Utah Hockey Club Explained: How Salt Lake City Received an NHL Team

The Utah Hockey Club has come skating into Salt Lake City as the National Hockey League’s latest expansion team. The brand new tenants at downtown SLC’s Delta Center have the Beehive State buzzing as the city’s first major league professional hockey team prepares to hit the ice for their inaugural 2024-25 season. Learn more about the latest addition to the NHL below.

Utah Hockey Club History

The origin story of the Utah Hockey Club started in Phoenix, where the franchise’s NHL predecessor the Arizona Coyotes launched in 1996. Following the team’s temporary move in 2022 from Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona to Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Arizona, the Coyotes were in need of a permanent home. However, a proposal to build the New Tempe Arena was rejected by local voters in May 2023.

Meanwhile, Utah-based businessman and Smith Entertainment Group chairman Ryan Smith had been in discussions with the NHL to bring a team to Salt Lake City since 2022. Along with the alpine city’s long history of minor league hockey teams and year-round winter sports offerings, Smith made a perfect steward for Utah’s first major league hockey team as the owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz and co-owner of the MLS’ Real Salt Lake and NWSL’s Utah Royals.

In June 2024, the Utah Hockey Club was established as the NHL’s new expansion team. In a $1.2-billion deal between the NHL, Smith and Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo, the new Utah team acquired Arizona’s assets, including their roster, staff and draft picks. The agreement allowed the Coyotes to retain their name, history and intellectual property, through suspended current operations – while also giving the Utah franchise a chance to build their own legacy on fresh ice.

Where will the Utah Hockey Club play?

Delta Center, home of the Utah Jazz, will serve as the home ice for the Utah Hockey Club. The multipurpose arena can hold 16,200 in a hockey configuration, and has previously hosted games for the 2002 Winter Olympics and the NHL preseason, starting in 2021. The Utah Hockey Club’s move to Salt Lake City comes with plans to open a new, downtown facility, though negotiations with the city are still pending.

Is the Utah Hockey Club an NHL team?

The Utah Hockey Club is a member of the National Hockey League (NHL). Utah plays in the Central Division of the Western Conference. The team’s official placement transitions directly from the Arizona Coyotes. Utah participated in its first league event on June 28, 2024 when it selected Tij Iginla and Cole Beaudoin in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft.

What is the name of the Utah hockey team?

For now, the NHL has temporarily designated its newest franchise as the Utah Hockey Club. However, the permanent team name is not yet decided. A selection process that has involved an initial pool of 20 options and two rounds of fan voting is still underway. The six finalists for the franchise’s permanent name are the Utah Blizzard, Utah Hockey Club (Utah HC), Utah Mammoth, Utah Outlaws, Utah Venom and Utah Yeti. The final team name will be announced prior to the 2025-26 season.

What is the team design of the Utah Hockey Club?

Utah’s team logo and designs for the 2024-25 regular season were revealed in June 2024. Spearheaded by the design firm Doubleday & Cartwright, the Utah Hockey Club’s debut look will feature team colors Rock Black, Salt White and Mountain Blue. Notably, all team designs are subject to change following the official name selection in the 2025 offseason.

Are the Utah Grizzlies affiliated with an NHL team?

The Utah Grizzlies are a minor league professional hockey team playing in the ECHL. Although the Grizzlies’ home ice at Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah is just under 10 miles from Utah Hockey Club’s Delta Center, the two teams are not currently affiliated. The Grizzlies arrived to SLC in 1995 and have had an affiliation agreement with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche since 2018.

When are the Utah Hockey Club games?

The Utah Hockey Club schedule for the 2024-25 NHL regular season consists of the following dates:

• 10/08 vs. Chicago Blackhawks
• 10/10 @ New York Islanders
• 10/12 @ New York Rangers
• 10/14 @ New Jersey Devils
• 10/16 @ Anaheim Ducks
• 10/19 vs. Boston Bruins
• 10/22 vs. Ottawa Senators
• 10/24 vs. Colorado Avalanche
• 10/26 @ Los Angeles Kings
• 10/28 vs. San Jose Sharks
• 10/30 vs. Calgary Flames
• 11/02 @ Vegas Golden Knights
• 11/05 @ Winnipeg Jets
• 11/07 @ St. Louis Blues
• 11/09 @ Nashville Predators
• 11/13 vs. Carolina Hurricanes
• 11/15 vs. Vegas Golden Knights
• 11/18 vs. Washington Capitals
• 11/21 @ Pittsburgh Penguins
• 11/23 @ Boston Bruins
• 11/24 @ Toronto Maple Leafs
• 11/26 @ Montreal Canadiens
• 11/29 vs. Edmonton Oilers
• 11/30 @ Vegas Golden Knights
• 12/02 vs. Dallas Stars
• 12/07 @ Buffalo Sabres
• 12/08 @ Philadelphia Flyers
• 12/10 vs. Minnesota Wild
• 12/12 @ Colorado Avalanche
• 12/14 @ San Jose Sharks
• 12/18 vs. Vancouver Canucks
• 12/20 @ Minnesota Wild
• 12/22 vs. Anaheim Ducks
• 12/23 vs. Dallas Stars
• 12/27 vs. Colorado Avalanche
• 12/30 @ Seattle Kraken
• 12/31 @ Edmonton Oilers
• 01/02 @ Calgary Flames
• 01/04 @ Dallas Stars
• 01/08 vs. Florida Panthers
• 01/10 vs. San Jose Sharks
• 01/11 vs. New York Islanders
• 01/14 vs. Montreal Canadiens
• 01/16 vs. New York Rangers
• 01/18 vs. St. Louis Blues
• 01/20 vs. Winnipeg Jets
• 01/23 @ Minnesota Wild
• 01/24 @ Winnipeg Jets
• 01/26 @ Ottawa Senators
• 01/29 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
• 01/31 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
• 02/02 vs. St. Louis Blues
• 02/04 vs. Philadelphia Flyers
• 02/06 @ Columbus Blue Jackets
• 02/08 @ Carolina Hurricanes
• 02/09 @ Washington Capitals
• 02/22 @ Los Angeles Kings
• 02/23 vs. Vancouver Canucks
• 02/25 vs. Chicago Blackhawks
• 02/27 vs. Minnesota Wild
• 03/01 vs. New Jersey Devils
• 03/06 @ Detroit Red Wings
• 03/07 @ Chicago Blackhawks
• 03/10 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
• 03/12 vs. Anaheim Ducks
• 03/14 @ Seattle Kraken
• 03/16 @ Vancouver Canucks
• 03/18 @ Edmonton Oilers
• 03/20 vs. Buffalo Sabres
• 03/22 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
• 03/24 vs. Detroit Red Wings
• 03/27 @ Tampa Bay Lightning
• 03/28 @ Florida Panthers
• 03/30 @ Chicago Blackhawks
• 04/01 vs. Calgary Flames
• 04/03 vs. Los Angeles Kings
• 04/05 vs. Winnipeg Jets
• 04/08 vs. Seattle Kraken
• 04/10 vs. Nashville Predators
• 04/12 vs. Dallas Stars
• 04/14 vs. Nashville Predators
• 04/15 vs. St. Louis Blues