Salt Lake City and the beautiful Wasatch Mountains looming tall
Recent news that the Beehive State may receive an NHL squad is generating a lot of buzz as of late. Here’s why the NHL to Salt Lake City movement is “in motion” and why it seems inevitable that more pro sports is on its way to the Wasatch Valley.
On May 16th, 2023, voters in Tempe, Arizona rejected a referendum that would have paved the way for the future of the Arizona Coyotes franchise. The 16,000 seat arena would have secured the future of the team (which has been in doubt often since relocating from Winnipeg in 1996) in the Phoenix area for years to come.
A rendering of the failed arena project in Tempe
Salt Lake City has a chance to throw a puck at the proverbial NHL net and score a professional hockey team. Deputy NHL Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed during the NHL’s “state of the league” address, which takes place before the start of each Stanley Cup Final, that Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has been in talks with the league offering to be a partner. When the ball is in your court and you have a chance to score, you have to do what it takes to win. Just ask Las Vegas. Their all in approach has not only netted multiple pro teams since the Golden Knights arrived in 2016, but they now join the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, giving Sin City two world championship banners. The MLB’s Oakland A’s will also be relocating to the Mohave Desert after Nevada Legislation approved funding for a ballpark on Tropicana Avenue. That venue is slated to open in 2028. The A’s are rumored to be playing in Oakland one final season before relocating to Vegas officially (their lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 season). They will play at the home of their AAA affiliate, The Las Vegas Aviators (and possibly Reno which also been discussed) until the ballpark is completed.
Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith
That could be Salt Lake City. That could be Utah. They say fortune favors the bold right? The state of Nevada has been richly rewarded for going all in and changing the narrative in how Vegas (and Nevada in general) is seen in the eyes of the sports world. Sure, Salt Lake isn’t the gambling capital of the world and Vegas’ morality is as opposite of the Beehive State’s as night and day, but that shouldnt stop Utah legislation and Smith from making the Wasatch Valley a hotbed for sports. With the Oakland A’s headed for Las Vegas, that likely leaves Portland, Oregon as their sole competitor to get a future MLB expansion team as well.
A rendering of a potential ballpark for an MLB expansion team in Salt Lake City
But, back to hockey. Why the Arizona Coyotes? Well, for starters, the team has no long term arena situation. They were evicted from their old arena in Glendale at the end of the 21-22 NHL season. Their current home, Mullet Arena, is home to the Arizona State University hockey team and only seats 5,000. That is not a viable long term solution for the Desert Dogs going forward. The move was meant to be a temporary solution with the goal of moving into the new arena on the bank of the Salt River in Tempe in a few years. That required a public vote due to the tax breaks going into the project. The vote was soundly turned down as tax payers made it clear they wanted no part of footing the bill for a wealthy billionaire. Especially one with an already terrible reputation as Alex Meruelo. Rumors of not paying bills (which nearly caused the team to be evicted in the middle of last season) and a toxic work culture have not helped Mr. Meruelo or the image of the team.
Arizona Coyotes owner, Alex Meruelo
The Delta Center, while not perfectly suited for hockey, would still be a vast improvement in comparison to what the Coyotes situation is now. Salt Lake City is the odds on favorite to host the 2030 Winter Olympics (2034 is a shoe in if 2030 is awarded to Sapporo, Japan). A new arena with hockey sightlines in mind is likely to get greenlit and built in time for the Olympics. After all, the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah opened in 1997 nearly five years prior to the 2002 games. The NHL would not mind a potential new owner to give the NHL a newer face and younger generation going forward. Having a new market to grow the game (and potential state of hockey) doesn’t hurt either. A team in Salt Lake City would fill an empty gap between Colorado and Seattle. A built in rivalry with the Colorado Avalanche from day one would also be a win-win all around. Rivalry games are not only a must see for TV, they also sell out on a regular basis (just ask any fan who grew up with the Avs-Wings rivalry back in the 90s and 2000s).
The NHL currently hosts a yearly exhibition game known as the “Frozen Fury” every October. Turnout for the first two events has been nothing short of successful with each game turning a sellout or near sell out. The Frozen Fury returns on October 5th, 2023 when the Los Angeles Kings take on the San Jose Sharks in the edition of Frozen Fury SLC. The event was previously held in Las Vegas from 1997-2016 prior to the Golden Knights entrance into the NHL. Vegas hosted the event 18 times all together prior to the league moving the event to Salt Lake City in 2021. The irony that history has a chance to repeat itself is staggering. The NHL had the event in Vegas to test the market potential and now has the Golden Knights etched upon Lord Stanley’s Cup. Salt Lake City hosting the event now has a chance to prove that this IS an NHL market capable of housing a squad. The League is looking at going two for two in that category. Though it might be a bit longer before the Grizzlies can put their paws on the Stanley Cup or the Clarence Campbell Bowl for that matter. Upon potentially awarding the Coyotes to Ryan Smith, the League will have to move to Frozen Fury for future installments. Where does the league go? My prediction is Portland, Oregon, thus keeping the event out west and testing a potential new market for the near future.
The Official 2023 Frozen Fury Poster
The team that currently plays in Salt Lake City, the Utah Grizzlies, started out in the now defunct International Hockey League back in 1996-97, having originally been based in Denver the year prior. After the Quebec Nordiques relocated and became the Colorado Avalanche in 1996, the Grizzlies relocated to Salt Lake and played their home games at the Delta Center. The team averaged 7,372 and 7,888 fans in the two seasons they played there. In fact, 17,381 showed up to witness the hometown Grizzlies win the Turner Cup on home ice back in 1997. The already built in fanbase can support the Utah Grizzlies in the NHL. The Grizzlies color scheme? Green, Black, Copper, and White. That would make for a unique color combination not yet seen in the NHL. While the Delta Center capacity of 14,000 for hockey would still make it the smallest NHL seating capacity, there is no doubt that the Utah Grizzlies would sell out every game without fail. Demand for tickets would be taller than the Wasatch Mountains themselves, making up any shortfall they would lack from a pure numbers aspect. Just ask Winnipeg. Their arena seats only 15,004, but they have consistently showed up and sold out ever since the Jets came back in 2011.
As Las Vegas has showed us, you have to go all in and believe in the process and take the steps necessary to succeed. Salt Lake City, Utah has all the ingredients it takes to not only go out and grab a team (or two), but the fan support and community that’s ready to come out and support the team. Lastly, they have an owner who is ready to win and ready to be a player and partner in the NHL.
Salt Lake City IS a hockey town and they have the championship history and pedigree to prove it. The time to rally the support and fans for the National Hockey League to come to Salt Lake City is now and the timing and circumstances couldn’t be better. Ryan Smith is all in. Salt Lake City is all in. Utah, is all in. The time is now.
The Utah Grizzlies celebrate their 1997 Turner Cup Championship
Starball Sports and Entertainment 
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