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Bruce Bennett | Getty Images Salt Lake City checked all the boxes for a new professional sports team — particularly in the National Hockey League. One of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. boasting one of the hottest job markets, Utah’s state capital — with the help of tech billionaire Ryan Smith — is pushing to be a sports hub. Salt Lake City kicked off its first season in the NHL this year after the Utah Hockey Club relocated from Phoenix. The early excitement of the fanbase, marked by sellout crowds and high merchandise sales, is solidifying Salt Lake City as a sports market. The city has been home to the National Basketball Association’s Utah Jazz for more than four decades. Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Utah Royals are also part of its pro sports landscape. Smith Entertainment Group, founded in 2020 by Ryan and Ashley Smith, is an owner in all of those teams. Along the Wasatch Mountains, the city will also host the Winter Olympics for the second time in 2034. “I don’t see things slowing down in Utah,” Smith said in an interview. “We have big families here, and people want to stay here.” Smith was hungry to add an NHL team to the mix at a time when many, including the league’s Commissioner Gary Bettman, believed Salt Lake City was ripe for the expansion. Its growing and changing demographics — which Smith said were on display when it hosted the NBA’s All-Star Game earlier this year — had readied the city for a new team. “Salt Lake City is known for winter sports. It has a very vibrant economy,” said Bettman in an interview. He added that the city had a major share of residents who likely would be…

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Filed under: News - @ November 20, 2024 1:28 pm