The NHL's experiment in Utah is off to an encouraging start.
Not only did the Utah Hockey Club begin its tenure in Salt Lake City with a 5–2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night, but also the NHL's newest fan base arrived at the season opener with a thirst for hockey. And, well, good times.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Delta Center sold a record-breaking number of beverages, with beer sales climbing over $120,000—more than any other previous NBA or NHL event in that venue, which has served as the home to the Utah Jazz since 1991.
The beer prices weren't cheap, either. A Michelob Ultra, which was $13 at the Jazz's preseason tilt the night before, sold for $15 for the arena's NHL debut.
The Utah Hockey Club is technically an expansion team, although it acquired the hockey assets of the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes, who suspended operations after the 2023-24 season. The franchise will be known as the Utah Hockey Club this season before undergoing a rebrand and gaining a new team nickname heading into next season.
The Utah Hockey Club returns to the ice Thursday for a road tilt against the New York Islanders that kicks off a four-game trip away from Delta Center. Utah fans will have another chance to break the beer sales record when the team returns to home ice on Oct. 19 for a matchup against the Boston Bruins.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Utah’s New NHL Team Makes Beer Sales History in Inaugural Game.
