SALT LAKE CITY, UT - AUGUST 23: Skaters skates in the women's 1500m second race finals at the Short Track US Single Distance Championships on August 23, 2013 at the Olympic Oval in Kearns, Utah. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)
(Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Hockey Club announced they would make a large investment in Utah’s Olympic Oval and use the rink as a practice facility for the 2024-25 season.
Smith Entertainment Group and the Utah Hockey Club will invest several million dollars in the Oval for renovations to develop the rinks in Kearns, Utah into a practice facility.
After the inaugural season, the team will practice at their brand-new facility in Sandy, Utah which was announced earlier this year.
The renovations to convert one of the ice sheets to NHL size and add an NHL-standard locker room are currently underway. They will also add offices for the coaches and staff. According to SEG, the improvements will create lasting benefits for youth hockey players and Olympic athletes for years to come.
The ink is dry! We’ve officially closed on an NHL franchise 📝
Join us on this journey 🏒#UtahHC pic.twitter.com/llDiLsuZ0S
— Utah Hockey Club (@utahhockeyclub) June 13, 2024
“We are thrilled to partner with the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation so our players and staff have a world-class practice facility at the Olympic Oval facility for our first season,” said Chris Armstrong, president of hockey operations for Utah Hockey Club. “This partnership not only allows us to establish a strong foundation for our new franchise but also showcases our commitment to supporting the local hockey community and fostering the growth and success of winter sports in Utah.”
Earlier this year, SEG announced it had placed The Shops at South Town in Sandy “under contract” to be the site of Utah’s permanent NHL practice facility.
The practice facility is slated for completion before the 2025-26 NHL season.
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“SEG’s plans include building a state-of-the-art NHL practice and training facility on the 111 acre site at The Shops at South Town. SEG will release more details about construction plans and the facility’s layout and configuration at a later date,” Smith Entertainment Group shared in a statement. “The practice facility will include a minimum of two NHL-regulation ice surfaces for the team, as well as a best-in-class locker room, training, recovery and medical spaces, and a commercial kitchen. The building will also serve as the team’s official offices.”
In order to create a “state-of-the-art” facility, SEG will look at what has been done with recent expansion franchises like the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken.
“SEG will be looking at some of the newest, facilities around, like Vegas and Seattle, and implementing the best practices into their new facility,” according to KSL Sports’ Jay Stevens who spoke with a source close to the situation. “I also wouldn’t say that having a smaller three-on-three rink is out of the picture for this facility.”
In addition to serving as the practice facility for Utah’s NHL team, the complex “will also serve as a home to community hockey programming with ice time available for youth and amateur hockey and recreation programs.”
