Our Chicago Blackhawks vs Utah Mammoth preview covers the odds, puck line, total, puck drop time, TV channel and where to watch on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The Chicago Blackhawks (29-39-14 in 2025-26) visit the Utah Mammoth (43-33-6) at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Puck drop is 9:30 PM ET (7:30 PM MT). TV: ESPN+ / Hulu / Disney+ (U.S.).
Season-opener storyline: The Mammoth open their season at Delta Center after reaching the playoffs last spring for the first time as a franchise. Chicago is 0-1-0 after a 5-2 loss at Vegas on Tuesday, Sept. 29, in which Patrick Kane scored in his first game back with the Blackhawks. Chicago is playing without Connor Bedard, who is expected to miss time until November after shoulder surgery, and Andrew Mangiapane, who is out at least two games (NHL.com). DraftKings lists Utah at -218 and Chicago at +180 on the moneyline, with the total at 5.5.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Utah Mammoth Odds, Puck Line & Game Info
| Matchup | Chicago Blackhawks @ Utah Mammoth |
|---|---|
| 2025-26 Records | Chicago Blackhawks 29-39-14 | Utah Mammoth 43-33-6 |
| Head Coaches | CHI: Jeff Blashill (2nd season) | UTA: Andre Tourigny (6th season) |
| Puck Line | CHI +1.5 (-148) | UTA -1.5 (+124) |
| Moneyline | Chicago Blackhawks: +180 | Utah Mammoth: -218 |
| Total | O/U 5.5 (o-130 / u+110) |
| Venue | Delta Center (Salt Lake City, Utah) |
| Date / Time | Thursday, October 1, 2026 — 9:30 PM ET |
| TV / How to Watch | ESPN+ / Hulu / Disney+ (U.S.) |
| Starting Goalies | Not confirmed. Projected: CHI: Spencer Knight / Arvid Soderblom | UTA: Karel Vejmelka / Sebastian Cossa |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN), cross-checked on Action Network, as of Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, ~6:21 PM ET. Totals ranged from 5.5 to 6 across books at research time. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before puck drop. Starting goalies were not confirmed at research time.
Chicago Blackhawks Preview: Last Season, Offseason & Goalies
2025-26 recap: Chicago went 29-39-14 (72 points) and finished last in the Central Division. The Blackhawks scored 2.56 goals per game (30th in the NHL) and allowed 3.29 (27th) (NHL.com). Bedard led the team for the third straight season with 75 points (30 goals, 45 assists) in 69 games, and Tyler Bertuzzi scored 32 goals.
Offseason moves: Chicago acquired defenseman Bowen Byram and forward Jordan Greenway from Buffalo for the No. 4 and No. 45 picks in the 2026 draft and defenseman Louis Crevier, and signed Byram to a six-year, $75 million contract that begins in 2027-28. Patrick Kane returned on a two-year, $16 million contract, and the Blackhawks signed defenseman Ian Cole and brought over forward Roman Kantserov (36 goals in the KHL last season). Ilya Mikheyev signed with Tampa Bay.
Key players & coach: With Bedard out, Frank Nazar, 19-year-old Anton Frondell and Oliver Moore are the key centers, with Bertuzzi, Kane, Kantserov and Teuvo Teravainen on the wings. Alex Vlasic, Byram and Artyom Levshunov lead the defense. Jeff Blashill is in his second season as coach.
Goalies: Spencer Knight went 19-25-11 with a 2.82 GAA, .902 save percentage and three shutouts in 55 games last season. He made 32 saves on 36 shots in Tuesday’s loss at Vegas. Arvid Soderblom is the backup. Chicago had not confirmed a starter at research time.
Season opener recap: Vegas beat Chicago 5-2 at T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 29. Greenway and Kane scored for the Blackhawks, and Vegas outshot Chicago 37-26. Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists for the Golden Knights (NHL.com).
Injuries: Bedard (shoulder) is on injured reserve. Mangiapane (lower body) left the opener after one shift in the second period, and coach Jeff Blashill said he will not play on this road trip (NHL.com Status Report, Sept. 30).
Utah Mammoth Preview: Trocheck, Lee and Higher Expectations
2025-26 recap: Utah went 43-33-6 (92 points), finished fourth in the Central Division and made the playoffs, taking a 2-1 series lead on Vegas before losing in six games in the first round (NHL.com). Captain Clayton Keller led the team with 88 points (26 goals, 62 assists), Dylan Guenther scored 40 goals and Nick Schmaltz had 74 points.
Offseason moves: Utah acquired center Vincent Trocheck from the Rangers (defenseman Sean Durzi went to New York in the deal) and signed forward Anders Lee, the Islanders’ longtime captain, to a three-year contract. The Mammoth also acquired goalie Sebastian Cossa from Detroit and signed defenseman Andrew Peeke. JJ Peterka (25 goals) was traded to Boston, and Alex Kerfoot, Ian Cole and goalie Vitek Vanecek left in free agency.
Key players & coach: Keller, Guenther, Schmaltz, Logan Cooley (24 goals in 54 games), Trocheck and Lee lead the forwards, with Mikhail Sergachev (59 points), MacKenzie Weegar and John Marino on defense. Andre Tourigny begins his sixth season as coach.
Goalies: Karel Vejmelka went 38-20-3 with a 2.75 GAA and .897 save percentage in 64 games last season and is expected to carry most of the load again. Cossa, 23, went 26-8-4 with a 2.33 GAA in the AHL last season (NHL.com). Utah had not confirmed a starter at research time.
Injuries: Defenseman Maveric Lamoureux will miss 4-6 months after surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder (NHL.com Status Report, Sept. 29).
Key Matchup Notes: Blackhawks vs Mammoth
- Schedule spot: It is Utah’s first game of the season. Thursday is Chicago’s second game of a season-opening road trip that continues Saturday in Buffalo.
- Chicago without Bedard: Chicago’s leading scorer in each of his three NHL seasons is out until about November (NHL.com).
- Scoring gap: Chicago ranked 30th in scoring last season (2.56 goals per game). Utah had three players with at least 73 points (Keller, Schmaltz, Guenther).
- In goal: Vejmelka led Utah with 38 wins in 64 games. Knight faced 36 shots in Chicago’s opener.
- Familiar face: Ian Cole faces the Mammoth, the team he played for last season.
- Odds snapshot: Utah -218 / Chicago +180 on the moneyline, Mammoth -1.5 (+124) on the puck line, total 5.5 (DraftKings).
How to Watch Chicago Blackhawks vs Utah Mammoth
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Puck drop: 9:30 PM ET (7:30 PM MT)
Venue: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
TV: Streaming nationally in the U.S. on ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+ (NHL.com, ESPN). NHL.com lists no Canadian national broadcast for this game at research time.
Check the puck line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 1, 2026 puck drop, and look for confirmed starting goalies closer to game time.