Players impressed with how fast Utah Hockey Club owners were able to construct temporary practice facility
Utah Hockey Club goaltender Matt Villalta suits up in the new temporary practice facility locker room at the Olympic Oval on Sept. 17, 2024, in Kearns, Utah.Bill Armstrong stood in the Utah Hockey Club locker room of the temporary practice facility as players sprinkled in and out last week of a space that didn’t even exist a short time ago.
“It’s been as much as I could’ve asked for as a player,” defenceman Sean Durzi said. “They put up a facility for one season for us – and it’s world class – in five months. If that doesn’t scream commitment and all in and everything, that they want us to succeed, I don’t know what does.” Staff for the NBA’s Utah Jazz, also owned by the Smiths, assisted in those efforts. Jazz business relationships in the Salt Lake City area also eased the transition.
“We don’t have the space at the Oval that we’re going to have a permanent facility,” said Jazz president Jim Olson, who also heads facility projects for Smith Entertainment Group. “So we had to tighten up the spaces. It was important to us that it just wasn’t a makeshift facility, but the players could really feel good there and feel like it gave them what they needed to able to achieve what their goals are, and that’s to be a great hockey team.
“To get the sightlines where we need, it’ll be a significant renovation of the entire bowl – upper bowl, lower bowl, everything,” Olson said. “Because it’s taking all of our efforts to get ready for this season, we’ve only looked at that at a very high level. But after we know everything’s working well this year, we’ll start more of our focus on the future.”
“Now in saying that, I do think it made them tougher. I do think when the fans in Utah come out to cheer for us, we will appreciate them more.”
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