Where to Watch Utah Hockey Club games on TV & Stream
The Utah Hockey Club is set to make waves as the NHL’s newest franchise, debuting on the ice in the NHL 2024-25 season. After two years of trying to bring a team to Salt Lake City, Utah-based businessman and Smith Entertainment Group chairman Ryan Smith has finally succeeded, striking a deal with the NHL and Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo. As part of this, Smith will acquire all of the Coyotes' assets and give them a Utah makeover.
Smith was able to capitalize on a situation in which the Coyotes were struggling to find a home arena, and were instead having to rely on Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena, which was too small. So, entering the 2024 season, those Coyotes are now the Utah Hockey team, playing at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
This is a very exciting development for the NHL and the City, adding yet another top-tier professional team to the area. The Coyotes struggled in 2023-24, but with this new injection of finances, energy, and a more settled situation, there is hope that this team can really hit the ground running. We don't have to wait long to find out!
Key facts about the Utah Hockey Team
- Stadium: Delta Center, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a capacity of 18,300.
- Head Coach: André Tourigny
- General Manager: Bill Armstrong
- Captain: Not yet announced for the 2024-25 season.
- Key Players:
- Clayton Keller (LW/C) – A dynamic forward and former All-Star.
- Logan Cooley (C) – Promising young talent, ready to take the leap.
- Mikhail Sergachev (D) – Elite defenseman known for his physicality and offensive prowess.
The Utah Hockey Club enters the 2024/25 NHL season with an exciting blend of youthful talent and seasoned veterans. Head coach André Tourigny is sticking with the new franchise after three years leading the Arizona Coyotes. Two seventh-place finishes and one-eighth is nothing to write home about, but there is hope that with his exciting concoction of players in 2024, he can start to make some real progress.
The fact that the team’s arena and ownership situation is far more settled now is likely to lead to improvements alone, but there are also some exciting roster changes that should bring the new franchise some more wins. The biggest issue for the Coyotes roster last year was their defense, with the team conceding 3.3 goals per game, which was amongst the worst in the NHL. Thankfully, they have addressed the defensive side of the game considerably this year, mainly through the addition of their marquee signing, Mikhail Sergachev.
Sergachev arrived via trade this offseason, bringing incredible talent and experience to the defense. As a rookie, in 2016, Sergachev finished third in scoring and won the Max Kaminsky trophy, and has since gone on to win two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He alone should be a fantastic boost to Utah’s defensive output, but the team didn’t stop there. John Marino is an exciting addition at just 27 years old, and 35-year-old Ian Cole also arrived to bring some experience.
Tij Iginla is an exciting rookie to keep an eye on after joining with the 6th overall pick in the 2024 draft, and Kevin Stenlund is another new offseason signing, brought in to bolster the offense. There are fewer changes on this side of things, thanks to the young and exciting talent that Utah adopted. Clayton Keller is a superstar and the face of the franchise, fresh off a season in which he led the team in scoring. The four-time All-Star forms a formidable pairing with Nick Schmaltz, who finished with the second most points on the team with 61.
Perhaps the most intriguing name to watch this year will be Logan Cooley, who posted an impressive 20 goals as a rookie. If he can take the leap this year, the Utah Hockey Club will be a handful for the rest of the NHL, particularly if the defense raises their game to match the offense.
What Conference Is The Utah Hockey Club In?
The Utah Hockey Club will compete in the Central Division of the Western Conference, which was won by the Dallas Stars last year. The division also hosts some of the NHL's other storied franchises, including the Colorado Avalanche, and the St. Louis Blues. With Colorado and fellow Western Conference powerhouse, the Vegas Golden Knights, both having one Stanley Cup Championships in the last three seasons, nothing is going to come easy for this Utah team.
Where to Watch Utah Hockey Club in the 2024/25 NHL Season
Fans can tune into the Utah Hockey Club’s 2024-25 NHL season on Utah 16 (KUPX-TV Channel 16), which is going to be “the official TV home of Utah Hockey Club”. Here, fans will get access to pre-and post-game shows, in addition to the games themselves. For those who are interested in streaming options, with access to a wider array of games, ESPN+ is a fantastic service to consider. This adds all out-of-market NHL games to your viewing experience, along with a whole host of other sports and entertainment. This costs $10.99 a month, and works best as a bolt-on for people who already have ESPN.
TV- & Streaming Options:
- Utah 16 (KUPX-TV Channel 16)
- ESPN+
Expectations and Predictions For Utah Hockey Club’s First Season
After a disappointing few seasons for the Arizona Coyotes, the Utah Hockey Team will be looking to capitalize on the resolved turmoil of previous ownership and the excitement of new horizons. In addition to this, they have made some very sensible signings, bringing in new talent to plug some of the biggest weaknesses on the roster. Mikhail Sergachev is a huge name to add to the defense, with Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, and Nick Schmaltz returning to deliver an even more explosive season on offense.
With all of this in mind, the Utah Hockey Club should be primed for a strong first season. Whilst it may take a couple of years to be challenging for the conference title, and potentially more, there should be solid signs of improvement this year, ready to make a bigger push in the next couple of seasons. Exciting times for Salt Lake City!
Author: Venuse, Inc.