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Utah Hockey Club

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The Utah Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team based in Salt Lake City. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and began play as an expansion team during the league's 2024–25 season. The team plays its home games at the Delta Center, an arena they share with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Utah Hockey Club
2024–25 Utah Hockey Club season
ConferenceWestern
DivisionCentral
Founded2024[A]
HistoryUtah Hockey Club
2024–present
Home arenaDelta Center
CitySalt Lake City, Utah
Team colorsRock black, salt white, mountain blue[3][4]
     
Owner(s)Ryan Smith
General managerBill Armstrong
Head coachAndre Tourigny
CaptainClayton Keller
Minor league affiliatesTucson Roadrunners (AHL)
Allen Americans (ECHL)
Stanley Cups0
Conference championships0
Presidents' Trophy0
Division championships0
Official websitenhl.com/utah

The team was created on April 18, 2024, with the NHL Board of Governors granting an expansion franchise to Jazz owner Ryan Smith. In lieu of an expansion draft to stock the new team, Smith acquired the hockey assets (players, coaching staff, and draft picks) of the Arizona Coyotes, which suspended hockey operations at the same time.[5] The team is playing its inaugural season in 2024–25 with a temporary name and colors, while a full identity is developed for 2025–26.[6][7] The team's name, colors, and jerseys for their inaugural season were revealed on June 13, 2024.[8]

History

Background and establishment

History of ice hockey in Salt Lake City

Further information: Ice hockey in Utah
 
 
Professional minor-league ice hockey has been played in Salt Lake City since 1969, primarily at the Salt Palace (above) and the Maverik Center (below).

Prior to the arrival of the NHL, Salt Lake City had limited ice hockey history. The first team to call the area home, the minor-league Salt Lake Golden Eagles, played 25 seasons across the Western Hockey League (WHL), Central Hockey League (CHL), and International Hockey League (IHL) from 1969 to 1994. Playing out of the Salt Palace for their first 22 seasons and the then-new Delta Center for their final three, the Golden Eagles won two Adams Cup championships in the CHL and two Turner Cup championships in the IHL, before ultimately being sold and relocating to Auburn Hills, Michigan, as the Detroit Vipers after the 1993–94 IHL season.

After just one season out of ice hockey, Salt Lake City received another IHL franchise in 1995, as the reigning Turner Cup champion Denver Grizzlies, having been replaced by the newly relocated Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, relocated to the Delta Center for the 1995–96 season as the Utah Grizzlies. The Grizzlies spent two seasons in Salt Lake City proper, including a second consecutive Turner Cup championship in 1996; notably, the Cup-clinching game 4 of the Turner Cup Finals saw an attendance of 17,381, at the time the largest attendance in minor-league ice hockey history.[9] The Grizzlies later moved to the newly constructed E Center (since renamed the Maverik Center) in the suburb of West Valley City for the 1997–98 IHL season, and joined the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2001 alongside five other surviving IHL franchises upon the latter's collapse. However, the Grizzlies voluntarily suspended operations for the 2005–06 season, before being sold to Dan Gilbert, the owner of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, and relocating to Cleveland, as the Lake Erie Monsters (later Cleveland Monsters) for the 2007–08 season.

The AHL iteration of the Grizzlies were subsequently replaced by a relocated ECHL franchise of the same name; the franchise had most recently played in Lexington, Kentucky, as the Lexington Men O' War but had become dormant after the 2002–03 ECHL season. The new Grizzlies began play out of the E Center in 2005, immediately after their AHL predecessor had gone dormant, and have played 19 seasons in the ECHL since. However, the franchise has been comparatively unsuccessful; although they have missed the playoffs only three times, they have won just one division championship and no conference championships, only having reached the conference finals twice.

