The Utah Hockey Club is preparing an unforgettable evening to celebrate the opening game

Smith Entertainment Group, which includes the NBA's Utah Jazz, has taken on the challenge since the NHL launched the new franchise in Utah on April 18.

Utah acquired the hockey assets of the Arizona Coyotes franchise, which became inactive due to the arena situation. The team flew executives, coaches, players and staff to Salt Lake City on April 24 for a tour and welcome event at the Delta Center.

Within months, SEG completed initial renovations to the Delta Center while planning for more extensive renovations in the future, building a temporary practice facility while breaking ground on a permanent facility, designing inaugural uniforms while working on a permanent brand identity, and more. much more.

“It was just all hands on deck, and I think it was quite a miracle, as it kind of should be based on the way it's set up,” Ryan Smith said at the Zions Bank Basketball Campus, the jazz practice facility.

Ashley Smith praised the people and culture at SEG.

“Things that might feel like chaos in another environment felt fun and exciting,” she said. “The stress didn’t feel heavy. It was just exciting, and to see this whole team come together and do unnatural and hard things and then celebrate and strengthen each other, that was really cool from where I was sitting.”

SEG has hired more than 800 employees since April 18, including part-time employees. Utah has sold about 8,500 full-time ticket equivalents, although the Delta Center has 11,131 available hockey seats for now. When the renovations are completed in two to three years, there will be about 17,000.

“I think given the way the arena is set up, we’re pretty happy,” Ryan Smith said. “To be honest, we’ve been pretty overwhelmed by the response.”

The Utah Hockey Club sold about $160,000 worth of merchandise at its first preseason home game, a 3-2 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings on Sept. 23, although it does not yet have any jerseys for sale . It nearly broke the record for a Jazz game at the Delta Center.

Chris Armstrong, president of Utah hockey operations, said the team is on track to be among the top 20 in ticket revenue and sponsorship revenue in the NHL.

Ryan Smith repeatedly emphasized that Utah is not a small market, even though fewer than 1.3 million people live in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. He called it the fastest-growing market and youngest demographic in the United States.

“It will be very, very loud and very difficult to play,” he said. “It will be a place for people to come out. It will also be a place where players will be extremely engaged and experience their best years as hockey players in Utah.”

The players can't wait.

“Everyone is just so excited, man,” forward Lawson Crouse said. “I know I keep saying this and it's really monotonous, but we're counting down the hours until tomorrow.”

Coach Andre Tourigny said Utah will fly people in for the opening game, including pro scouts who live and work elsewhere.

“You can’t experience the first time in history every day,” he said. “It will be the first time in history that we have an NHL team, a new franchise, here in Utah. It’s super exciting.”

Ryan Smith talked about all the upcoming innovations. Someone will make history on Tuesday. Many people are.

“This is a moment,” he said. “I hope everyone takes a selfie and sends it to someone.”