Apr 30, 2025 , 8:28 AM | Updated: 8:36 am
Delta Center prepares for NHL Hockey
COLE BAGLEY
SALT LAKE CITY – Delta Center renovations are officially underway as Smith Entertainment Group announced a fully detailed list of plans on Wednesday morning, outlining their intentions to maximize seating for both Utah Hockey Club and Utah Jazz games.
In case you were wondering what the Delta Center currently looks like… pic.twitter.com/ENxGyPrSv6
— UtahJamz (@UtahJamz) April 26, 2025
Centered around optimizing sightlines for future Utah Hockey Club games and increasing overall capacity, the Delta Center will undergo a multi-year transformation that will alter the geometry of the arena bowl.
SEG has commissioned a retractable seating system that accommodates roughly a 12-foot variance in elevation between rink and court endlines to offer optimal sightlines for both the NBA and NHL.
The new configuration will also increase seat capacity behind the goals, near the event tunnels on the north and south sides of the lower bowl and improves access to seating behind the boards.
Notably, every seat in the lower bowl is on track to have a complete view of the ice by the beginning of the 2025-26 season.
This will correct 1000 current seats from being obstructed while 400 new seats will be added.
“Adding an ice rink inside an existing basketball arena is an unthinkable feat given that an ice rink is nearly double the size of a basketball court. We are excited for the challenge as we kick off this never-before-done renovation project,” Ryan and Ashley Smith said.
“This transformation will create the most compelling, welcoming, and exciting experience for hockey fans, while also allowing us to maintain the steep vertical seating for basketball that has made Delta Center such a dynamic venue with its loud atmosphere that energizes our players night after night.”
Once completed, seating capacity for hockey will increase from 11,131 to approximately 17,000 with every seat in the upper and lower bowls having a full view of both goals.
After a historic season welcoming the NHL to Utah, Delta Center is about to be transformed into a fundamentally new dual-use arena.
The basketball experience will remain one of the loudest in the NBA with seats as close to the action as before, hockey fans will enjoy better… pic.twitter.com/Jod3OXFZkf
— Delta Center (@deltacenter) April 30, 2025
While the renovations are primarily centered around altering the arena and overall experience for hockey, basketball will incorporate a new riser system for the lower bowl.
The system will consist of 29 rows of retractable seats that extend over 28 feet from the Level 3 concourse down to the court behind each baseline.
This new design will allow Delta Center to maintain its steep slope and keep fans within close proximity to the court.
To make room for the new riser system and the installation of a new ice floor slab, SEG is lengthening the arena bowl by approximately 12 feet at each end and raising the floor by two feet.
Capacity for basketball will increase from 18,206 to nearly 19,000 seats.
In addition to the seating renovations, there will be new premium spaces available on Level 1, a 12 percent increase in restroom capacity and the installation of four new dehumidifiers to maintain pristine ice conditions.
SEG will also begin the construction of a 450-stall parking structure that will be completed later on.
Looking ahead, there are additional plans to add an east-facing main entrance and plaza; redesigning the existing plaza and concourses; and remodeling upper bowl seating to improve sightlines.
“By taking such significant steps to transform Delta Center into a world-class facility for both professional basketball and hockey, the Jazz and Utah’s NHL team will become anchors of downtown Salt Lake City for decades to come,” Ryan and Ashley Smith added.
“Fans will be further immersed in the game night experience both inside and outside the arena as we work to reimagine the downtown experience of Utah’s capital city. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for the 2025-26 seasons.”
The goal is to complete Delta Center Renovations over the next three summers.
Following the conclusion of the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season, the next notable event will be the NHL Draft on June 27 and 28.
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