The Delta Center has hosted multiple Los Angeles Kings preseason games as part of the NHL's Frozen Fury series.[10][11] However, the arena was not considered well suited to host ice hockey permanently, owing to poor sightlines and broadcasting capabilities.[12] The Maverik Center and the Peaks Ice Arena in the suburb of Provo, hosted the ice hockey tournaments at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, which featured NHL players. Salt Lake City is also the host city for the 2034 Winter Olympics.[13]

Establishment of the team

 
The Delta Center, where the Utah Hockey Club plays its home games

Salt Lake City initially emerged as a potential NHL destination in June 2023, with rumors regarding the Arizona Coyotes' potential relocation spreading after the failure of the New Tempe Arena referendum.[14] Six months later, in January 2024, Ryan Smith, owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz and co-owner of Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake, petitioned the NHL to begin the process of expansion to Salt Lake City. Discussions to bring an expansion team to the city were revealed to have been underway since early 2022,[15] with the Utah State Senate passing tax legislation in February 2024 to support a new ice hockey-capable downtown arena proposed by Smith; the only condition asked by the Senate was that any potential team be branded "Utah" to honor the state in general, as opposed to any branding using Salt Lake City.[16]

On April 13, 2024, it was reported that, with the NHL's permission, the Coyotes were making efforts to relocate to Salt Lake City following concerns about an indefinite timeframe on a new arena and the effects of continued play at the 4,600-seat Mullett Arena.[17] The deal became official on April 18 after the NHL Board of Governors voted to establish a team in Utah using the Coyotes' hockey assets;[18] under the terms of the agreement, rather than a formal relocation the Coyotes will be considered "inactive", with Utah regarded as an expansion team in a similar situation to the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.[citation needed]

While the deal was reported in the media as a $1.2 billion "sale" of the Coyotes,[19][20] it is in reality two separate transactions in which $1 billion is being paid by the NHL to Alex Meruelo for the Coyotes franchise while Smith is paying a $1.2 billion expansion fee to the NHL's other owners. The $200 million difference is thus in effect a de facto relocation fee to be shared equally by the other 31 NHL clubs.[21] According to Smith, the team sold more than 11,000 season-ticket deposits in the four hours after going on sale, with 6,000 sold in the first two hours.[22] The team was formally introduced at the Delta Center on April 26, with over 12,000 fans attending a welcome celebration featuring players and coaches.[23][24] On May 6, the Smith Entertainment Group announced that a practice facility would be built for the team in the nearby suburb of Sandy, Utah,[25] which had its groundbreaking ceremony on August 12.[26] On June 13, the NHL announced that the sale of the franchise had officially been completed and that the team would go by the name "Utah Hockey Club" for their inaugural season.[3]

Inaugural season (2024–present)

 
Jack McBain, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther line up for a faceoff during Utah's first preseason game in September 2024.

On June 17, Utah made their first official player signing, with former Coyotes third-round pick Noel Nordh signing his three-year entry-level contract.[27] This was followed just under two weeks later by their first NHL entry draft, where they selected Kelowna Rockets forward Tij Iginla as their first-ever draft pick at 6th overall.[28]

Utah played their first preseason game on September 22, 2024, defeating the St. Louis Blues 5–3 in a neutral-site matchup played at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.[29] On September 23, Utah played their first home preseason game at the Delta Center, defeating the Los Angeles Kings 3–2.[30]

On October 4, 2024, Utah named forward Clayton Keller as the first captain in franchise history.[31] On October 8, the team defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5–2 in its first regular-season contest, with Dylan Guenther scoring the first goal in franchise history.[32]

Team identity

Name

The team was initially introduced without a name, though Smith confirmed on April 18, 2024, that the franchise would use the "Utah" state moniker, rather than Salt Lake City.[33][18] After emphasizing not wanting to "rush" the naming process, Smith announced on April 22 that the team identity would be chosen via an eight-name bracket, voted on by fans using the Smith-founded Qualtrics platform.[34] In the days surrounding the team's founding, a law firm filed trademarks for a multitude of names on behalf of an anonymously owned LLC; these included Utah Hockey Club (Utah HC), Blizzard, Fury, Venom, Yetis, Outlaws, Ice, and Mammoth.[34][35]

 
Initial announcement logo

On May 8, the Smith Entertainment Group confirmed the team would play their first season simply named "Utah", with no logo, mascot, or official team colors, and "Utah" written across the jerseys.[36] At the same time, SEG released a Qualtrics poll featuring the 20 name finalists. The options included Black Diamonds, Blast, Blizzard, Canyons, Caribou, Freeze, Frost, Fury, Glaciers, Utah HC (Hockey Club), Hive, Ice, Mammoth, Mountaineers, Outlaws, Powder, Squall, Swarm, Venom, and Yeti.[6][7] On May 29, Smith confirmed on The Pat McAfee Show that the club had narrowed the list down to four names, specifically mentioning the Mammoth and the Yeti.[37] On June 6, however, the six finalists were revealed to be Blizzard, Utah HC, Mammoth, Outlaws, Venom, and Yeti, and a second round of polling began.[38]

