Getty Image
The Utah Hockey Club officially kicked off its inaugural season with a win over the Blackhawks on Tuesday night, and fans in attendance for the team’s home opener didn’t waste any time setting a record for beer sales at the Delta Center.
The Arizona Coyotes ceased to exist at the end of the most recent NHL season, but the franchise quickly (and, based on where they originally played, aptly) rose like a phoenix from the ashes after being purchased by Ryan Smith, the tech billionaire who shelled out $1.2 billion for what has been temporarily dubbed the Utah Hockey Club.
Questions about whether or not there was a huge appetite for hockey in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area were quickly answered based on how many people scooped up season tickets immediately after they went on sale.
There was plenty of anticipation for an inaugural season that officially got underway when the team hosted the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 16,000 people (with close to 5,000 of those spectators willing to deal with obstructed views).
The new era started about as well as it could, as Utah HC secured its first win in franchise history with a decisive 5-2 victory.
Prior to the start of the season, the Delta Center announced spectators at Utah’s games will be able to take advantage of a concessions menu featuring some pretty sweet deals, and while beer wasn’t listed among those discounted items, that didn’t stop plenty of people from shelling out some cash for an adult beverage.
Utah probably isn’t the first state that comes to mind when you think of places where fans like to get their drink on, but according to The Salt Lake Tribune, there was no shortage of thirsty spectators at the game when you consider the Delta Center raked in $120,000 in beer sales—a record for any NHL or NBA game played in the venue (the Jazz set up shop there in 1991, although it’s unclear exactly how far the recorded sales stretch back).
Congratulations to Utah Hockey Club fans for proving they have what it takes to hang.