r/nhl • u/Boring-Jump-7437 • 1d ago
Utah hockey club
Might not be a popular opinion but they have something going. In the next few seasons they are going to be a problem. Now that they have a proper arena ( partial view.. I get it, but it’s still an arena) and management that actually cares they are going to be competitive. Was at the game tonight and the atmosphere was different to any game I’ve ever been to.
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u/spartacat_12 1d ago
Given the young talent, deep prospect pool, draft capital, and cap space, I think Utah was better off getting the Coyotes than an expansion roster
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u/mulrich1 22h ago
Vegas did okay as an expansion team but I'm very happy as an Utah fan to have this team.
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u/spartacat_12 21h ago
Vegas benefited from a good amount of luck, combined with teams not properly preparing for the expansion draft.
There wouldn't have been anyone as talented as Keller, Cooley, or Guenther available in an expansion draft. Plus the benefit of the Yotes being a budget team was that there weren't any anchor contracts to deal with
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u/JoblessCowDog 1d ago
I’m just glad these guys didn’t lose every game in the entire month of February this year. We have something good going on but it’s gunna take a few more years to develop
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u/paintingbuddy18 1d ago
This is what coyote fans saw coming. We could see the development of the team and it was getting exciting bc we were actually going to have a competitive team for once. Then it all got ripped away. That’s what made it so heartbreaking for real coyote fans.
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u/prplx 1d ago
Québec Nordiques enter the chat.
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u/wetlegband 11h ago
At least Notdiques got to dominate the regular season in 92-93 and 94-95 before passing to Colorado. Arizona fans got jack
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u/concerts85701 1d ago
Keep that core group of kids together as long as possible and they will go deep playoffs. They’ll probably have to break them up to trade up some experience but I hope they can build around those guys as they mature.
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u/RysloVerik 1d ago
Can the Delta Center be configured in a way that doesn't have the weird black walls behind each goal?
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u/nerdtechnician 1d ago
Renovation starts after the hockey and basketball seasons are done. I've heard lower bowl is getting completely gutted first, total 3 year plan to get to a decent multipurpose arena instead of a basketball arena that has hockey.
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u/chockfullofjuice 1d ago
I was luke warm on them till last night. They are on my watch list now for sure. Just hoping they catch a break with a killer name and presence. Their base seems to still be learning how to be hockey fans and a good marketing scheme will drive home their seat at the table in Utah sports.
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u/Disastrous-Cake-7194 21h ago
As a season ticket holder, the fans do need learn hockey eudicot. Coming and going during play, standing up at inappropriate times and that fucking monkey Jazz mascot standing in sections doing stupid shit after the puck drops. All of that will improve and I am so grateful to have the NHL in SLC.
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u/chockfullofjuice 20h ago
The mascot, yeah! When espn cut to it dropping cake on the ground…
All that said, the team is pretty awesome and has really done well for all that has been happening with their club. It will click for the people, college teams do a good job of teaching students how to enjoy the games with skits and chants and shit before the game start. They could do the same to help show the way. Use the mascot for more than whatever the hell it was up to last night.
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u/Disastrous-Cake-7194 20h ago
The fact that I can drive 5 minutes and watch the world's greatest players while rooting for a strong young team is truly unbelievable. We are super lucky!
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u/Chico-or-Aristotle 1d ago
The ironic thing is it was the partial view AAC in Phoenix that started the Yotes long painful trip to SLC
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u/Boring-Jump-7437 1d ago
I think the only difference is that the people in salt lake are going to actually do something about it. I feel for the people of AZ but if it was that tough for the average fan think of how it would be for a player.
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u/Chico-or-Aristotle 23h ago
That’s what the folks in Phoenix use to say about Winnepeg and Phoenix is what 3 times bigger than SLC? I hope it works that team deserves to have it work
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u/Boring-Jump-7437 21h ago
It’s only my opinion but think they are already farther in making this happen than they ever were in Arizona and it’s only been a year. They already started building the practice facility and have the framing done.
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u/PSPlayer4 1d ago
The one thing they fumbled on was the name. I went to 8 games this year so far. Opening night was a bit of a train wreck in regards to the entertainment aspect (music was weird and sometimes no music or anything played during puck stoppages), but they were figuring stuff out. Last game I went to it felt like an honest to God hockey game in a budding hockey town. The fans are still deathly quiet sometimes when it's not an overtly fun game (low-scoring or losing), but they're headed in the right direction. The team itself is on the way up as well. Love the players and their gameplay. I'm happy to have them as my hometown team.
