Delta Center opened in Salt Lake City in 1991 and, up until last season, the Jazz were its only full-time tenant. But in April 2024, the NHL’s Board of Governors approved the establishment of a franchise beginning with the 2024-25 season in Utah, that would be owned and controlled by Smith Entertainment Group, which is led by Ryan and his wife, Ashley. The approved transactions resulted in the Arizona Coyotes’ franchise transferring the totality of its existing hockey assets -- including its full reserve list, roster of players and draft picks and its hockey operations department -- to the Utah franchise.
Then called the Utah Hockey Club, the new team played its first season at Delta Center. But with the arena built for basketball, there were thousands of obstructed seats. The renovations will make it a home that will serve hockey and basketball fans alike.
The first move in the changes being made was raising the floor two feet.
“That allowed us the opportunity to have sightlines for every seat in the arena,” Smith said.
But the challenge was maintaining the proximity of the fans to the basketball court while also making room for the much-bigger ice surface.
To make that happen, a revolutionary triple-scissor lift riser system was installed in the lower bowl. Built by StageRight for Delta Center, it has 80 risers for basketball and 68 for hockey. The risers move both side to side and up and down to create seating flexibility for NBA and NHL games, ensuring every fan in the lower bowl has a clear view of the action.
