On Friday, April 18, 2024, Salt Lake City will welcome its newest addition to the city: an NHL team. The Delta Center ice will be hosting Ryan Smith, co-founder and chairman of Smith Entertainment Group, Ashley Smith, co-founder of Smith Entertainment Group, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to make the announcement. The arrival of the NHL in Utah is expected to have a positive impact on the downtown economy.
The news of a new National Hockey League team coming to town has caused excitement among Salt Lake City residents. The addition of hockey to the city means an increase in entertainment options for fans and could potentially bring in 500,000 to 600,000 customer days or visits downtown next year. Dee Brewer, the Executive Director of Salt Lake City Downtown Alliance expressed her excitement about this new venture. She mentioned that businesses are thrilled about the possibility of having more customers frequenting their establishments on game nights.
Brewer emphasized the significance of the Delta Center to the downtown economy by pointing out that a large percentage of the top visitation days downtown last year were associated with events at the arena. She mentioned that professional sports events, concerts, shows, and other forms of entertainment play a crucial role in driving business downtown. While the NHL may attract a different fanbase than the NBA’s Utah Jazz, there is optimism about the possibility of attracting a new influx of customers.
In addition to benefiting existing businesses, the NHL team’s arrival is expected to attract hospitality businesses to the area as well such as hotels bars and restaurants . Brewer highlighted