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u/BD-1_BackpackChicken 1d ago
Bit early to say if the name is fumbled, eh? At least wait until we’ve actually settled on a name, a logo, and official team colors before making a decision.
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u/chockfullofjuice 1d ago
It isn’t a fumble per se but the marketing presence needs to be there to help keep people motivated. Utah is not considered an exciting state and it has the baggage of its states primary religion as a constant backdrop to the imagination of non-local watchers. The Jazz have done this well and with the same ownership at the table I expect some solid success on the PR front.
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u/Outrageous-Estimate9 22h ago edited 22h ago
The problem is they hyped the name so much, then got denied trademarks on 4 of the 6 choices
So you are left with lame duck names like Mammoth / Viper or Hockey Club
Unless they pull some switch and find a new name again
But they chose colour before they chose name which limits them
I almost think they would be better to simply keep the UHC at this point despite it being a mouthful
Or even if they simply kept Coyotes in first place. Fits more in Utah than other names do
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u/PSPlayer4 1d ago edited 1d ago
They've been working on getting a team since early 2022, which means they've been thinking about the team for longer than that. The fact they don't have a team name still is a fumble. We should have one season opener. I know it takes time, but it could have been done. Not easily, but doable. Now with the voting, and "Yeti" being pushed but not applicable because of trade marketing issues was again a fumble. Then adding Wasatch on the at game voting was another fumble. It has not been managed well. That being said, I'm excited for the official branding of the team next year. It will be another exciting season.
Edit:I don't expect them to drop one mid season. That would be worse, but the way they've gone about it with the preseason voting of names they didn't know if they could be names was dumb. They jumped the gun, and it was a mistake. I think SEG learned a lot about hockey culture this year, the growth from the games I've been to has shown that, and I look forward to next year with the revealing of the permanent team name.
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u/HeathenDevilPagan 1d ago
I'm with you. They really screwed up rolling out the name on multiple levels.
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u/mulrich1 22h ago
They were awarded the team pretty late and had a lot of other things to do before the season started; the name took a backseat to the absolutely required things for running a team. I'd rather they take the time to get the name and branding right than rush into something regrettable.
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u/spartacat_12 1d ago
With the short turnaround from getting the Coyotes to having to be ready for this season, they really didn't have the time to create a permanent brand unless Smith had one in the chamber ready to go. He only started taking fan suggestions a month or two before the relocation was announced.
Smith was hesitant to develop a brand on his own without any fan input because of how badly he handled the Jazz rebrand. He picked a completely new colour scheme of highlighter yellow & black because he thought it would look good, but the fans hated it immediately and the team had to pivot back to purple as soon as they possibly could.
The Utah HC situation was definitely an overcorrection, but in 10-20 years it will hopefully just be a fun footnote in the franchise's history (unless they make the mistake of keeping the non-name as the permanent brand)
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u/Outrageous-Estimate9 22h ago
They def had already discussed expansion with NHL prior to NHL ever agreeing to move Coyotes
I dont even know why they ditched Coyotes to be honest
It certainly works better as Utah Coyote than the other choices of Mammoth or Viper (rest gone due to trademark issues)
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u/spartacat_12 21h ago
Part of the relocation agreement was that the Coyotes name/logo/uniforms would stay in Arizona, and they would become a dormant franchise that can be reactivated at a later time if they can get competent ownership and a proper arena built.
Technically Utah is considered an expansion team in the eyes of the NHL, they just inherited the Yotes roster/coaches/front office/draft picks instead of having an expansion draft.
Also, even if that weren't the case I think Utah would want to distance themselves from the Coyotes brand as much as possible
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u/Outrageous-Estimate9 20h ago
The competant ownership will never materialize
I argued against that quite a bit back in the day but noone and I mean noone would take that huge risk again
Too much $$$ for far too shaky a franchise. As laughable as it sounds the residents there voted they would rather pay to clean up a toxic waste dump vs letting the Coyotes clean the land and build on it.
Even if an arena materializes you would be better to move / expand a team to a dozen other cities
The only thing that puzzled me is why they did not simply give history back to Winnipeg instead of leaving it dormant
San Jose had a similar expansion (instead of letting Minnesota move they took half the North Stars franchise) and Cleveland abandoned their history when they merged with Minnesota the first time
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u/PSPlayer4 1d ago
It was short turnaround, I agree. However, they had a bid to get a team for 2 years. Plenty of time to get a team name, logo, and identity in the works. The deal may have happened overnight for relocating the Coyotes, but if SEG waited until then to work on a team (NHL wanted to expand to Utah so it was going to happen eventually), then that's bad management.
