SANDY, Utah – On Monday morning, the Utah Hockey Club officially broke ground on their new team practice facility and front offices at the Shops at South Town.
With members from the Smith Entertainment Group, front office, staff and Sandy City all in attendance, construction for this future staple of the community is now underway.
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In addition to housing the Utah Hockey Club’s practice rinks and front offices, Club Governor Ryan Smith emphasized that this facility will also be open to the public to grow the sport of hockey in Utah.
According to the Utah Hockey Club, the new practice facility at South Town will be available to the public for certain opportunities such as open skates and youth hockey.
Incredible that the community will be able to utilize a world class facility. Hockey is just different 🏒
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) August 12, 2024
“This is a community moment. When our guys are off the ice, the community is going to be on the ice…our goal is, not only are we bringing the NHL to Utah but we’re truly building out this sport in Utah,” Smith said.
Smith anticipates that this facility will be a “Hero” on the east side of the valley which people will seek out in order to interact with the team and discover what the NHL is all about.
Sandy City Mayor Monica Zoltanski shared that the city has been working non-stop to get this development underway as fast as possible and that the community has already been incredibly receptive to this exciting new chapter.
“It really wasn’t that long ago that conversations started for what this sight could be and what the potential is for bringing hockey to Sandy. How perfectly situated the location is and how perfectly suited hockey is for Sandy,” Mayor Zoltanski said.
“We worked at warped speed. Our city team working behind the scenes. Our planners long range planning, so much has gone on in the growth of our city to be prepared to seize this moment,” She added.
Utilizing the old Macy’s structure on the south end, the front offices will be built there while a minimum of two rinks will be constructed off the back end onto what is now the southern parking lot.
Rendering of the new practice facility.
The Macy’s structure will remain and the ice will be built off the south end of it. pic.twitter.com/TbY07uSGsZ
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) August 12, 2024
According to Utah Hockey Club head coach Andre Tourigny, the facility will be world class and a critical part of the franchising taking the next step towards success.
“It’s unbelievable,” Tourigny told KSL Sports. “I think it will be a world class facility. Having that plus all the commitment from Utah and the Smith Entertainment Group shows how much we want to be a first-class organization.”
The new facility is scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2025-26 season.
Fans can watch the Utah Hockey Club’s home opener on October 8 against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. Click here for the full schedule.
