Smith Entertainment Group, which includes the NBA’s Utah Jazz, has embraced the challenge since the NHL launched the new franchise in Utah on April 18.

Utah acquired the hockey assets of the Arizona Coyotes franchise, which became inactive due to the arena situation. The team flew executives, coaches, players and staff to Salt Lake City for a tour and welcome event at Delta Center on April 24.

In just a few months, SEG completed initial renovations to Delta Center while making plans for more extensive renovations in the future, built a temporary practice facility while breaking ground on a permanent facility, designed inaugural uniforms while working on a permanent brand identity, and much more. much more.

“It was just all hands on deck, and I think it was pretty miraculous, like it was meant to be that way because of the way it was set up,” Ryan Smith said at the Zions Bank Basketball Campus, the Jazz practice facility.

Ashley Smith mentioned the people and culture at SEG.

“Things that might feel like chaos in another environment have felt fun and exciting,” she said. “The stress didn’t feel heavy. It was just exciting, and to see this whole team come together and do unnatural things and do hard things and then celebrate each other and strengthen each other, it was really cool from my seat.

SEG has added more than 800 people since April 18, including part-time employees. Utah has sold about 8,500 season ticket equivalents, even though Delta Center currently has 11,131 available hockey seats. When renovations are completed in two or three years, there will be about 17,000.

“I think with the way the arena is set up, we’re pretty pleased,” Ryan Smith said. “We’re actually quite overwhelmed by the response, to be honest.”

The Utah Hockey Club sold about $160,000 worth of merchandise during its first home game of the preseason, a 3-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings on September 23, even though the club has no jerseys for sale yet. It nearly broke the record for a jazz competition at Delta Center.

Chris Armstrong, president of Utah hockey operations, said the team is on track to be in the top 20 in ticket revenue and sponsorship revenue in the NHL.

Ryan Smith repeatedly emphasized that Utah is not a small market, even though the Salt Lake City metropolitan area has fewer than 1.3 million residents. He called it the fastest growing market and the youngest demographic in the United States.

“It will be very, very loud and very difficult to play here,” he said. “It will be a place where people come out. It will also be a place where players become extremely locked in, and they will have their best hockey years in Utah.”

The players can’t wait.

“Everyone’s so excited, man,” forward Lawson Crouse said. “I know I keep saying that, and it’s really repetitive, but we’re counting down the hours until tomorrow.”

Coach Andre Tourigny said Utah is flying people in for the opening game, including professional scouts who live and work elsewhere.

“It’s not every day that you experience an event for the first time in history,” he said. “It will be the first time in history that we have an NHL team here in Utah, a new franchise. It’s super exciting.”

Ryan Smith talked about all the firsts that are about to happen. Someone is going to make history on Tuesday. Many people are.

“This is a moment,” he said. “I hope everyone takes a selfie and sends it to someone.”