NHL and SEG hold a press conference to welcome the new hockey team to Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The papers finalizing the sale of the Arizona Coyotes to Ryan and Ashley Smith were signed this morning at 2 a.m., and now there are just a handful of months left to get the Delta Center ready for NHL hockey for the 2024 season- 2025.

The Smiths joined NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on stage this afternoon to officially make the announcement that has been the worst-kept secret in sports for a few weeks now.

But the clock is ticking. The turnaround will be tight, and the Smiths know it.

“We're not going to be perfect,” Ryan Smith said.

Smith explained that renovation work will begin at an unspecified date to ensure there will be approximately 16,200 seats on opening night, 12,000 of which will be unobstructed. This will eventually increase to approximately 17,500 seats.

In the meantime, deposits for season tickets have already exceeded 22,000 people.

The Smiths and Bettman explained that this may be one of the fastest deals ever done in professional sports. While the Smiths have been in contact with Bettman for “a few years,” the current plan, which was signed last night, took effect on March 6, 2024.

“I didn't know for sure this was going to happen until Tuesday night,” Ryan Smith said.

Bettman explained that the Smiths were solving a major problem the Coyotes faced after previous owners failed to gain support for a new arena in Phoenix, Arizona. Because the state, county and city government were all on the same page and because the Smiths were committed, Bettman said they are actually helping the NHL.

Bettman pointed to the letter the Smiths publicly released in January asking for a hockey team. Little did they know how quickly the turnaround would be.

“We look at the market, we look at the arena, we look at the ownership, and we want to put a team in a place that will make the league stronger,” Bettman said. “Utah checks all those boxes.”

Ryan Smith said both the NBA and NHL pushed his organization to be creative and be able to run an arena that can support both sports. At first he didn't think this was possible.

However, Ryan Smith said he plans to make sure that by creating space for a Utah hockey team, he doesn't compromise the basketball experience for Utah Jazz fans. In the long run, the situation will improve the experiences of basketball fans, Ryan Smith said. He also said he plans to continue scheduling both the Jazz and hockey teams in the same arena.

On the government side, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall all gave short speeches to show a united front by not only bringing the team to Utah but also to build an entertainment center around it. them. Ryan Smith noted that it would be easier for his organization to move to the southern part of the Valley, but instead he is rolling the dice on turning downtown Salt Lake City into a new sports hub.

However, no details have been revealed about plans for that district, although voters will still have to consider the possibility of a 0.5% sales tax increase to help create that district. Ryan Smith said he was excited, if not quite ready, to share those plans.

Ashley Smith said she and her husband see the sports teams as a way to unite citizens in a divided world. Ryan Smith and Bettman both praised lawmakers for how they paved the way for the NHL team during the most recent legislative session.

The Smiths confirmed that the team's leadership, including General Manager Bill Armstrong and Head Coach André Tourigny, will remain on staff next year.

“The only thing we acquire is the people,” Ryan Smith noted. “We need the people.”

The team will indeed have a new name and brand, as the sale included a stipulation that the Coyotes brand would remain with Arizona. No new name was announced at the press conference.

Team Welcome Party planned for next week

An event to welcome the team to Salt Lake City at the Delta Center will be held on Wednesday, April 24. The center's doors open at 4:30 p.m. and fans will be greeted with a number of activities, while the first 5,000 fans will receive a ticket voucher redeemable for two seats at an NHL preseason game or a Utah Jazz game in the Delta Center.

At 5:30 p.m., fans can enjoy a programmed event with introductions from the players of the yet-unnamed team. Prizes will also be available.

You can watch the full press conference below: