Photos: Here’s what the new Utah Mammoth practice facility looks like

On Aug. 12, 2024, representatives from several organizations put shovels in the ground for the ceremonial groundbreaking of a new NHL practice facility in Sandy for the now-named Utah Mammoth.

A little more than 13 months later, those same representatives toured local media through the actual building Wednesday, and let me tell you, this place is nice.

Smith Entertainment Group made a point to spare no expense. The features include:

• 2 ice surfaces.
• 9 locker rooms, including 2 built to NHL specifications.
• A barber shop.
• An 8,082-square-foot dry gym.
• A 22-foot therapy pool.
• A hot tub.
• A cold tub.
• A sauna and steam room big enough for the whole team.
• A restaurant-style kitchen with a mobile ordering service.
• A state-of-the-art players’ lounge with a ping pong table, TVs everywhere, lounge seating and a giant family-style table.
• A giant recovery/therapy room with plenty of amenities, including red light therapy and dry float tanks.
• A local positioning system installed above each ice surface to track player data.

1 of 42

2 of 42

3 of 42

4 of 42

5 of 42

6 of 42

7 of 42

8 of 42

9 of 42

10 of 42

11 of 42

12 of 42

13 of 42

14 of 42

15 of 42

16 of 42

17 of 42

18 of 42

19 of 42

20 of 42

21 of 42

22 of 42

23 of 42

24 of 42

25 of 42

26 of 42

27 of 42

28 of 42

29 of 42

30 of 42

31 of 42

32 of 42

33 of 42

34 of 42

35 of 42

36 of 42

37 of 42

38 of 42

39 of 42

40 of 42

41 of 42

42 of 42

Once it’s completely done (the player areas are mostly finished, but the public things will open in January), there will also be a restaurant and a pro shop, which will sell both hockey equipment and merchandise in addition to renting out skates.

“This is pretty special,” said Mammoth alternate captain Alexander Kerfoot. “It’s state of the art. I think it’s the best facility in the league.”

Kerfoot, an eight-year NHL veteran, spent half of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are known for having the best facilities. Whether he meant to call the Mammoth’s new facility the best or not, the fact that he puts the two even in the same stratosphere speaks volumes to how impressive Utah’s is.

Others within the Mammoth organization have echoed similar sentiments, from the players to the coaches to the front office staff to the owner.

“It’s better than even what I expected,” said captain Clayton Keller. “It’s got every resource that you could possibly ask for, between the gym, the recovery (room) — just everything. The lunch area, it’s a place to hang out. ... It’s just great to have every resource we need to be successful."

A facility like this can be a major reason why free agents would want to come to Utah. The state may not have the beaches of Florida or the night life of New York, but an ownership group that’s dedicated to the success of the team is attractive to players who are deciding where to plant their roots.

A story from coach Andre Tourigny

Once the tour had concluded, head coach André Tourigny invited a small group of reporters to see his office, where he told a story that characterizes the speed at which this facility was built.

The coaches’ desks are all in a bullpen with a number of breakout rooms surrounding it for private meetings. An adjacent hallway connects the players’ dry stall room to a common room, so it can get noisy as people pass through.

Tourigny asked if they could install a door between the two areas, hoping they could get it done within the next few weeks or so. To his delight, there was a door there four hours later.

It was a similar story when he requested an additional TV in the video room. He just put in the request Wednesday, and he’s told he’ll have it by 6 a.m. Thursday.

Tourigny said Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy was the one who originally told him how efficiently SEG’s crews can work. He said Hardy asked if they could eliminate a wall at the Jazz’s facility, and it was gone when he showed up the next day.