With the arrival of September, we not only have seen the start of the NFL regular season but also the start of the NHL preseason and the beginning of a new era in Utah’s hockey history. Fresh off their relocation from Arizona, the Beehive State welcomes the NHL, which will be the second of the four major sports to be represented in Utah joining the NBA’s Utah Jazz.
Ryan Smith, who is the owner of the new Utah Hockey Club and current owner of the Utah Jazz, spoke about the advantages Utah holds as the newest market for the NHL.
“(Utah is) the youngest state in the country. And in my career, you always bet on youth. We’re also the fastest growing, and it has been that way for a while. If you look at both of those metrics, the NHL’s going to be able to look at that and say, ‘Wow, we made the right move,” Smith said.
A new NHL team and its debut
This isn’t the first time professional hockey has graced Utah. In fact, Utah already had a professional hockey team, though not an NHL team, since 1995 in the form of the Utah Grizzlies, who are currently affiliated with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. KSL Radio spoke with the Utah Grizzlies broadcaster Tyson Whiting on his hopes as the NHL arrives and what it might mean for the Grizzlies.
“Maybe the Grizzlies can end up fitting there as an affiliate with the new NHL teams that were to come here,” Whiting said.
Those hopes don’t seem too far off either given the comments made by Utah Grizzlies Vice President Jared Youngman to the Salt Lake City Tribune.
“Currently, the affiliation agreement is with [the] Colorado [Avalanche], but we would love to find ways to rework it and work with NHL Utah,” Youngman said. ““I mean, as of right now, we’re where we’re at. [We’re] not opposed to collaborating and making things work together with NHL Utah.”
The future of sports in Utah is certainly on a trajectory of growth and what the future holds for both pro hockey teams will be a major part of that growth. The Utah Hockey Club will continue their preseason on Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights after winning their first two games at home in the Delta Center against the St. Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings.
Featured Image: Photo by Goji on Unsplash
Edited by: Steven London
