Thanksgiving is a time for everyone to think about what they’re thankful for and this goes for sports as well. Players are celebrities in the eyes of the fans, but they’re still regular people just making a living. With that time of gratitude upon us, the Utah Hockey Club and its players should have a lot to be thankful for. Here are some of those things the team could be thinking about during the day of thanks despite their rough start to the season.
The League
The state of Utah waited for a hockey team to return to the area for about 20 years. Although the first to come back was the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL, Utah never had a major hockey team. That changed when the NHL made the shocking announcement that the Arizona Coyotes and all of its assets were sold. After Arizona failed to agree for a new arena in Tempe, the league felt that it was inefficient for the Coyotes to play in a small arena. In their final season, the Coyotes played out of Mullet Arena, a 4,600 seat building located at Arizona State University.
The players loved Arizona and its dedicated fans, but the situation wasn’t feasible. Without the state’s approval for a new home, they were unable to play in an actual state-of-the-art NHL arena. Essentially forced out by the state of Arizona. The team lost a lot of profits since they could only sell around 4,000 tickets per home game, much less than the usual 19,000. It was unfortunate the team couldn’t stay in Arizona, but the players can be thankful for how quickly the NHL handled the situation.
Ryan Smith
Of course, the Hockey Club would not exist without the person who was responsible for bringing the NHL to Utah. Ryan Smith, owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, saw an opportunity to create something the sports fans of Utah longed for. Last January, Smith went to the NHL and pleaded his case to become the new owner of an expansion team. The NHL swiftly accepted Smith’s proposal. After that, all the 2022 rumours of relocation came to fruition when the league officially granted Utah their first ever NHL franchise.
By adding another major sport to Utah, Smith allowed the hockey fans in the state to express their love for a team. With the team playing at the Delta Center, also home of the Jazz, NBA fans in Utah have the opportunity to experience an NHL game first-hand. Also, thanks to Smith, the Utah players now have the right to play in an official sports arena, which wouldn’t have happened in Arizona. In a way, he saved the players from a precarious situation that could’ve ended with each of them playing separate teams if the Coyotes folded. They can be thankful for Smith because now they can continue to play together as the same team that left Arizona.
The Fans
Utah was never a big hockey state, but that didn’t stop the Hockey Club’s new fans from showing their support. The team’s arena has a 20,000 seat capacity, but only around 11,000 for hockey games. However, since Utah’s first ever hockey game, the team has consistently sold out their games. That’s because the team sold almost all their season-ticket deposits within just hours of going on sale. On November 15, the team put their first ever jerseys on sale at the arena and many people showed up. It shows how much these fans wanted an NHL franchise in Utah and they’re enjoying every second. The Utah fans are thankful for their new team, and the players most likely feel the same way.
Main Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Utah shows out.
pic.twitter.com/PJSyykXqI7
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) November 15, 2024
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