The zammoth is making its entrance in Salt Lake City, and the Utah Mammoth say the fan-facing machine will be on display at the Delta Center starting Tuesday night against the Edmonton Oilers. The mammoth-themed Zamboni is built from an ice resurfacer used at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and can carry up to eight fans at a time. Team officials say the zammoth will take a lap before games and at the end of each period before regular ice resurfacers handle the work.
A familiar machine, remade for the crowd
The project turns a former Olympic-era ice resurfacer into a branded attraction with tusks and a Mammoth look, giving the club a new way to put fans close to the action. The zammoth no longer functions as a working ice-cleaning machine, but it will serve as a rideable feature before games and during intermissions at the arena.
Chris Barney, president of revenue and commercial strategy for Smith Entertainment Group, said the goal is to bring fans onto the ice in a way that feels memorable and interactive. “It’s an opportunity for our fans to engage with the crowd, ” Barney said. “It puts them down on the ice where their heroes are playing. A lot of people don’t get the opportunity to be down there on the ice. It’s one more example of us trying to do that. ”
How the zammoth came together
The base for the zammoth was already sitting inside the Delta Center when the team began looking for a Zamboni to use for the project. What started as a search for a machine to fit the idea ended with the 24-year-old Olympic resurfacer becoming the clear choice for the redesign.
Team owner Ryan Smith also showed off photos of the machine, framing it as a new kind of fan-mobile for the building. The club said the zammoth will be on display for the next several games after Tuesday, giving supporters a chance to see it up close even before riding details are finalized.
Fan rides and game-night timing
Up to eight fans can ride the zammoth at one time, and the machine is set to run pregame and between intermissions. The team has not released information on how fans can sign up to ride it, but that information is expected later. For now, the public debut is tied to Tuesday’s matchup with the Edmonton Oilers, with the zammoth positioned as part showpiece, part crowd experience.
The idea is not entirely new in the league, but the Utah version stands out because it repurposes a machine tied to the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. That connection gives the zammoth a local angle as well as a visual one, anchoring the project in the arena’s own history.
What comes next for zammoth
For the Mammoth, the immediate next step is simple: put the zammoth in front of fans and let the reaction build. The team says the machine will stay visible at the Delta Center over the coming games, and more details on rider registration will come shortly. If the early response matches the presentation, the zammoth could become one of the season’s most talked-about additions in Salt Lake City.