On June 13, it was announced that the team would be known as the Utah Hockey Club for the 2024–25 NHL season.[8]

Logo, colors, and uniforms

On June 13, the same day that the temporary name was revealed, the team also released their logos, colors, and jerseys for the inaugural season; the primary logo depicts a roundel with a "Utah" wordmark in the center, ringed with "Hockey Club" and colored with mountain blue, rock black, and salt white. The secondary logo features a "Utah Hockey Club" wordmark over an outline of Utah itself.[8] The home uniforms consisted of a black base with a diagonal "UTAH" wordmark across the front, their "Inaugural Season" patch on both shoulders, with blue and white striping, with the road uniforms utilizing a white base with black and blue striping.[39][40]

Mascot

On October 7, 2024, the team announced that Jazz Bear, the mascot of the Utah Jazz, would also serve as the Hockey Club’s mascot during their inaugural season.[41]

Team information

Broadcasting

Television

On April 18, 2024, shortly after the establishment of the team, it was announced that the team had reached an agreement with the E.W. Scripps Company to broadcast Utah NHL games on their Provo-based station KUPX-TV;[42] KUPX had previously served as the Coyotes' affiliate in the market, and also broadcasts Vegas Golden Knights games.[43] The telecasts are produced by Smith Entertainment Group's SEG Media division. The team also launched a subscription streaming service known as UtahHC+, which carries the games and other video content related to the team. The service is an expansion of SEG's partnership with Kiswe for the Utah Jazz's Jazz+ service introduced the previous season, with both services newly-merged into a new platform branded as SEG+.[44][45]

On September 4, Utah announced that former Coyotes play-by-play announcer Matt McConnell had been hired for the same position, with ESPN analyst Dominic Moore and Seattle Kraken color analyst Nick Olczyk serving as TV analysts.[46]

Radio

On September 20, 2024, the team announced an agreement with Bonneville International to broadcast games on KZNS, branded as the KSL Sports Zone, with Mike Folta serving as the play-by-play announcer. Radio broadcasts are additionally simulcast on the KSL Sports app and website.[47]

Minor league affiliates

With the transfer of assets from the Coyotes, Utah inherited the Tucson Roadrunners as their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.[48][49] On July 31, 2024, Utah announced a one-year affiliation agreement with the Allen Americans of the ECHL for the 2024–25 season.[50]

Players and personnel

See also: List of Utah Hockey Club players

Current roster

Updated October 30, 2024[51][52]

No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
17   Nick Bjugstad   C R 32 2024 Minneapolis, Minnesota
41   Robert Bortuzzo D R 35 2024 Thunder Bay, Ontario
53   Michael Carcone LW L 28 2024 Ajax, Ontario
28   Ian Cole D L 35 2024 Ann Arbor, Michigan
92   Logan Cooley C L 20 2024 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
67   Lawson Crouse (A) LW L 27 2024 Mount Brydges, Ontario
50   Sean Durzi   D R 26 2024 Toronto, Ontario
11   Dylan Guenther RW R 21 2024 Edmonton, Alberta
27   Barrett Hayton C L 24 2024 Peterborough, Ontario
39   Connor Ingram G L 27 2024 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
9   Clayton Keller (C) C L 26 2024 Chesterfield, Missouri
15   Alexander Kerfoot C L 30 2024 Vancouver, British Columbia
7   Michael Kesselring D R 24 2024 Manchester, New Hampshire
52   Vladislav Kolyachonok D L 23 2024 Minsk, Belarus
10   Maveric Lamoureux D R 20 2024 Laval, Quebec
2   Olli Maatta D L 30 2024 Jyväskylä, Finland
63   Matias Maccelli LW L 24 2024 Turku, Finland
6   John Marino   D R 27 2024 North Easton, Massachusetts
22   Jack McBain C L 24 2024 Toronto, Ontario
38   Liam O'Brien LW L 30 2024 Halifax, Nova Scotia
98   Mikhail Sergachev D L 26 2024 Nizhnekamsk, Russia
8   Nick Schmaltz (A) C R 28 2024 Madison, Wisconsin
82   Kevin Stenlund C L 28 2024 Stockholm, Sweden
4   Juuso Valimaki D L 26 2024 Tampere, Finland
70   Karel Vejmelka G R 28 2024 Třebíč, Czech Republic


