It was said that the market was too small for NBA teams, but that turned out to be untrue. Some people are saying the same thing about Utah and the NHL right now.
(Trent Nelson | Salt Lake Tribune) The Utah Grizzlies will host ECHL Hockey's Rapid City Rush on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at the Maverick Center in West Valley City.
A recent editorial published in the Salt Lake Tribune concludes that “Utah should not waste time or money on an NHL team,” but ignores a relevant fact: the current Delta Center. Public funding played a key role in Buck's development in 1991, when $24 million of the $90 million cost was paid for with bonds. The same thing happened during the 2016 renovation. The same logic that would have benefited Utahns then applies just as well today.
The Hockey Rink Bill is funded by Salt Lake City's sales tax, which is appropriate since Moab, for example, is unlikely to benefit economically. With the influx of people and spending per home game estimated at $1 million, it's clear Salt Lake City is benefiting from Delta Center and the Jazz.
On the other hand, the “Baseball Stadium Bill'' is funded by national funds.
I'm a long-time Tribune subscriber, and it seems like no one at the Tribune likes hockey. BREAKING NEWS FOR TRIBUNE READERS — Utah high school hockey playoffs are over. The winners were Park City and the Salt Lake Stars, for whom I am an assistant coach. Maybe the Tribune staff likes basketball better, but why disrupt the status quo of the NHL and competitive hockey in Utah?
I read an editorial on March 17th about USA Hockey players' registration numbers being used to indict the Utah game situation. In fact, both Colorado and Idaho have more hockey ice per capita than Utah. In particular, Colorado has three times the number of hockey ice surfaces compared to Utah, and the participation record shows that. Much of the growth in hockey in Colorado happened after the NHL came to Colorado.
Utah State's access to ice time when players are not at school or work will be limited to the maximum. The Salt Lake Stars are a team that wants to see more ice time. Olympic Oval assistant hockey manager Tamara Terrill said the waiting list to join the league was “unrealistic”, with games sometimes starting as early as 10.45pm on weeknights. That's what he said. There are a lot of players who want to participate but don't have a place to play.
Hockey in Utah benefited greatly from the ice rink built for the Olympics, but despite reasonable access for players, it is currently full, which limits the growth of the sport. I am.
My background with hockey is that I'm from Utah and was an NBA and Utah Jazz fan in the 1990s and early 2000s. Later, two of his family members started playing ice hockey, so I started watching and playing ice hockey as well. When I first paid attention to the NHL about eight years ago, it seemed confusing and chaotic. However, after a while, I became fascinated with this game. The continuous action of taking turns on the fly, the systems used, the incredible speed and skill, and of course the physicality.
When it comes to basketball, here's what coach Steve Kerr said during the Warriors-Nuggets NBA game in December: If I were a fan, I wouldn't have wanted to watch the second half of that game. It was disgusting. Steve is on to something, and it's not just a game, it's a sport.
Umpires aren't that involved in hockey, so once you're at a game it's a great fan experience. After watching so many NHL TV games, when I'm watching basketball, I want to change the channel when a foul is called.
I agree with the fans that the reason fights in the NHL get lighter penalties has to do with less referee involvement. Players and teams can work out their differences to some extent. Fighting isn't my favorite part of the game, but I'd rather see a scrap every few games than parade to the penalty shot line every game. That doesn't happen in hockey, and it never will. In the NHL, embellishment, or faking a foul, is still a penalty.
I'm going to call him a foul in the Tribune for ignoring hockey. When Sam Battistone brought the Jazz to Utah in 1979, people said the market was too small, but that turned out to be untrue. Some people are saying the same thing about Utah and the NHL right now.
Ryan Smith sees visions for Utah's future in the NHL. Fortunately, not everyone shares the same position as his March 17 op-ed. The NHL is better live than on TV, and when it comes to Utah, people would prefer that.
(Photo courtesy of Gil Beanson) Gil Beanson
Gil Bearnson He is a part-time ice hockey fan, volunteer assistant hockey coach at a Utah high school, and a recreational league hockey player. He works full time as a medical device development engineer.
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