In Salt Lake City, the announcement of a new NHL team brought excitement to the downtown area on April 18, 2024. Brewer, the Executive Director of the Salt Lake City Downtown Alliance, expressed anticipation for more entertainment options to draw customers downtown. With the addition of hockey games, there will be an extra 41 nights of entertainment in the central business district.
Dee Brewer believes that this could result in approximately 500,000 to 600,000 new customer visits next year. The Delta Center, where the NHL team will play, is crucial to the downtown economy as it hosted a majority of the top visitation days last year. The Delta Center not only plays a role in professional sports but also concerts, shows and other forms of entertainment.
Brewer highlighted that businesses in the central business district are looking forward to increased foot traffic and profits with the arrival of a new demographic – fans who may not overlap with existing supporters of Utah Jazz basketball team. This presents an opportunity for businesses to attract a different audience and expand their customer base.
In addition to businesses benefiting from increased visitors, Brewer mentioned that the hospitality sector is also likely to see growth due to the NHL team’s arrival. The NHL team’s presence is predicted to stimulate economic activity in downtown Salt Lake City, creating opportunities for hotels, bars and restaurants to flourish.