Owners

The team is owned by Smith Entertainment Group, which is controlled by businessman Ryan Smith and his wife Ashley Smith.[53]

Team captains

General managers

Head coaches

First-round draft picks

See also: List of Utah Hockey Club draft picks

Notes

  1. ^ The team was technically formed in 2024; in terms of the team's history, it was not a relocation of the Coyotes. Utah only received the existing personnel and picks, similar to the aftermath of the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ "Board Approves Establishment of New Franchise in Utah, Future Reactivation of Arizona Franchise". NHL.com (Press release). NHL Enterprises, L.P. April 18, 2024. Retrieved November 17, 2024.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "UTA Records - Utah Hockey Club - Season-by-Season Record". Records.NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved November 17, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b "Smith Entertainment Group Officially Acquires NHL Franchise". NHL.com/Utah (Press release). NHL Enterprises, L.P. June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  4. ^ "Utah Hockey Club officially joins NHL, unveils uniforms, logos". NHL.com (Press release). NHL Enterprises, L.P. June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  5. ^ NHL Public Relations (April 18, 2024). "NHL BOG approves establishment of new franchise in Utah". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Detwiler, Christopher (May 8, 2024). "Utah releases 20 finalists for team name, unveils fan vote". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Utah offers 20 team name ideas, including Frost, Hive, Venom". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures, LLC. May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "This Is Utah's Team". NHL.com/Utah. NHL Enterprises, L.P. June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  9. ^ Turner, Tim (June 9, 1996). "ORLANDO OUSTED IN OT". Orlando Sentinel.
  10. ^ "LA Kings to Play Frozen Fury Preseason Game in Salt Lake City". LAKings.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. June 15, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  11. ^ "Salt Lake City Shows Out For Frozen Fury NHL Game". October 6, 2021.
  12. ^ Larsen, Andy (October 6, 2023). "The NHL's only Utahn thinks the state is ready for hockey's best. Is a major league team ready for Salt Lake?". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 29, 2024. But the Delta Center simply isn't an ideal NHL venue at this time. Fans sitting in certain seats struggled to see the corners, TV cameras for the game had to be propped up in the row where broadcasters typically sit. The broadcasters and scorekeepers seated near me sometimes struggled to do their jobs as a result.
  13. ^ KUTV, Victoria Hill (November 29, 2023). "Olympic Committee recommends Salt Lake City as preferred host for 2034 Winter Games". KUTV. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  14. ^ Cluff, Jeremy (June 6, 2023). "Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City? Relocation speculation swirls around NHL team in Utah". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  15. ^ Fox, Derick (January 24, 2024). "Utah sports mogul Ryan Smith submits bid to bring NHL to Salt Lake City". ABC4. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  16. ^ Romboy, Dennis (February 27, 2024). "Utah Senate passes bill for potential downtown hockey arena". Deseret News. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  17. ^ "Coyotes bid Arizona farewell with bittersweet win over Oilers". ESPN.com. April 17, 2024. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024. There could be a new arena -- eventually. Meruelo had been pursuing a tract of land in north Phoenix to build it. When delays pushed the land auction until June, the NHL and the players' association got cold feet about continuing to play at Mullett Arena, the loud-but-bandbox-sized venue shared with Arizona State University. Meruelo was adamant about not selling the team despite constant offers since he bought in 2019, but he also didn't want the players stuck playing in a 5,000-seat arena -- by far the NHL's smallest -- that wasn't up to league standards. With no guarantee he would have an arena and with no other options, Meruelo agreed to sell the franchise.
