By several measures, the Utah Hockey Club had an impressive inaugural NHL game for the franchise. Not the least of which was a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
The game, held at the Delta Center, saw Dylan Guenther scoring the franchise’s first-ever goal early in the first period, igniting the excitement of the local fans. Guenther would score two goals, adding an empty-netter late in the third period.
Goaltender Connor Ingram was also pivotal, making 24 saves and significantly contributing to the team’s victory by holding off a Blackhawk rally late in the game.
Perhaps even more impressive were some concession and merchandise numbers showing a fan base very thirsty for some hockey in the Beehive State, where such things are more unusual than locales elsewhere.
Literally.
Utah Hockey Club Makes History With Beer Sales
Utah’s new NHL team, the Utah Hockey Club, made a notable impact during its inaugural game in terms of fan engagement through beer sales.
The Utah Hockey Club saw beer sales reach $120,000. This figure set a record for the highest beer sales at any NBA or NHL event held at the Delta Center.
Cheers to the fans, mate!
The record-breaking beer sales are indicative of high fan excitement and engagement with the new team. This kind of spending points to a celebratory atmosphere, suggesting fans are embracing the team wholeheartedly.
The numbers though, might be a little inflated due to the cost of a beer for the inaugural game. The Delta Center, according to Sports Illustrated, hiked the cost of a single Michelob Ultra to $15.
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Utah, Of All Places
Utah is not typically known as a big beer-drinking state when compared to others, so these numbers by the Hockey Club’s fans are pretty impressive.
Per capita, beer consumption in Utah tends to be lower than in many other states. How low? They rank 50th by a fairly comfortable margin.
The Utah Hockey Club is a pretty cool name. But the franchise has indicated they won’t stick with it. For the 2025-2026 season, the team is asking fans to vote on their new name. It includes 20 choices, as per Sportslogos.net, which include the Utah Caribou and the Utah Powder.
How they missed an opportunity to use the Utes is anybody’s guess. If this team ends up being known as the Powder, fans might have to drink even more. Because that name is just … awful.
The Utah Hockey Club is heading out for a four-game road trip and won’t return home again until October 19th when they face the Boston Bruins.
Will fan excitement continue?
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