Penguins & Mammoth Clinch

Pittsburgh had missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for three straight seasons, and on Thursday, April 9, the Penguins ended that drought by beating the New Jersey Devils and locking up a postseason spot. Colorado also wrapped up the Presidents’ Trophy that night, which goes to the National Hockey League team with the best regular-season record. (usnews.com, usatoday.com) Utah made the bigger piece of franchise history a few hours later. The Mammoth beat the Nashville Predators on April 9 and got the extra help they needed when the San Jose Sharks lost, which clinched Utah’s first playoff berth since the club moved from Arizona. (nhl.com, dailyfaceoff.com) That Utah detail matters because this is still a brand-new market by National Hockey League standards. The league’s April 10 Morning Skate said Utah will become the 23rd U.S. state to host at least one National Hockey League playoff game, including Washington, District of Columbia. (nhl.com) The Mammoth are not division winners; they got in through a wild card spot, which is the National Hockey League’s version of a last-ticket line for the playoffs. The team said it can still finish in either the first or second wild card position in the Western Conference, which means its opening opponent was still not fully set as of April 10. (nhl.com) Colorado’s prize is different. The Presidents’ Trophy is awarded for finishing with the league’s best record over 82 games, so the Avalanche earned home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs as long as they keep advancing. (usatoday.com, nhl.com) That sets up a clean bracket tension in the West. The National Hockey League said Utah’s first-round opponent will be either the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche or the Pacific Division’s top seed, so the Mammoth clinched the trip but not the destination. (nhl.com) Pittsburgh’s path feels different because the story is less about a new market and more about a reset for an old one. The Penguins had been out of the playoffs for three seasons, and their April 9 win over New Jersey ended the club’s longest postseason absence since the Sidney Crosby era turned Pittsburgh into a yearly contender. (usnews.com) The calendar is tight now. Utah said first-round home tickets go on sale Friday, April 10, and the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 18, which leaves barely more than a week between clinching and the start of the tournament. (nhl.com) So one night produced three different kinds of finish-line moment. Pittsburgh got back in, Utah arrived for the first time, and Colorado finished first over the entire league. (usatoday.com, nhl.com)