The Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, home of the Jazz. Photo courtesy of Delta
Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has put in his bid for an NHL expansion team.
The owner of Smith Entertainment Group, the parent company that controls ownership of the Utah Jazz NBA team, requested the initiation of the expansion process. They believe they possess the immediate ability to, in accordance with the NHL, bring a hockey team to the Beehive State.
“During conversations over the course of the past two years, we have been impressed by Ryan and Ashley Smith’s commitment to their community and their passion and vision for Utah, not only as a hockey market but as a preeminent sports and entertainment destination,” the NHL said in a statement. “Utah is a promising market, and we look forward to continuing our discussions.”
It is known that talks between Smith and the NHL have been ongoing since 2022. The news comes during a time where the NHL is already at 32 teams, which has been the unofficial maximum for North American sports teams up to this point. It’s also unknown where Salt Lake City ranks on the NHL’s list of potential future expansion cities. Larger markets like Houston and Atlanta exist and are ripe for potential.
Potential Relocation?
However, an NHL team which has been struggling with arena issues the past few years is the Arizona Coyotes. They currently play in the 5,000 seat Mullett Arena, which is far below NHL standards. They have been heavily rumored to relocate, but as recently as December 2023, commissioner Gary Bettman shot those rumors down.
“Nobody’s moving,” Bettman said. “We like where our franchises are…We’re getting a lot of solicitations of interest — places like Atlanta, Quebec City, Houston, Salt Lake City. It’s not something we’re focused on. We think the 32 teams we have now are in great places. We like where we are. [But] I can’t ever say ‘never’ to anything.”
“We know they’re not free,” Smith said of the expansion team cost. “We’ve gone through the purchasing process of two teams in the last 2 and a half years. So we have a pretty good idea of where things stack. That’s definitely part of our intention and commitment, and we don’t want to go through the process if we’re not serious about it. The stadium is another big part of it as well. To get our group around the table and have everyone say unanimously say, ‘We’re in,’ is pretty powerful.”
According to Smith, the NHL expansion team in Salt Lake City would have its own brand-new arena. This would be separate from the Jazz’ current Delta Center. It’s an interesting caveat as NBA and NHL teams often share arenas to alleviate costs. However, if the NHL sees Smith is willing to privately fund his own brand new arena, that could play massively in Utah’s favor.
