It’s always fun to see what NHL players think of new markets when new teams enter the league. When the Vegas Golden Knights came into the league in 2017, it was the first new market since 2011. Most people expected NHLers to love the new city because of the weather and the number of things you can do on the Las Vegas Strip.
When the Arizona Coyotes relocated to Utah, no one knew what NHLers would think of the city. Just a season into their move to Salt Lake City, it seems like the new arena and location are a success. Here’s what some of the biggest stars in the league said to The Hockey Writers about the NHL’s newest market.
Utah defenseman Sean Durzi’s favorite things about living in Salt Lake City is the mountains. There are beautiful views of the mountains on the way to the Delta Center and practice facility the Olympic Oval, but visiting teams have nice views of the Wasatch mountain range from their hotel rooms as well. Anders Lee, captain of the New York Islanders, enjoyed the view after arriving on a late-night flight.
“We came in late at night from Vegas,” Lee said. “It was fun waking up, seeing the mountains, and seeing the town. But I had a nice day yesterday, just walking around. It’s great to come to the building today and get on the ice.”
Jonathan Marchessault and the Nashville Predators were the last team to visit Delta Center for the first time, arriving in Salt Lake City in the spring when the mountains were still snow-capped. It reminded Marchessault of his time in Vegas.
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“The view is beautiful with the mountains and stuff,” Marchessault said. “That’s something that I really loved in Vegas, and here, it’s really nice and different than Vegas, too. That makes it special.”
Scott Laughton is one of the few NHLers who play in the Eastern Conference who traveled to Utah twice this season. The first time was with the Philadelphia Flyers when Dylan Guenther won the game for Utah late in overtime in February. He visited again with the Toronto Maple Leafs in March.
“It was a really good atmosphere when we played here a couple of months ago,” Laughton said. “The fans are right on top of you. It’s a really cool building. It’ll be fun tonight, but it was a great atmosphere when we were here the first time.”
Predators head coach Andrew Brunette played for multiple expansion teams, including the Atlanta Thrashers and Predators. He also played in numerous arenas, and he loves that the fans are right on top of the ice in Utah.
“It feels like there’s a great atmosphere,” Brunette said. “I love it. It reminds me a lot of how the old barns were and how steep the stands are right on top. I’m looking forward to tonight, which will probably be their loudest night since it’s the last one of the year here. I’m looking forward to the atmosphere.”
In his 20-season career, Sidney Crosby has played in every NHL city multiple times, new and old. While he spent less than 48 hours in Salt Lake City this season, he enjoyed it.
Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins hit Delta Center ice for the first time in history. #UtahHC #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/28LFhxp4De
“It was good,” Crosby said. “It was quick. We got in pretty late last night, had meetings and stuff this morning. It was basically, hotel to the rink. That was pretty much it. But the atmosphere was awesome.”
Crosby scored the overtime winner against Utah that night in January, which was thrilling for the many Pittsburgh Penguins fans in attendance. Even from the broadcast, you could hear the crowd’s cheers from witnessing one of the greatest hockey players in the past couple of years put on a show in Utah.
The weather has been a big draw for the players. No one enjoys travelling to Winnipeg or Edmonton in the middle of February. While it’s not Florida-type weather during December in Utah, it is warmer than most NHL markets. During the fall and spring, the temperature usually climbs into the 70s or 80s Fahrenheit while many of the NHL markets still suffer rain, snow, or colder temperatures, like Toronto. It was a big draw for Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who visited in March with the Maple Leafs.
“I think it’s been great,” Ekman-Larsson said. “I just walked around a little bit. The weather has been nice, and I thought they did a good job with the rink here. The locker room is nice, so it’s good.”
Steven Stamkos has played in the league since 2008 and, like Crosby, he’s played in many markets, even ones that don’t exist anymore. He says NHLers love playing in new cities.
“So far, so good,” Stamkos said. “Got in yesterday. Had a nice dinner with the guys. The weather’s great. I think guys are excited anytime you get a chance to play in a new city. Guys are excited about that. Obviously, heard a lot of good things, so looking forward to it.”
Stamkos and Marchessault both mentioned Urban Hill is their go-to restaurant in Salt Lake City. Valter’s Osteria is also frequented by visiting teams from both the NHL and the NBA.
Steven Lorentz has played for multiple teams in his short career. He started with the Carolina Hurricanes, was traded to the San Jose Sharks, then flipped to the Florida Panthers, where he won the Stanley Cup last season before signing with the Maple Leafs during the offseason. When the Maple Leafs visited in March, it was his first time visiting Utah.
“This is my first time in Utah, in the state, and obviously, in Salt Lake City,” Lorentz said. “It’s neat. It’s a very clean city, and the people are very friendly. I didn’t get out to do a whole lot of exploring after the practice yesterday, besides walk through town, but it was great.”
Lorentz also noted how nice the Olympic Oval layout was for practice. There were speed skaters on the track while the two teams practiced.
The Leafs are indeed checking out the Oval’s speed track. #UtahHC #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/MjGuz5K9iZ
Park City is a mountain resort town with lots of skiing and shopping, just a 39-minute drive from Salt Lake. It’s become a mini getaway spot for Utah players like Jack McBain and Guenther, and a fun day trip for visiting teams. Lee had already been to the Deer Valley resort before the Islanders visited, but his teammates headed up to the ski town.
“A couple of guys went up to Park City and checked it out,” Lee said. “I had been there a little bit ago, so I took yesterday as a rest day [before their game]. Just kind of relaxed a little bit and walked around the hotel.”
When the Dallas Stars visited Utah before the Christmas break, Matt Duchene didn’t travel back with the team because he and his family spent the holidays in Deer Valley. After playing in Nashville and Dallas for a couple of seasons, he said it was a nice opportunity for his kids to see snow.
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper loved his time in Utah, mentioning it even before a reporter asked him about it. Cooper started his day in Park City and ended up at a Utah Jazz basketball game. It was a perfect road trip for him.
“I got up, went right to Park City, checked out the ski hills and Main Street,” Cooper said. “Didn’t want to leave, but had to leave because I wanted to come back and watch the Jazz. So, I went to the Jazz game. Had a blast. They treated us unbelievably well. I went to bed and showed up here for our game. It’s been a really good trip.”
Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews recognized how great it is for the league to develop a new fan base in a new market.
“It’s exciting to be in a fresh market, a fresh place, and get to experience a new city,” Matthews said. “It seems like it’s going pretty well here with the fan base and everything like that. That’s exciting for the league.”
Utah is a slam dunk for NHLers. Between Jazz games, Park City, and the beautiful surroundings, there’s a lot to like about the newest NHL market. On top of everything the city has to offer, players have commented about how nice the facilities that owner Ryan Smith has put into the Delta Center are. Perhaps when Smith’s downtown revitalization is complete, it could become a top sports market. For now, it’s quickly becoming a city where even the best NHL players look forward to their visit.
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