Utah State Senator Dan McCay floats plans for “state-of-the-art” hockey stadium for NHL's next expansion team

Utah State Senator Dan McCay is making a bold push for the creation of a National Hockey League (NHL) team in Salt Lake City. In a resolution, McCay highlighted over 30 reasons why Utah deserves an NHL team, emphasizing the state's potential willingness to construct a "state-of-the-art" hockey stadium. He believes that Utah could be a sleeping giant in the world of hockey.

According to Peter Johnston of KSL NewsRadio, one key aspect of McCay's proposal is the possibility of utilizing the Delta Center, the home of the Utah Jazz, as an interim home for the potential hockey team. The Delta Center could follow the precedent of multi-sport arenas in other cities like Boston, where the TD Garden houses both basketball and hockey.

Salt Lake City leaders have been contemplating the addition of a hockey team since last summer, with earlier considerations involving the potential relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Utah. However, recent discussions have shifted towards the construction of a new professional ballpark, possibly indicative of a broader sports expansion in the region.

Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake, is a prominent figure pushing for the NHL team in Salt Lake City. Smith sees the thriving youth basketball scene in Utah as a catalyst for generating enthusiasm for hockey among younger generations. Drawing parallels with the success of the Junior Jazz in basketball, Smith envisions creating a similar movement with a junior hockey league.

Last week on ESPN, Smith mentioned,

“Imagine a world, Where you could actually create the movement with the junior hockey league, similar to what we’ve done with the [Junior] Jazz.”

Senator McCay underlined Utah's strong business reputation and sports infrastructure, citing events like the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2023 NBA All-Star Game hosted in the state. If the resolution is passed, it would express lawmakers' support for Ryan Smith's entertainment group to take charge of the potential new NHL franchise.

In a nod to the hit TV show "The Office," McCay cleverly incorporated a famous quote:

"You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take."

Smith Entertainment Group formally requested League expansion, aiming for a team in Salt Lake City next season. League Commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged discussions with SEG since 2002, stating:

".....Utah is a promising market, and we look forward to continuing our discussions."

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NHL's Utah expansion sparks controversy amidst Hockey Canada Scandal

The Hockey League faced criticism as news of a potential Utah expansion coincided with an update in the Hockey Canada scandal investigation. On Jan. 24, The Globe and Mail reported that five members of the 2018 Canada junior hockey team have been asked to surrender before police in London, Ontario. At least four of them are currently playing in the NHL, according to reports.

NHL analyst Jesse Marshall criticized the NHL's timing of the Utah expansion news, saying on X:

"The NHL releasing some dumb Utah expansion news in the wake of the Hockey Canada information breaking is about as translucent of a news cycle manipulation attempt as I've ever seen."