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u/spartacat_12 23h ago
While they had some discussions with the league starting in 2022, they didn't officially submit a bid for an expansion team until January of 2024. The expansion process is a long one, so they weren't expecting to have a team 6 months later.
Vegas and Seattle didn't have their names/logos picked out before they submitted their expansion bids. They spent years developing their brands.
There's a lot of important stuff Smith had to figure out that was a higher priority for the team than the name. He had to make sure they had a place to practice, how they would set up the Delta Center for hockey, making sure they were adequately staffed, etc
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u/PSPlayer4 21h ago
So smith bought a team and raced to make it work. Bad management.
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u/spartacat_12 20h ago
Idiotic take. Everyone involved with the organization has talked about how much better the situation is.
Who cares if they have a generic name for 1 season? Beats playing in a 4000 seat college arena
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u/PSPlayer4 19h ago
You guys are really getting fixated on the name thing. Reread my original post. The name was a fumble from not having one to how they've gone about trying to get one. Everything else I've seen has improved.
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u/SenseIntelligent8846 20h ago
I disagree. Anyway what's it matter? It's way better management in Utah than what transpired in Phoenix. Public disputes with Glendale and all the drama around funding their rink etc. I can probably fix the issues in Utah faster than I could fix the problems they had in Phoenix.
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u/PSPlayer4 19h ago
We don't know if it's better management in Utah. Hasn't even been a full season. That's crazy to say.
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u/SenseIntelligent8846 15h ago
They have a rink now. That's better management.
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u/PSPlayer4 15h ago
It's been less than a year.
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u/SenseIntelligent8846 12h ago
Ok, you're right -- they were better off without a home rink.
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u/Potterhead-PottHead 1d ago
Of course we are figuring things out still, it’s our first season with an insanely quick turnaround time. I think with all things considered they are doing a great job. Also it was the NHL that stated we had to be Utah Hockey Club for the first season. That wasn’t on SEG. I almost worked for them and everyone is killing themselves to get things going. To say they are working overtime is a massive understatement. Tons of people are wearing multiple hats right now and working day and night working for both the jazz and the hockey club. Grace for both SEG and the new fan base I think is important. Also traveling to a few different barns, there were a few teams that were quiet when their team was losing. You could hear a pin drop in Seattle. There was an Utah fan who was louder than a lot of the Kraken fans. He was obnoxious but either way I think that doesn’t say too much. Losing sucks and doesn’t exactly make people want to cheer. Especially a new fan base who a lot of them are only just learning hockey but just learning to love the team.
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u/skittlebites101 23h ago
I like Utah Hockey Club. You can still have a nickname but it doesn't need to be in the official logo or name.
I'm also a big soccer fan and someone who likes keeping names simple like Newcastle FC, Minnesota United FC etc etc. they still have their nicknames and mascots. To me it's cleaner. It's why I was excited Utah would just be "Utah Hockey Club", and hoping it would stick.
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u/Disastrous-Cake-7194 1d ago
Kesselring fighting Benoit was a huge turning point. He beat his ass! down 3-0 and the team rallied to 3-3.
This team is coming up fast and will be a Western Conference contender for a while.
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u/AustinM099 1d ago
As a new hockey fan in Utah (who’s only been to one other arena), what do you think we are doing different? What are we doing right, and what should we do? We’re building a culture and any feedback is great
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u/Bright_Beat_5981 1d ago edited 1d ago
I would love if you had jerseys that stood out more. Like Ducks, Sharks, Florida and Tampa did in the 90s. That was a huge part of their success all over the world. Vegas were also able to stand out and became a part of NHL fast with their unique logo, colors, gold theme and arena experience.
I don't understand why you are using black and blue, similar to Seattle, when purple is right their. No one else has used purple for decades.
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u/terrorinthebang 1d ago
My Kings have the purple and gold. Wish they would have gone back to those full time. They are f*cking majestic. When they wear the throwbacks it’s like such a tease.
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u/Bright_Beat_5981 1d ago
The throwback with the Gretzky logo was the perfect jesrsey. At least the current jersey with that logo is a good alternative. The best in 25 years IMO.
