Utah sports mogul Ryan Smith submits bid to bring NHL to Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Ryan Smith – who has ownership in the Utah Jazz, Real Salt Lake, the Utah Royals and several other Utah-based sports and entertainment ventures – officially submitted a request to formally begin expansion talks with the National Hockey League to bring the league the Beehive State.

Smith has long wanted to bring another professional team to Utah. In March, reports from hockey insiders indicated that Smith had been meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

In its request, the Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) said Utah has the “immediate ability” to welcome a new NHL team to Utah, using Delta Center as an interim home arena for the franchise.

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“SEG envisions a near future where the NHL will thrive in Utah, and we are 100% focused on making this happen as soon as possible,” said Smith, who Chairs SEG and is governor for the Utah Jazz. “We are passionate about sports and entertainment in the state and are committed to providing premium sports and entertainment experiences for the people of Utah and visitors from around the world.”

SEG confirmed it has been in discussions with Bettman since early 2022 about why it believes Utah is the ideal market for an NHL franchise, though that decision is exclusively decided by the NHL Board of Governors.

Bettman reportedly told ESPN in September that expansion wasn’t currently a priority for the league. However, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly reported noted the success of the Las Vegas Knights and Seattle Kraken in 2017 and 2021, respectively. He said the league has an “open door” policy for expansion.

SEG said should Utah be awarded the franchise, the team would either join Jazz at Delta Center temporarily or begin play after the completion of a new hockey arena. A location for a potential new arena has not yet been decided.

On Wednesday, NHL said it appreciates the interest expressed by SEG in a statement and that the league has been impressed by Ryan and Ashley Smith’s commitment, passion and vision for Utah.

“Utah is a promising market, and we look forward to continuing our discussions,” said NHL officials.

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A new team wouldn’t be the first time the NHL has set foot in Salt Lake City. Since 2018, Delta Center has hosted five games as part of the LA Kings “Frozen Fury” preseason. The state also once had its own professional hockey team in the form of the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, who debuted in 1969 and played until 1994.

In 1995 the International Hockey League came to Utah when the Denver Grizzlies moved across the Rockies to become the Utah Grizzlies. Today, the Grizzlies are an affiliate of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.

“Utah has a long history with hockey, the strongest economy in the nation, a passionate sports fanbase, the youngest and most active population. These factors make Utah ripe for the expansion of our sports and entertainment community,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who has also advocated to bring Major League Baseball to Utah. “We couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to welcome the NHL.”

“All eyes are on Utah for the recent and rapid evolution of our sports landscape, especially with the Utah Royals back this spring and Salt Lake City’s Olympic bid underway. There is so much momentum happening at the state level around global sports and sports infrastructure,” said Smith. “While Delta Center is ready to serve as an interim solution for an NHL team, Utah will need a new arena designed for professional and Olympic hockey.”

Chair of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Olympic Games Fraser Bullock said Smith’s bid for NHL in Utah could not come at a better time. Bullock said a hockey team would help further cement Utah’s position as a premier destination for winter sports, which only helps further its Olympic bid for 2034.

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