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Utah Mammoth Names That Could Appear on 2026 Olympic Rosters

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The NHL has not participated in the Olympics since Sochi in 2014. Now, the countdown to the 2026 games in Milan is underway. The Utah Mammoth are hopeful some of its players will get the call to represent their respective nations. There are a few in particular that have a great chance to do so. In May, forward Clayton Keller helped Team USA win the IIHF World Championship, its first title since 1933. The Utah captain played on the first line and really stood out during the tournament. His chances of making the Olympic roster may be higher now. Former Mammoth Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan were also on the USA roster. 

Utah Mammoth Players Boosted Chances of Olympic Selection Following World Championship Win

The player who has the highest chance of being called up to the Team USA Olympic roster is certainly Keller. After being left off the USA team for the 4 Nations Face-Off last February, Keller has proven that it was a mistake by not calling him up. Not only did the 26-year-old have a career-high 90 points during the 2024-2025 season, he significantly contributed to the World Championship victory. Keller registered 12 points in 11 games during the tournament. 

He was also a finalist for the IIHF Male Player of the Year because of his performance. He joined a list with Nathan MacKinnon, David Pastrnak, Jeremy Swayman, Sven Andrighetto, and Denis Malgin. Although Keller finished the tournament at a point per game pace, he did not end up winning the award. However, he was added to the NHL’s projected USA Olympic roster, so things could be different for Keller come next February. 

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New Mammoth forward JJ Peterka will also likely make Team Germany’s Olympic team. There are only seven active German players in the league right now; Peterka, Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle, Moritz Seider, Nico Sturm, Lukas Reichel, and Philipp Grubauer. Out of this list, Peterka was not named to the preliminary team, but it would be a shock if his name is not on the final roster. 

Honourable Mentions

Logan Cooley and goaltender Karel Vejmelka are sleeper picks to play for their respective nations at the Olympics. However, Cooley has a tougher hill to climb to make Team USA than Vejmelka does to make Team Czechia. The rising 21-year-old star centre displayed his talent during the regular season and at the World Championship. 

Cooley will look to build off a career-year in his second NHL season, in which he had 65 points in 75 games. He mostly played on Utah’s first line along with Keller and Nick Schmaltz. Cooley even assisted on Team USA’s game-winning goal in the Gold Medal game, Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson scored the goal. He is in the final year of his entry-level contract and will be due for a significant raise.

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As for Vejmelka, he was Utah’s best goaltender this season and that will continue to be the case in the future. The 29-year-old recorded a career-best 26 wins, 2.58 GAA, and .904 SV% in 58 games. This earned him a five-year contract extension back in March. Although Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal was named to Czechia’s preliminary team ahead of him, Vejmelka will undoubtedly be on it and fight for the starting role.

This will also depend on how well the Mammoth do in the beginning of the upcoming season. If the team is struggling, the chances of Utah having a player represent the team at the 2026 Olympics could drop. Keller, Peterka, Vejmelka, and Cooley need to be at the top of their game prior to February.

Main Photo: Jeff Le- Imagn Images

The post Utah Mammoth Names That Could Appear on 2026 Olympic Rosters appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.