NHL teams finally made it to the big Olympic break. Some players get to enjoy a nice three-week vacation, while others get to represent their countries in Milan, Italy. The Utah Mammoth enters this Olympic break with their heads held high. They’re currently in the number one Wild Card spot with 64 points, and they won their last two games at home just before the break.

With four Mammoth players representing their countries, the Mammoth Herd has something to watch over these next few weeks. The question is: What should Mammoth fans be looking for in each player to accomplish? The four players participating in the Olympics are Clayton Keller, Karel Vejmelka, Olli Maatta and JJ Peterka.

Besides achieving the gold, success looks different for all of them, from some needing consistency to others needing to rediscover their game.

For Keller, Playing Time is Key

Keller is on one of the most stacked United States hockey teams ever assembled. It will be a miracle for the young star to get some playing time, especially when he’s sharing lines with the likes of Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews.

It will be a success if Keller can get some playing time throughout the Olympic tournament and if he plays consistently through it. I think fans can rest easy knowing that Keller is no stranger to working hard to achieve his dream. He especially showed this when he was snubbed from the Four Nations-Faceoff Tournament. 

When the NHL postseason was underway, Keller was eventually invited, along with a few other Mammoth players, to play for the USA international team. Keller donned the captain’s symbol for the team in the IIHF Men’s World Tournament in 2025, helping team USA win its first Men’s World tournament championship since 1960. 

When asked about how he felt about it by the media, this was the forward’s response:

“It means so much to me, and I’ve worked tremendously hard,” Keller excitedly said. “Any time you can represent your country, it’s the best feeling ever.”

Despite Keller’s recent success in the international tournament, Keller has to earn playing time in an already stacked forward group. Auston Matthews, Jake Guentzel and Matt Boldy all have experience against Canada’s best.

If Keller manages to get playing time, he needs to stick with his game. He needs to be the assist machine that he is. Last season, Keller was tied for ninth-most assists in the NHL, having 60 in the 2024-25 season. Assuming he plays effectively, he should be able to secure more minutes this Olympics.

Maatta Needs to Find His Game

Last year, the name Maatta was uttered with reverence, as the early trade acquisition played decent hockey and became a leader for the young Mammoth in the 2024-25 season. However, it’s been a different season entirely for Maatta this year. Being hampered with poor play early on in the season and then becoming a healthy scratch in more games, fans wonder if Maatta’s time in hockey is over.

Last year, Maatta had two goals, 16 assists, and 18 points. His stats helped him ink a new three-year deal with the Mammoth. This season, Maatta has one assist and a point to his name. If Maatta wants to crack the Mammoth rotation once again, he will need to have an excellent Olympic tournament. He’s never been one to score goals, but if he gets back in the groove of assisting, it could help his cause.

Another thing he needs to bring back to his game is the ability to cut off offensive players and steal the puck away. Last season, Maatta made game-changing plays to help the Mammoth win games.

He would cut off the defender during fast breaks, steal the puck, and use his body well to move the offensive player out of his groove. This is a make-or-break tournament for Maatta to see if he’s worth that three-year extension. Ample playing time should show whether it’s just a funk or if he truly belongs on this Mammoth squad going forward.

Peterka Finding his Offensive Engine

In Buffalo, New York, Peterka was known to be an offensive engine for the up-and-coming Buffalo Sabres. Being the third-best scorer and second-best assist maker on the Sabres last year, Peterka created some high hopes among Mammoth fans. Expectations remained high as he’s been able to increase his point production by 18 points a season.

High expectations, however, can be hard to meet.

Even though he has found a bit of a stride lately, Peterka at times can be invisible on the ice, not contributing much on the offensive-end of the ice. He especially showed this during the Mammoth’s losing streak.

From Nov. 26, 2025, to Dec 1, 2025, Peterka only added one goal, no assists, and only eight shots. The Mammoth need another player to step up offensively to help them win and gain much needed points to make the playoffs this year.

Every goal and every win matters when your closest competitors are only one point away from taking the Wild Card spot. In this tournament, Peterka has a chance to really get his offense going. With only six NHL forwards on the roster, Peterka can take the reins of the offense and use his ability to make assists and score goals as his strength. As of right now, he has 20 goals and 18 assists in his NHL season.

International tournaments in the past have been able to help players get back into a groove because their teams ask them to step up in big ways. Germany needs Peterka to help Leon Draisaitl score goals. Peterka has caught fire before in world tournaments. In 2021, he was an alternate captain to team Germany in the World Junior Championship and scored 10 points (four goals and six assists) in five games. 

If the forward can do that again this Olympics and carry it on to the rest of the NHL season, the Mammoth might have another weapon to add to their already stacked arsenal.

Let Veggie be Veggie

All Vejmelka needs to do this Olympics is be himself. He is tied with Andrei Vasilevskiy for the most wins for an NHL goalie this season. On top of that, he was the first goaltender to reach 20 wins this NHL season as well. In his last eight games, Vejmelka has had five wins and three losses from Jan. 17 to Feb. 4. 

In those eight games, he has faced 227 shots, with 21 of them becoming goals against him.

Vejmelka has made many key saves this season, from his game-stealing save against the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 21 to his almost shutout against the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 4. All the Mammoth needs from him is to stay healthy and maintain his form. Without Vejmelka in the lineup, the Mammoth are 3-9-2, showing that if they didn’t have the Czech goalie, this team would not even be sniffing the playoffs.

Now, Vejmelka may have some competition when it comes to having the starting goaltender spot. Lukas Dostal, the Anaheim Ducks goaltender, has hit his stride recently as well. Earning him a record of 21-13-2, a similar stat line to Utah’s fortress.

Whether he’s the number one goalie or the second. Mammoth fans know that Vejmelka will be there to make the most important saves. 

Fun and Interesting Tournament 

It’s been over a decade since NHL players participated in the Olympics, and each team is eager to make new history. Canada wants to reassert its dominance, the USA wants to capture another gold, Finland wants to hold on to their title, and Czechia wants to mess everyone up.

This tournament should be one to remember for Mammoth fans and other NHL fans alike. Hopefully, each of these players can achieve their tournament goals and come back to help with the playoff push.