Utah Hockey Club to Host Inaugural Game Celebration at Delta Center Before First-Ever Regular Season NHL Game Against Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 8

The free, open-to-the-public outdoor event will include a concert by country music star Shaboozey, food trucks, interactive hockey games and activities, live DJs, and an 8 P.M. watch party for Utah vs. Chicago

ESPN’s NHL Opening Night Tripleheader broadcast will be live from the Delta Center plaza beginning at 2 P.M. 

SALT LAKE CITY (October 3, 2024) – In honor of the first-ever regular season in franchise history, Utah Hockey Club invites fans and the local community to attend a free, open-to-the-public Inaugural Game Celebration, presented by Delta Air Lines, on Tuesday, Oct. 8 outside Delta Center and along 300 West between South Temple and 100 South. Ahead of the team’s first regular season matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks at 8 P.M., the event will include hours of fun and free activities with Utah Hockey Club merchandise  giveaways and chances for attendees to win tickets to watch that night’s game from inside Delta Center.

“From the day Utah Hockey Club became a reality, Utah has shown up to support and cheer on our team. Today is for the entire community, and we want everyone to be part of this once-in-a-generation, historic moment as we kick off our first-ever NHL season,” said Ryan Smith, chairman of Smith Entertainment Group and governor of Utah Hockey Club. “Whether fans are tuning in from home, experiencing the action inside the arena, or enjoying the hours-long festivities on the Delta Center plaza, October 8 is going to be a day to remember, and we want the entire community to enjoy it. We are so excited for what we have planned to make sure everyone can participate in the energy and excitement of what’s to come.”

FREE AND OPEN-T0-THE-PUBLIC ACTIVITIES ON THE DELTA CENTER PLAZA

*all times are MT

• Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) will kick off the day with a press conference at 12:30 P.M. with remarks from SEG owners Ryan and Ashley Smith and National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman. Fans and media are invited to attend.

• At 2 P.M., ESPN will go live from an open air GameDay-style set with national coverage of the NHL’s Opening Night Tripleheader. ESPN’s studio and pregame show, The Point – with Steve Levy and analysts Mark Messier and P.K. Subban – will host live pregame, intermission, and post-game analysis and programming from Salt Lake City for all three games, which include St. Louis at Seattle (2:30 P.M.), Boston at Florida (5 P.M.) and Chicago at Utah (8 P.M.). Throughout the day, special guests will join the ESPN broadcast for live interviews.

• At 4 P.M., a full series of fan festivities kick-off including live music from DJ Joune and DJ Logik, free games and hockey activities. Exclusive Utah Hockey Club merchandise and apparel will be for sale at multiple locations and several food trucks and a beer garden will also be open for purchases.

• Starting at 5 P.M. Utah Hockey Club players will arrive at the plaza for a special inaugural game day walk in on a Mountain Blue Carpet. Youth hockey players will welcome them as they make their way down the carpet and into the arena for game day preparations.

• At 5:30 P.M., Utah Hockey Club, in partnership with the NHL, will host a free-to-attend Inaugural Game Celebration concert featuring Shaboozey – country music’s hottest rising star who recently won the 2024 People’s Choice Awards for “Best New Artist” and “Best New Artist Song” for his hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – that will take place on the north end of 300 W at S Temple.

• At 6:30 P.M., a special 4-ship formation flyover of F-35A jets is scheduled to be flown by active-duty and reservist fighter pilots from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings based at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. This flyover will be in support of the inaugural game for the Utah Hockey Club, and the ongoing relationship between the base and the team.

• The outdoor party will shift to a free-to-attend Watch Party once the doors open to ticketed fans, and fun activities will continue through the entirety of Utah’s game against Chicago. Fans outside will watch the inaugural pre-game celebration, puck drop, and the full game on two massive screens staged on each end of 300 W at the corners of South Temple and 100 S.

CELEBRATION INSIDE DELTA CENTER FOR TICKETED FANS

Inside the arena, fans will be treated to free games, hockey activities, and other special fan fare celebrating NHL Opening Night, including branded Utah Hockey Club Inaugural Game Celebration rally towels and t-shirts draped over each seat in the arena. Attendees will also be some of the first to experience final upgrades to the arena’s anchor Team Store located inside Door 5, the new, exclusive Utah Hockey Club retail store on Level 5, and additional pop-up retail locations around the arena. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 7:45 P.M. to witness a special puck drop moment featuring Utah Hockey Club ownership and other celebratory Opening Night pre-game entertainment.

WAYS TO TUNE IN

The NHL’s Opening Night Tripleheader on Oct. 8 will be aired exclusively on ESPN and ESPN+ including Utah’s game against Chicago. Pre-game coverage of Utah vs. Chicago begins at 7:30 P.M. and the ESPN broadcast will provide an exclusive look at in-arena programming to mark Utah’s entry into the NHL ahead of the game at 8 P.M.

Because it is a national exclusive on ESPN and ESPN+, Utah’s Oct. 8 will not be available to watch on Utah 16 or stream on SEG+ or UtahHC+, but listeners in Utah can follow the radio broadcast on KSL Sports Zone (1280 AM/97.5 FM) and KSL NewsRadio (1160 AM). Fans can access the game via ESPN+ through a streaming subscription available at ESPNPlus.com.

There will be limited road closures around Delta Center due to these planned activities. South Temple, between 400 West and 300 West will be partially closed; 300 West between South Temple and 100 South will be closed; and 100 South between 300 West and 400 West will be partially closed from 12:01 A.M. on October 7 until 12:00 P.M. on October 9.

For more information about Utah Hockey Club, including how to buy tickets, visit www.UtahHockeyClub.com.

–www.nhl.com/utah/–