  18. ^ a b Cotsonika, Nicholas (April 18, 2024). "'Utah's ready for a team,' new owner says". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  19. ^ Friedman, Elliotte (April 10, 2024). "NHL, Arizona Coyotes preparing for possible relocation to Utah". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  20. ^ "Report: NHL, Coyotes make progress on framework for Utah relocation". Sportsnet.ca. April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  21. ^ Boudway, Ira (April 18, 2024). "Billionaire Ryan Smith Gets His NHL Team, Moving Arizona Coyotes to Utah". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  22. ^ Gould, Mike (April 18, 2024). "Ryan Smith says Utah NHL team has already sold more than 11,000 season ticket deposits". Daily Faceoff. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  23. ^ Cotsonika, Nicholas J. (April 25, 2024). "Players receive warm welcome from 12,400 fans in Utah". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  24. ^ Romboy, Dennis (April 24, 2024). "'My best day in the NHL so far': Salt Lake shows up for new hockey club". Deseret News. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  25. ^ Miller, Ryan (May 6, 2024). "Utah NHL club's training facility will be built in Sandy". KSL.com. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  26. ^ Carlson, Brian (August 12, 2024). "Ground broken on new Utah Hockey Club training facility". KSL Sports. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  27. ^ "Nordh becomes 1st player to sign with Utah Hockey Club". NHL.com. June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  28. ^ Shilton, Kristen (June 28, 2024). "Utah Hockey Club takes Tij Iginla No. 6 overall in NHL draft". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  29. ^ Tavss, Jeff (September 22, 2024). "Utah Hockey Club scores first-ever win with 5-3 preseason victory over Blues". Fox 13 Utah. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  30. ^ Miller, Ryan (September 23, 2024). "Utah Hockey Club has a near-perfect debut at Delta Center". KSL. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  31. ^ "Keller named 1st captain in Utah history". www.nhl.com. October 4, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  32. ^ Walker, Sean (October 8, 2024). "Dylan Guenther scores twice as Utah Hockey Club holds off Chicago for franchise's 1st win". KSL.com. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  33. ^ Cotsonika, Nicholas J. (April 18, 2024). "New NHL team will be called 'Utah Something'". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  34. ^ a b Miller, Ryan (April 22, 2024). "Ryan Smith says NHL team name will be chosen by fan bracket". KSL News. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  35. ^ Holt, Chandler (April 24, 2024). "Two New Trademark Applications Submitted For Utah NHL Team Name". KSL Sports. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  36. ^ "Ryan Smith says Utah NHL team name voting is down to 4".
  37. ^ Lazary, Spencer (May 29, 2024). "Utah's Owner Reveals Potential Team Names". The Hockey News. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  38. ^ Shilton, Kristen (June 6, 2024). "New Utah team announces 6 finalists for name". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  39. ^ "Utah Hockey Club officially joins NHL, unveils uniforms, logos". NHL.com. June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  40. ^ Horwat, Nick (September 4, 2024). "Look: Utah Gives First Look at On-Ice Jerseys". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  41. ^ Urban, Andrea (October 7, 2024). "Jazz Bear turns into 'Hockey Bear' for Utah's inaugural NHL season". Fox 13 News. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  42. ^ Tavss, Jeff (April 18, 2024). "Utah NHL games to air free on Utah 16". Fox 13. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  43. ^ Urban, Andrea (August 27, 2023). "Stanley Cup champions stop in Ogden on 'road trip'". KSTU. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  44. ^ "SEG Media Launches New DTC Streaming Service for Utah Hockey Club in Partnership With Kiswe". Sports Video Group. September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  45. ^ KUTV, Megan Brugger (September 20, 2024). "Smith Entertainment Group launches new UtahHC+, SEG+ streaming platforms". KUTV. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  46. ^ "SEG Media Reveals Utah Hockey Club Television Broadcast Team". NHL.com. September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  47. ^ Bagley, Cole (September 20, 2024). "Bill Armstrong Is Proud To Call KSL Sports Zone Official Radio Home Of Utah Hockey Club". KSL Sports. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  48. ^ Jones, Josh (April 23, 2024). "With Arizona Coyotes leaving, relocation talk clouds Roadrunners' future in Tucson". Cronkite News. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  49. ^ Kelley, James (July 5, 2024). "NHL's Utah Hockey Club restocks Tucson Roadrunners' AHL roster with mix of new, familiar faces". Tucson.com. Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  50. ^ "Utah Hockey Club Announce ECHL Affiliation Agreement with Allen Americans". NHL.com. July 31, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  51. ^ "Utah Hockey Club Roster". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  52. ^ "Utah Hockey Club Transactions". The Sports Network. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  53. ^ Novy-Williams, Eben; Soshnick, Scott (April 18, 2024). "In Unique $1.2 Billion Coyotes Deal, Buyer Never Met Seller". Sportico.com. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  54. ^ "Keller named 1st captain in Utah history". www.nhl.com. October 4, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.

Further reading

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