Jazz and Utah NHL Club Plan Arena Expansion

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    The proprietors of Utah’s NHL hockey team and the NBA’s Jazz have embarked on an extensive renovation project for their arena located in downtown Salt Lake City. This renovation aims to enhance the venue’s capacity, allowing it to accommodate approximately 17,000 fans for hockey games and nearly 19,000 for basketball events.

    This ambitious plan was revealed by Smith Entertainment Group following a meeting held earlier in the week by the Salt Lake City Council. Officials conveyed that the first phase of renovations, slated for the upcoming summer, will include 1,400 additional seats for better full-ice views. This includes 1,000 entirely new seats and improvements to 400 existing seats that previously provided a limited view of the rink’s end during the team’s debut season in Salt Lake City.

    “We are going to witness a significant enhancement in the lower-bowl seating capacity for hockey in Year 1 post-renovations,” declared Jim Olson, the President of the Jazz, during a media video conference. To accommodate the new retractable seating system and lay down a new ice floor slab, the arena’s floor will be lifted by two feet, and the arena bowl will be extended by approximately 12 feet at both ends.

    Olson further explained, “When the Delta Center was initially constructed, it was intended solely for basketball. Introducing the dimensions of an ice rink with those existing sightlines doesn’t align geometrically, which led us to the riser-system solution and raising the floor by two feet. Our focus is on preserving the exceptional basketball experience while simultaneously fostering a great hockey atmosphere where every seat offers visibility of the entire ice.”

    The renovation project is projected to span over the next three summers for the facility, which first opened its doors in 1991. Following the acquisition of the Arizona Coyotes by Ryan and Ashley Smith and their relocation to Salt Lake City, the team temporarily bears the name Utah Hockey Club. It is anticipated to be officially titled before the next season. The team’s YouTube channel briefly displayed the name Utah Mammoth on Tuesday night, hinting at potential naming options.

    The shortlist of potential permanent names comprises Mammoth, Outlaws, and Utah Hockey Club. Mike Maughan from Smith Entertainment Group commented, “We are progressing in evaluating all three name contenders, as they were selected by our fans as finalists. Staying on course, we aim to reveal a permanent name and brand identity by the start of the ’25-26 NHL season, and we are eager to unveil this to our fans when the time is right.”