How will the Mammoth’s playoff run affect Delta Center renovations?

In a press conference at the Delta Center Friday evening a little more than an hour before puck drop of the arena’s first-ever Stanley Cup Playoff game, a Hockey Hall of Famer and a relative hockey newbie met with the media.

The former was NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who is making his rounds through the playoff teams (this was his fifth such press conference this week). The latter was Utah Mammoth owner Ryan Smith.

Among the many topics discussed, one piqued particular interest: the Delta Center renovation timeline.

Upon completion of the Mammoth’s season, the stadium will undergo the second phase of a three-year renovation intended to improve sight lines for hockey. A hockey rink is nearly thrice the size of a basketball court, so Smith Entertainment Group has had to get creative to accommodate the Mammoth.

But with the Mammoth making the playoffs, the construction crew won’t be able to begin working until later than it did last season — potentially even months later, depending on how deep the team gets into the playoffs.

When the Deseret News asked about that aspect of the playoff run, Jim Olson, one of the main SEG executives overseeing the construction endeavors, could be seen in the audience with his palm to his forehead.

That’s because his already-complicated job is even more difficult this season.

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“The answer is ‘Yes, yes and yes,’” Smith said in response to whether the playoff run complicated the renovation endeavors and whether they might eat into the 2026-27 season schedule.

This is not a new issue for the NHL to deal with. In the 2021-22 season, the New York Islanders began their season with a 13-game road trip as they awaited the finishing touches on UBS Arena, which was being built at the time.

The result was not favorable for the Islanders despite their trips to the Conference Finals in each of the previous two seasons. The early road trip seemed to take a toll on the players, so much so that they missed the playoffs that year.

The Mammoth are currently tied 1-1 in their best-of-seven first-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights entering Friday’s Game 3.