Mammoth coach Tourigny confirms JJ Peterka was benched in Game 4
After an up-and-down first season with the Utah Mammoth, JJ Peterka has struggled to make an impact in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut.
Peterka, 24, logged just 10:18 of ice time in Utah’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 of the Western Conference quarterfinals on Monday. The German winger played just one shift after taking a high-sticking penalty midway through the third period and did not play at all in overtime, which lasted nearly a full 20 minutes.
Utah winger Liam O’Brien was the only player to play less than Peterka in the game, and Peterka was the only player on either team who didn’t play in overtime. In his media availability on Tuesday, Mammoth head coach Andre Tourigny made it clear that he chose not to use Peterka for the final 30 minutes of the game.
“I had a discussion with JJ, and that discussion will stay inside our room,” Tourigny said. The Hockey Writers contributor Chase Beardsley shared Tourigny’s thoughts on social media on Tuesday.
Tourigny confirmed that JJ Peterka was benched for a majority of the third period and OT because of his play. “I had a discussion with JJ, and that discussion will stay inside our room.” #TusksUp
Peterka collected 25 goals and 47 points in 82 games with the Mammoth during the 2025-26 regular season, but he has yet to record a point through four playoff games with the club. He is less than a year removed from the start of his five-year deal with Utah that pays him $7.7 million per season.
A second-round pick (No. 34 overall) of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2020 NHL Draft, Peterka spent parts of four seasons with the Sabres to begin his NHL career but chose not to sign an extension with the club upon the expiry of his entry-level deal last summer.
On June 25, 2026, the Sabres traded Peterka to the Mammoth in exchange for winger Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring. Peterka immediately signed a new deal with Utah; Doan inked a seven-year extension with the Sabres the following January, while Kesselring is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1.
Despite being less established at the time of the trade, Doan has consistently outshone Peterka since the deal, racking up 25 goals and 52 points in 82 games with the Sabres in the 2025-26 regular season and adding a goal and an assist in four playoff games. The Sabres currently lead the Boston Bruins three games to one in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
The Mammoth had the opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead over the Golden Knights with a win on Monday, but after fighting back from an early 3-0 deficit to go ahead 4-3, they gave up a tying goal to Brett Howden shortly after Peterka’s penalty expired and ultimately lost in overtime off a goal by Shea Theodore. Utah and Vegas will resume their series on Wednesday, with T-Mobile Arena playing host to a crucial Game 5.