Deal To Bring Professional Hockey Team To Utah Reportedly Done

Following months of negotiations between a Utah billionaire and the National Hockey League, it's being reported that a deal to move a current team to Salt Lake City is all but done. The Delta Center will be the home of Utah's first professional hockey team as soon as the deal becomes finalized.

All signs that professional hockey is coming to Salt Lake City are reportedly a go, according to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith. Smith confirmed the rumors this week during an interview, according to the New York Post. The Phoenix Coyotes are being primed for the 660-mile move north, and are expected to begin playing at the start of the 2024-25 season which kicks off this October, according to reports.

Utah already has the Jazz pro basketball team, with an attendance that sells out most nights. The possibility of a team name change is very real before the new squad skates in its first game in Utah, which looks like that could be seven months from now.

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Being a massive hockey fan myself, I'm very excited for Utah. While hockey might not be the most supported sport in America, the game does seem to be steadily growing in popularity in the United States over the past few years.

Utah already has the Jazz pro basketball team, with an attendance that sells out most nights. The possibility of a team name change is very real before the new squad skates in its first game in Utah, which looks like that could be seven months from now.

The Coyotes are currently 35 and 41 (wins/losses) in the Central Division standings, which means they will finish this season in second to last place and will not qualify for the playoffs. The Coyotes' inaugural season in Arizona was 1996. The team has never won a Stanley Cup championship.