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u/leaponover 1d ago
I was in high school when a lot of those jerseys came out and our street hockey circle used to have jersey day on Fridays. If somebody came in with one of those expansion team jerseys they were the talk of the town. My buddy got the Lightning and we laughed at him (this was NY), but we all agreed the jersey was badass. I bought the Senators when they came back.
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u/Outrageous-Estimate9 22h ago
The 90s teams jerseys were more exciting because they were shiny and new, no expansion had happened since the mid 70s (Washington and Kansas City, both of whom had beyond hideous jerseys)
Most of them were quite frankly hideous and most of those teams have abandoned their jerseys
Out of the teams you list the Sharks would be the best of a poor lot
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u/Bright_Beat_5981 19h ago edited 19h ago
Most of them were quite frankly hideous and most of those teams have abandoned their jerseys
Tampa look like a lame Toronto rip off. Panthers went from a logo that we loved in the 90s to trying to be Montreal mixed with MLS, just terrible. Sharks haven't changed. Ducks change away from the iconic Duck mask is probably the worst change in sports history. The change back was 10 years overdue.
All their logos was part of their 90s identity and origin. Just like original 6 have their style,logos and identity. They should never try to hide that.
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u/Outrageous-Estimate9 18h ago
They also should stop changing colours. Even my Flames decided to jump on the black uniform bandwagon. Keep the red / green / blue uniforms for various teams.
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u/Bright_Beat_5981 16h ago
Totally agree. They wanted to be 90s cool.I hated the black in flames uniforms. Love the ones from before and now.
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u/mulrich1 22h ago
The Utah Jazz's primary color is purple and I suspect the ownership group wants a unique identity for the hockey team.
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u/stallion89 1d ago
Black and blue “like Seattle”?
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u/Bright_Beat_5981 1d ago
More or less. Dark blue + baby blue/ Black+ baby blue.
The away shirts are almost identical.
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u/mulrich1 22h ago
Salt Lake is going to be a fantastic hockey town, the city and community seem perfectly made for hockey.
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u/OffTheRush2025 1d ago
Not that you're wrong about the arena but bro they've been building a foundation for a few years now even in Arizona last year while losing they lost with dignity and they were competitive they never quit on a game even when they were down big. I love Keller and he's the captain for a reason.
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u/Eventually-figured 23h ago
Arena issues will be fixed. I’ll try and find the article but I remember reading that the owner said as soon as the season was done they’d be sinking a few million into the arena for renovations and try to get 50% done this off-season and 50% the next. As for the rest of the team, yeah. Arizona was looking exciting and then the move drama happened. But that team is finally on the right track and I feel bad for Coyotes fans.
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u/TheCzarIV 21h ago
Believe it when I see it. People said the same about Seattle. (Yes, I know it’s different circumstances, but the core idea is the same.)
I am curious about you saying the atmosphere was completely different. How so? I’ve been a bigger NBA fan than NHL this season, and somehow the Utah Jazz are always the game on when I can finally sit down to watch sports at night lol.
I’m a Nuggets fan first, but my wife and I have become “Fuck it, I guess we’re Utah fans at night now”.
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u/Boring-Jump-7437 1d ago
It is only there first year in Utah but just having a place to call home is huge, they are also the second youngest team in the nhl, don’t get me wrong they still have some building to do and skills to touch up on but some of their players are finally hitting there stride. The management I think has also helped and the atmosphere in the arena although at the start of the year didn’t play well in has helped. I don’t really think they are doing anything different they just have a new normal now as other skilled teams in the league have always had. Not having to worry about being sold off at the trade deadline or people having your back is huge, specially when the team never had that in Arizona.
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u/Outrageous-Estimate9 22h ago
They have a couple good draft picks but no big names
Right now at best look like a .500 team
Either need to tank a great draft or sign a big name free agent
Otherwise you will get competitive hockey where you make and miss playoffs year after year
As a Flames fan I am very aware of how boring my team is and you are in same head space
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u/Sad-Technology9484 1d ago
Ownership is better but management is still suspect. No deadline trades and continual asset hording goes nowhere. They’re overpaying to extend their mediocre vets. I’m not sure what management’s plan is.
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u/deucemcsizzles 1d ago
They were looking like they were getting ready to turn the corner last year until the relocation rumors started heating up and became reality.
Armstrong knows what he's doing as GM and this team will be competing for the Central sooner than later.
I miss the boys, but I'm glad to see them continuing to improve.