayton – Guenther

But – McBain – Carcone

O’Brien – Stenlund – Kerfoot

Sergachev – Durzi

Schmidt – Marino

Cole – Desimone

Vejmelka

Vanecek

The Mammoth lineup is almost at full health minus Cooley, featuring several young stars and some “lesser known” role players who excel at their two-way play style. Looking at the Mammoth’s player stats through 37 games, Nick Schmaltz leads the way with 31 points. Karel Vejmelka is the unconfirmed starting goalie. Vejmelka has started the majority of games for the Mammoth this season, as he continues to lock down his role as the starting role. Vejmelka holds a 15-10-2 record with a 2.69 GAA, 1 shutout and a .894 SV%.

I’m switching it up today with the players to watch tonight, this time it’s a look at one of each team’s top pairing defencemen. Dylan DeMelo continues to be Josh Morrissey’s lockdown defence partner, allowing Morrissey to jump up in the offence while he stays back and shuts down opposing team’s attacks. In 34 games, DeMelo has 1 goal and 12 assists for 13 points, which puts him well on pace to pass his 19 point total from last season. Watch for DeMelo in the defensive zone, as he creates turnovers and allows the Jets to begin their transitions.

Since being acquired in a big trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning prior to the 2024-25 season, Sergachev has been Utah’s top defenceman. Last season Sergachev scored an impressive 15 goals, and this season he’s got 4 goals and 19 assists for 23 points. Sergachev plays a similar style to Morrissey, known for his offensive vision and abillity to be the “quarterback” on the top powerplay unit. Watch for him when the Mammoth get a man advantage tonight.

Puck drop in Utah is set for just after 6:00 pm CST. Tonight’s game will hopefully end with a big two points for the Jets, finding any way they can to get one win on this road trip. Stay tuned here at Jets Nation for a recap of the action, as the Jets look to win this rivalry matchup.