Analysis: Utah, the Beehive State, abuzz with arrival of NHL club

(Photo credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images)

SALT LAKE CITY -- Before he signed to play for the new hockey team in Utah, veteran defenseman Robert Bortuzzo couldn't help but notice that there was something special going on in Salt Lake City in terms of the NHL.

"There's definitely a buzz," the former Stanley Cup champion told reporters after inking a one-year deal with Utah this offseason. "You talk to a lot of hockey people around the league, or buddies of mine who play in the league, it's exciting for the league, exciting for a lot of the young guys on the team."

The relocated NHL franchise, formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes, still doesn't have an official name other than Utah Hockey Club. But there's certainly a vibe and energy surrounding what many, including some within the club, have speculated will eventually be called the Utah Yeti.

Utah has been a successful staple in the minor league hockey ranks for decades, including championship Adams Cup (CHL) and Turner Cup (IHL) campaigns by the former Salt Lake Golden Eagles and Utah Grizzlies (now in the ECHL). The Beehive State also hosted in 2002 one of the greatest Winter Olympics gold-medal hockey competitions, when a powerhouse Team Canada defeated a loaded Team USA for a coveted on-ice and podium-topping celebration.

After efforts to find long-term security in Arizona fell apart for the Coyotes earlier in 2024, the NHL gave Utah billionaire Ryan Smith the opportunity to give the beleaguered hockey club a new home at the base of the Wasatch Front.

"We think NHL hockey will thrive here," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said at the time.

Within days of the NHL's announcement in April, nearly 30,000 made season-ticket deposits for an arena, the Delta Center, which had held 16,000 for hockey games and been reconfigured for 11,131 capacity this season. The buzz was off the charts. An energetic, "Let's go, Utah!"-chanting crowd of 12,400 packed the arena -- with hundreds more gathered outside - to welcome officials and players during an arrival celebration shortly after.

"Let's not stop," Smith told the crowd. "We want to make sure every single person in Utah gets a taste of hockey."

Local sports fans, businesses and organizations, and politicians from U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox -- all of whom have helped the Utah Jazz and other sports entities succeed in the Beehive State -- clamored to welcome the NHL to town in person and via social media.

"Welcome to Utah, NHL!" Romney posted on X. Added Cox, "Welcome to Utah, the State of Sport! LetsGo"

"This is incredible for the city and state! Utah is ready for another major league team," posted former Utah Jazz employee Matt Sanchez, an assistant athletic director for the University of Utah. "Pretty wild how this came together so quickly."

"You (Ryan Smith) are making dreams come true brother! Thank you!!" exclaimed Bam Bam's BBQ owner and pit boss Cameron Treu on X.

The momentum and excitement levels have only increased since the move became official in April. The work has continued, too. The Smith Entertainment Group transformed the Utah Olympic Oval ice sheet into an NHL-caliber temporary training facility while making plans to build a training facility in the Salt Lake City suburbs. Plans have been hatched to renovate the Delta Center into a multi-faceted arena that will provide excellent sightlines for basketball and hockey. The arena also created an NHL-quality locker room for the club this offseason while designing a brand.

Equally important, the youth movement that began in Arizona will carry on in Utah with exciting potential to blossom. That's no more evident than with the team's selection of Clayton Keller, 26, as the franchise's first captain. The center became the youngest captain in an inaugural season since Ron Chipperfield, then 25, captained the Edmonton Oilers in their NHL debut in 1979-80.

The youthful roster offers an exciting opportunity for Utah and its new hockey club to grow in the NHL together.

"We have a lot of young players, a lot of guys that took a lot of strides last season," said Keller, a four-time All-Star who led the team in scoring in Arizona the past three seasons. "I think our core group guys have done a great job in helping them take that next step. And I think as you grow as a team, every day you get better. We're a close group. We hang out a lot and are just super excited to go out on the ice and perform."

His elder teammate concurs.

"You just want to be a part of building something, and that's what they got here," said Bortuzzo, 35. "It seems like they got a ton of buy-in from all the guys. It'll be great to be a part of that and jump in and be a part of this cool thing that they've done ... and just be a part of that excitement."

Even before the first NHL puck dropped in Salt Lake City, the franchise's head coach, Andre Tourigny, complimented Utah for an "amazing, first class" welcome.

"It made us feel home already," he said. "We already want to fight for Utah. I'm blown away right now."

Forward Liam O'Brien complimented the Utah crowd during the preseason, saying, "I don't think I've ever had a crowd that loud in warm-ups."

The noise level became near-deafening when Keller won the Sept. 23 preseason game against the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 with an overtime goal.

"With Arizona, a lot of things were up in the air with the arena situation," Utah forward Lawson Crouse said. "It's clear we now have a home. We can move on from all those distractions and just go play hockey. And we're really looking forward to doing that."

Clearly, Utah is looking forward to them doing that in their home, too.

--Jody Genessy, Field Level Media