SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 04: Head coach Will Hardy of the Utah Jazz looks on during the first half of a game against the Washington Wizards at Delta Center on March 04, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Things are getting crowded in Salt Lake City, the sports capital of Utah. Alongside the Utah Jazz, a new hockey club, currently unnamed, will be joining this fall and winter. This expansion team will be using the assets of the now-defunct Arizona Cardinals. With this new competition for fans and the strain on wallets for those who want to attend both games, you might expect friction between the clubs.
Surprisingly, the two teams, both owned by Ryan Smith, seem to be getting along well. This was evident at a recent event at the Delta Center, where Jazz fans warmly welcomed the new hockey team.
Utah center Clayton Keller, formerly with the Coyotes and hailing from Missouri, was welcomed by Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen, along with Jordan Clarkson and head coach Will Hardy.
According to KSL, Markkanen, Clarkson, and Hardy sat near the unnamed team’s general manager Bill Armstrong and head coach André Tourigny. One memorable moment of the night came when the new team’s defenseman Juuso Valimaki introduced himself as a defenseman from Finland. Markkanen, also from Finland, stood up to cheer, welcoming his countryman to Utah.
Though it’s unlikely that Markkanen and Valimaki know each other personally, given that their hometowns are two hours apart by car (Vantaa for Markkanen and Nokia for Valimaki), it was a night of celebration for fans and the new teams.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how ticket sales for not only these two clubs, but other pro teams in Salt Lake City, fare, as this new NHL team is not only a major ticket but an expensive one. Hopefully, the city can support two major clubs.
