Salt Lake once hosted a hugely popular and highly successful hockey franchise. But that was decades ago, long before Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith pulled off an ambitious gambit to bring an NHL team to town. Tens of thousands of hopeful fans have lined up for season tickets and yet it remains to be seen if professional hockey in Utah will enjoy the same success it’s in Nevada and Colorado. We’ll talk about how we got the team, what it means for the economy and the collective identity of this place — and whether fans, some who know nothing about hockey, will pay to watch a game.
GUESTS –
- Dave Soutter | Worked for the Sale Lake Golden Eagles and the Utah Grizzlies and was a scorekeeper for ice hockey during the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics.
- Ian Mendes | Senior writer who covers the NHL for The Athletic
- Dennis Romboy | Editor and reporter for the Utah InDepth team at the Deseret News.