With the name voting complete in Utah, the organization announced that it will call itself the "Utah Mammoth". Since the reveal, fans have been buzzing online, already imagining a future rivalry between the Mammoth and the Nashville Predators.
Some have even dubbed it the "Ice Age Rivalry"—a nod to both teams’ prehistoric roots and frosty home ice. For the Predators, who have been in the league for 26 seasons, this could finally mark the beginning of a true, full-fledged rivalry—something the franchise has never quite had.
Can’t wait for the Central Division rivalry of the Utah Mammoth vs the Nashville Predators pic.twitter.com/Zcc6LXep41
— Annie O’D ❤️🔥 (@sweetannieod) June 6, 2024
The NHL is known for having rivalries everywhere you look. We got Washington vs. Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay vs. Florida in the East, and Los Angeles vs. San Jose and Edmonton vs Calgary in the West.
Taking a look at the Predators, who's our rival? An argument can be made for the Chicago Blackhawks or the St. Louis Blues but those are really only divisional rivalries and not a true rival like the ones listed above.
The addition of the Mammoth in the equation, and the Predators now have their first true rival to welcome to Bridgestone Arena. The two are notorious for playing rough against each other—if we're also considering the Arizona Coyotes franchise. It'll be fun to see where these two franchises go in the next couple of seasons.
The Addition of an "Ice Age Battle" could get NHL attention
When the NHL introduced the Seattle Kraken in 2021, the league immediately began stoking a rivalry with the nearby Vancouver Canucks. The 141-mile difference between the two teams only added fuel to the fire. With fans already teasing the ice age, the league could get ahold of it and market it league-wide. The rivalry would benefit both franchises by giving them more airtime on major networks like TNT and NHL Network.
Nashville and Utah played each other a few times last season with Nashville taking the edge. In three games, the Predators had two wins—including a 4-0 shutout at home on Nov 9th—and a single loss which was a 7-3 barnburner. Including the Coyotes franchise, the Preds also take the cake with a head-to-head record of 43-35-8 compared to Arizona's 41-30-15. Here's a look at the last eight matchups between the two teams.
Game Played | Score from Predators Standpoint |
|---|---|
3/28/24 @ Arizona | 8-4 Loss |
2/10/24 @ Home | 5-4 OT Win |
1/20/24@ Arizona | 3-2 Loss |
11/11/23 @ Home | 7-5 Loss |
3/9/23 @ Arizona | 4-1 Loss |
2/26/23 @ Arizona | 6-2 Win |
2/13/23 @ Home | 4-2 Loss |
11/21/22 @ Home | 4-3 OT Win |
With Utah's young and promising core, and Nashville veteran and star-powered roster, the two will be battling it out for a while.
Utah claims it's the Loudest Arena in NHL, Nashville has some Competition
In a video interview with Delta Center Owner Ryan Smith, he claimed that the Mammoth has one of the loudest fanbases in the NHL and that he hopes it will be the loudest. The Nashville Predators are notorious for having one of the loudest, most passionate fanbases in the league.
When Utah claims that they can outcompete us for our spot, we must fight back twice as hard. This is another reason why this rivalry might be one of the most entertaining in the league next year. It'll be hard to imagine how loud the two arenas will be with the battle going on down below. The mixture of "Let's Go Predators" and "Let's Go Mammoth" will definitely get fans going at home watching on TV.
Both Bridgestone Arena and the Delta Center are located in the heart of their respective cities. The hockey energy will invade the streets in pre-game parties and tailgates. Fans will be forced to mix with the opposing fan energy, stirring the pot even further. With the 2025-26 NHL season starting in less than five months, it'll be exciting to see how the two teams and fanbases react with each other.
Who's going to survive the next asteroid impact? I guess we're going to have to find out next season, and I'm definitely pumped.