[News] Utah Jazz owners formally ask NHL to begin expansion process to bring a team to Utah

[Beninho]

Gross, how many more teams do they want? Another expansion draft and another team in the West? At this rate there will be 40 teams before 2040.

Move one of the multiple teams that are on life support

[MRCboicgy]

Originally Posted by Locke

I didnt think they tolerated that.

Fun fact, I was best man / MC at an LDS wedding like 20 years ago in High River (reception & public ring ceremony) and I hear that the relatives still talk about it when they all get together.

Being a little scandalous never hurt anyone.

[getbak]

https://www.slcdunk.com/utah-jazz-hi...-in-draper-nhl

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.co...ke-city-rumors


The Jazz owner is playing the same game a lot of team owners are doing now, pitting different local/county governments against each other to get the best deal for a dream "entertainment district", no matter how far away from the main city it may be.

Point of the Mountain is almost 40km south of the Delta Center. That's about the same distance as the Saddledome to Okotoks.



I was in Atlanta a few months ago and went to a Braves game at their new stadium, which was built as the centerpiece of an entertainment district. It's about 20km from downtown Atlanta and it was a pain in the ass to get to. I also wonder how busy the district is during the 250+ days a year when the Braves aren't playing there because there's really nothing else to draw people there and I'm sure prices are stadium sized whether there's a ballgame on or not.


For SLC, the Delta Center isn't big enough to be a permanent NHL arena, so they'll need something bigger if they get a team. The extra 45+ events a year will also help pull people into the entertainment district.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by getbak

https://www.slcdunk.com/utah-jazz-hi...-in-draper-nhl

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.co...ke-city-rumors


The Jazz owner is playing the same game a lot of team owners are doing now, pitting different local/county governments against each other to get the best deal for a dream "entertainment district", no matter how far away from the main city it may be.

Point of the Mountain is almost 40km south of the Delta Center. That's about the same distance as the Saddledome to Okotoks.



I was in Atlanta a few months ago and went to a Braves game at their new stadium, which was built as the centerpiece of an entertainment district. It's about 20km from downtown Atlanta and it was a pain in the ass to get to. I also wonder how busy the district is during the 250+ days a year when the Braves aren't playing there because there's really nothing else to draw people there and I'm sure prices are stadium sized whether there's a ballgame on or not.


For SLC, the Delta Center isn't big enough to be a permanent NHL arena, so they'll need something bigger if they get a team. The extra 45+ events a year will also help pull people into the entertainment district.

I'm no Atlanta expert but I know it's a lot bigger than SLC. The Braves stadium is in Cumberland which is about 10 miles from downtown and a popular area. In super big US cities it's not unusual to see the MLB and NFL stadiums (not arenas necessarily) outside of the downtown core.

But to your point, I don't see that working for hockey or basketball, especially in a smaller city like SLC. You need to be central to everybody.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by getbak

The Latter Day Skates

Skate Salt Lake.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

They should call them the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Got a great ring to it and really encapsulates the history of the LDS church. Minus all the misogyny, racism, sexism, child abuse. But I’m sure thy could find a way to have special themed nights for those.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Utah Velocipastors.

[Reggie Dunlop]

The Choirboys

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I'm no Atlanta expert but I know it's a lot bigger than SLC. The Braves stadium is in Cumberland which is about 10 miles from downtown and a popular area. In super big US cities it's not unusual to see the MLB and NFL stadiums (not arenas necessarily) outside of the downtown core.

But to your point, I don't see that working for hockey or basketball, especially in a smaller city like SLC. You need to be central to everybody.

Atlanta will get another shot at some point, either through expansion or relocation. The media market is too big to not try again and there is a lot of money in that city. I believe when the Thrashers failed, it was one of the big reasons that the NHL stepped up their diversity marketing. I know appealing to a more diverse audience is good just for the sake of it, but for markets like Atlanta, and probably Houston, it makes a huge difference if you can appeal to communities that haven't, on a large scale, embraced hockey yet given the demographics there.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Atlanta will get another shot at some point, either through expansion or relocation. The media market is too big to not try again and there is a lot of money in that city. I believe when the Thrashers failed, it was one of the big reasons that the NHL stepped up their diversity marketing. I know appealing to a more diverse audience is good just for the sake of it, but for markets like Atlanta, and probably Houston, it makes a huge difference if you can appeal to communities that haven't, on a large scale, embraced hockey yet given the demographics there.

The irony is, they also want to build the new hockey arena in the suburbs where the surrounding area is much less diverse.

[Ped]

Yeah the NHL wants diversity but only if that diversity can pay to go to the games.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Beninho

Gross, how many more teams do they want? Another expansion draft and another team in the West? At this rate there will be 40 teams before 2040.

Move one of the multiple teams that are on life support

At $2B per? I would say A LOT!!

[Strange Brew]

I'm not convinced diversity means much to the NHL. I'm sure they would like to broaden their appeal for commercial reasons but I don't think they see a huge payoff.

Utah sure fits from a lack of diversity perspective.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Tucson Roadrunners announced today that they will remain based in Tucson for next season.

There had been some talk of the AHL team moving to Phoenix and playing out the Mullett Arena.

The Tucson Roadrunners have announced that the team will play at least 30 of its 36 regular-season home games during the 2024-25 American Hockey League season at the Tucson Convention Center Arena in downtown Tucson, and that Tucson will remain the home market for the AHL club for the foreseeable future.

https://theahl.com/roadrunners-to-co...ng-tucson-home

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Tucson Roadrunners announced today that they will remain based in Tucson for next season.

There had been some talk of the AHL team moving to Phoenix and playing out the Mullett Arena.





https://theahl.com/roadrunners-to-co...ng-tucson-home

I’m not watching Utah’s prospects

[Titan2]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I'm not convinced diversity means much to the NHL. I'm sure they would like to broaden their appeal for commercial reasons but I don't think they see a huge payoff.

Utah sure fits from a lack of diversity perspective.

Don't think of it as diversity. Think of it as previously untapped market potential. With that perspective it makes a lot more sense.

[FlamesAddiction]

Apparently Ryan Smith was on the radio and said they think they have it narrowed down to four names. He didn't say what all four were but mentioned Mammoth and Yeti as popular choices so far.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Jordan!

I’m not watching Utah’s prospects

That's all you guys deserve down there...

[Toonage]

^^ McAfee show, but yeah. Could be a swerve and they name it something off the list but I'm thinking it will be one of those 2.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Titan2

Don't think of it as diversity. Think of it as previously untapped market potential. With that perspective it makes a lot more sense.

You don’t have to convince me. It’s the NHL that needs convincing. They had zero interest in participating in the last two Olympics situated in huge untapped markets. It will require patience and long term thinking.