Here’s what Utah HC’s new practice facility will look like

The Utah Hockey Club’s new practice facility, located at The Shops at South Town Mall in Sandy, took a key step forward on Monday with the completion of the structural phase of construction.

Smith Entertainment Group held a tour and beam-signing event Monday morning, featuring players, team staff, elected officials and media.

The facility, which spans 115,780 square feet, is projected to open for team use on Sept. 1, 2025, and for public use in January 2026. Public facilities will include a pair of ice surfaces, eight locker rooms, a team store/pro shop and a multi-use area. There will also be team-only areas, including a workout area, a kitchen, a players’ lounge, a sauna, a steam room, hot and cold tubs and an infinity pool.

“This is where we want home to be for all of you and for the community that gets to come in,” said Ashley Smith, co-founder of SEG, at the tour event. “Everything is about community for us, and bringing our state together and the people together.”

Ryan Smith, chairman of SEG, said he and his team involved the players as much as possible in the design process to ensure that it has everything they need.

The beam-signing event took place 11 days before the one-year anniversary of the announcement that Utah was getting an NHL team. In that time, SEG has hit a number of milestones. UHC president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong talked about the company’s mindset as a key factor for that success.

“We always talk, as an organization, about doing whatever it takes — no exceptions, no excuses," he said. “I want to thank Ryan and Ashley for investing in us and providing us the opportunity to do that.”

Why did Utah HC need a new practice facility?

The new rink will replace Utah’s Olympic Oval in Kearns as the team’s practice facility. SEG spent the summer renovating the Oval to accommodate an NHL team, though it still has its challenges — especially the hike up a flight of stairs for visiting teams.

“That was a long walk, for sure,” said New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes when asked about his visit to the Oval in February.

Utah will be one of 31 NHL teams with a permanent practice facility. The only one that doesn’t have one is the Vancouver Canucks.

Ryan Smith also talked about the facility as an important part of growing youth hockey in Utah — it’s two more sheets of ice that will be available for community use.

“These are community assets,” he said. “(Creating more ice) is kind of the obstacle for getting people out. ... It’s really, like, ‘How do you create the next great hockey community?‘”

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