Walk by the Utah Hockey Club locker room after a win and you will likely hear the stomp-clamp and country drawl of a singer calling for another double shot of whiskey.
“There’s a party downtown near Fifth Street.
“Everybody at the bar gettin’ tipsy.”
Shaboozey, the award-winning country artist, performed outside Delta Center for the team’s opening night, after which Utah won the first game in franchise history. His music stuck thereon — and one of the Hockey Club’s first traditions was born.
“Should’ve come in the locker room and gave us a little concert while he was here,” defenseman Ian Cole said. “Him setting the stage literally for the first game of the year, kind of worked his way in there naturally.”
While the team — formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes — had a specific culture in the desert, the move to Utah presents an opportunity for players and fans alike to define the Hockey Club experience in the mountains.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Shaboozey performs during the for opening night festivities before the inaugural Utah Hockey Club game against the Chicago Blackhawks, at the Delta Center, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
The Delta Center crowds have brought the energy to open the season, but fans admit they’re still figuring out what the “right” way to support the Hockey Club is.
“It’s obviously a really exciting time to go through because it’s a fresh slate for everything to kind of materialize,” Utah native Derek Naegle said. “The fact that we don’t have a name or identity is kind of frustrating. I think people are well-intentioned, but I think a lot of us are moving in different directions — there’s a lot of uncertainty, not really anything to rally around.”
Utah Hockey Club officials have said they’ll announce the team’s official name sometime before next season, so for now, fans are improvising cheers at games and trying to collect as much Mountain Blue merchandise as possible.
The opposing sides of the Delta Center at times catch themselves leading separate chants while experimenting with the limited ways to say Utah. Some are proponents of the jumbotron beer chug while others rather see the Utah Jazz Bear dance with kids in the crowd.
Beyond game-day rituals, winning helps a fan base feel connected and excited about a team. Utah Hockey Club knows that — it’s woven into its mentality for the 2024-25 campaign.
“It’s our job to continue to win games and foster that excitement so people get creative and want to be part of it,” Cole said. “Having everyone building together through winning and always having winning in mind — if you’re always focused on winning, you’re always trying to do the right things.”
After winning on opening night, Team owner Ryan Smith got a piece of Utah Hockey Club history with a spur-of-the-moment decision from the players.
“For the first home game, first win, we were able to give that puck to Ryan, which was really cool just with all he has put into making this work,” forward Barrett Hayton said. “It was special to be able to give our little bit of thanks there for that moment.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Athletes play during the game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Ottawa Senators at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.
Smith got the puck, and in return, his new NHL team is embracing its NBA counterparts in the Jazz. The Hockey Club passes out a basketball in the locker room after victories to a player who stood out. The next win, that player chooses who receives the ball. The basketball travels with the equipment staff on the road and will be with the team throughout the season.
“I think sometimes it just kind of happens on its own,” forward Liam O’Brien said. “You just start with the game ball — that kind of happened on its own. It wasn’t planned.”
Utah defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok was the last person to receive the basketball after scoring the game-tying goal against the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.
Fans like Nate Oliver — who grew up playing hockey in Utah since he was 5 years old — are ready for jerseys to become available at the team store so the Hockey Club faithful can look more united as a crowd. Official jerseys won’t be available for purchase until next month at the earliest.
“I’m looking forward to seeing jerseys around the arena,” Oliver said. “Seeing the Blackhawks and Bruins fans, they show up in their sweaters and it’s a good way to show support. We are all kind of in random merchandise that we bought from the store. It’s going to be fun to see the arena packed with jerseys.”
Oliver’s other note? The goal horn needs to be louder.
“I want the goal horn to be louder and just vibrate my skull,” he said. “I think a good goal song goes a long way.”
From the Toronto Maple Leafs’ “Dup Dup” by Mickie Krause to the Nashville Predators’ “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw, teams around the league have their signature goal song.
Utah seems to still be figuring that one out. Ahead of Saturday’s overtime against the Bruins, Delta Center blasted “Kernkraft 400″ by Zombie Nation, which happens to be Boston’s goal song at TD Garden. Luckily, defenseman Michael Kesselring put off Utah’s goal horn with the game-winner a few minutes later.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Tayler and Bret Burchard takes selfie by the Giant jersey, during the festivities at the Delta Center, for the inaugural Utah Hockey Club game, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.
Tradition is being built outside of the Delta Center experience, too. Derrick Saunders — who grew up in Colorado but now lives in Utah with his family — has been able to share hockey with his 4-year-old son for the first time.
Watching Utah Hockey Club games together has become part of their bedtime routine.
“He’s been asking me why one of the guys wears different pads and why he has a big helmet on. He just asks me everything that comes to his head,” Saunders said. “He’s really been enjoying it. He’s been telling me that he wants to learn how to ice skate.”
Culture, undoubtedly, is built over time. It will take thrilling wins and crushing losses to eventually bond both fans and players.
But, it is evident that Utahns on and off the ice are embracing this new version of the NHL while figuring out how to make it their own.
“It takes time. It’s not going to happen after one game,” O’Brien said. “They’ve been there for us and they’ve done a great job. We hear them. As long as they keep doing that I think we’ll be alright.”
