Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Mammoth to meet in Round 1 of 2025-26 playoffs

For the first time ever, the Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Mammoth are set to meet in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The matchup became official after the Golden Knights clinched the top spot in the Pacific Division. The Mammoth, who are set to play in the postseason for the first time ever, and will enter as the fourth team out of the Central Division after clinching the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Vegas has made the playoffs in all but one season since kicking off its NHL tenure in 2017-18. The Golden Knights made the Stanley Cup final but ultimately fell in five games to the Washington Capitals. Vegas missed the playoffs in 2021-22, but beat the Florida Panthers in five games to win the 2023 Stanley Cup.

The Golden Knights have won just one round since then, beating the Minnesota Wild in six games in 2024-25. Vegas’ road to the top of the Pacific this year wasn’t easy, with the club holding a 38-26-17 record with 93 points after 81 games. The team had 110 a year ago, and had 94 the year they missed the playoffs.

The Mammoth actually has more regular wins (42) than Vegas this year, and would have challenged for first in the Pacific had they been in that division. The Mammoth are set to participate in the playoffs for the first time ever after missing out in the team’s inaugural season last year.

The two clubs have met three times this year, with Vegas holding a 2-1 series advantage. Utah shut out the Golden Knights 3-0 in the last meeting between the two teams on March 19, but Vegas has outscored the Mammoth 9-6. Vegas has a 4-2 record all-time against Utah, but the Mammoth have shut out the Golden Knights in both of the team’s victories over the past two seasons.

The NHL’s regular season will end on Thursday, April 16, with the playoffs set to begin two nights later on April 18. A full schedule will be released later this week.

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