• Loading stock data...
Monday, October 27, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Salt Lake City’s Rising Status: New NHL Team, Olympics Likely Next

  • A formal visit by former Coyotes players and coaches draws a capacity Delta Center crowd.
  • Salt Lake is all but guaranteed to be the 2034 Olympics host city.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Salt Lake City’s ascendancy as a top-tier sports market is receiving further boosts spanning pro and Olympic sports.

As scheduled, players and coaches from the NHL franchise newly relocated there from Arizona made their first formal visit to the Delta Center to see their new home. Far from a simple meet-and-greet with team owner Ryan Smith (above, left), the event featured a free fan celebration at the arena, attended by more than 12,000, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, with some fans turned away as capacity was reached. Those team members were also greeted at the airport by about 100 players from local youth hockey programs.

The event was part of an ongoing effort by Smith and the NHL to further establish the franchise in its new locale. Already, more than 29,000 season-ticket deposits have been received, and Smith has indicated a bracket-style fan contest is being developed to select the team name. An anonymous applicant, rumored to be connected to Smith, has filed trademark applications for Mammoth, Ice, Yetis, Venom, Fury, Blizzard, Outlaws, Utah Hockey Club, and Utah HC. 

“My first impression when I walk in the building is being sad to think I have to wait four, five months to get back,” said coach André Tourigny. 

Olympic Push

Salt Lake City’s efforts to regain the Olympics, meanwhile, have moved further ahead as after being named last fall as the preferred bidder for the 2034 Games, the city is now all but guaranteed to get the event as no other city is bidding. And as the IOC has openly mused for more than a year about creating a more standardized rotation of Olympics hosts, in part a response to sustainability and climate change, Salt Lake could ultimately become an even more regular site for the Games. 

“We are in an environment here where we look for opportunities more than concerns,” Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi said earlier this month at a site visit to Salt Lake. “For the next 10 years, we’re not so much looking at what is challenging, but what are the opportunities to work together.”

The city also hosted the 2002 Olympics, and, while the bid to win that event became mired in a bribery and fraud scandal, the locale still won praise for its facilities and compact event layout. 

The sports development in Utah is intertwined with broader growth trends in the state. Utah led the 2020 U.S. Census in population growth, with an 18.4% spike between ’10 and ’20 to nearly 3.28 million—more than double the national rate. More recently, a local technology boom and lower costs in Salt Lake City relative to many other major U.S. cities have helped position the market as a high-growth area akin to Austin or Raleigh.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Raptors, Leafs Shift Games to Make Way for Blue Jays’ World Series..

The Maple Leafs and Raptors adjust game times during the World Series.

As the NFL, NBA, and NHL Go Global, The Masters Is Looking..

The tournament’s chairman touted new qualification measures.
Oct 15, 2022; Elmont, New York, USA; An exterior view of UBS Arena before a game between the New York Islanders

NHL Cancels Olympic Send-Off, Gives Islanders 2027 All-Star Game

Players will head to the 2026 Olympics without a mid-season NHL event.
Tom Dundon
exclusive

Sale of Trail Blazers to Tom Dundon Will Take Multiple Years to..

Dundon is buying the team at a $4.25 billion valuation.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
Joey Bosa

Joey Bosa’s L.A. Home for Sale for $3.7 Million

The Bills defensive end purchased the home last July.
October 16, 2025

Steelers’ Shared Stadium With Pitt Comes Under Fire for Bad Turf

The conditions at Acrisure Stadium have been subpar this season.
October 21, 2025

Jazz to Get New Training Facility on Same Campus As Mammoth

The company is developing a sports campus in Sandy, Utah.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

Fans can now follow their favorite golfers and experience every marquee moment at the Ryder Cup — thanks to innovation from T-Mobile.
October 15, 2025

Bears Hit Another Speed Bump for New $5B Stadium in Suburbs

A new state bill would impose several conditions on the NFL team.
October 13, 2025

Browns, Cleveland Reach $100M Deal to Clear Team’s Move to Suburbs

The surprise truce includes financial payments and the dismissal of lawsuits.
Nov 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of a Cleveland Browns helmet on a time out against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome.
October 7, 2025

Cleveland Takes New Shot at Blocking Browns’ $2.4B Stadium

A new lawsuit challenges a permit for the NFL team’s planned stadium.
October 7, 2025

Rays Owner Eyes New ‘Forever Home’ Like Atlanta’s Battery

The club’s new owners target a new ballpark opening in 2029.