New-and-improved Delta Center has Mammoth feeling ‘like kids at Christmas’

After missing the playoffs by just two points in 2023, frustration spilled out in then-Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar’s exit interview: The team needed a new arena.

Weegar, who was traded to the Utah Mammoth at last season’s trade deadline, won’t be in Calgary to enjoy the new building — it opens its doors for the 2027-28 season. He will, however, be among the first players to see the new-and-improved Delta Center.

“Obviously saw the new renovations. They look great,” Weegar said after practicing there for the first time Friday afternoon, one day before the Mammoth’s first preseason game there.

“Think there’s a little bit of buzz around that today, so excited for the fans to see it.”

As reporters and local politicians toured the arena Friday afternoon, their business-casual clothing clashed with the safety vests, hard hats and work boots worn around the building by dozens of workers. Those workers still had 24 hours until the opening face-off of the first game, and they weren’t going to let any of them go to waste.

The renovations took crews 143 days of continuous work and “multiple weeks of 24/7 construction,” according to a press release from Smith Entertainment Group.

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SEG’s main goal is to eliminate obstructed views for hockey games.

The Delta Center was originally built for basketball, which uses a much smaller playing surface than hockey. Before any renovations had been done, there were thousands of seats from which hockey fans could only see one net.

After two summers of renovation, the amount of obstructed seats has reduced significantly. SEG hasn’t released the exact number, but the understanding is that every upper-bowl seat on the southwest end of the rink is still obstructed.

By the beginning of the 2027-28 season, every seat will have full views of the ice.

“I looked (up) from the ice. It looks fantastic,” said Mammoth head coach André Tourigny after Friday’s practice. “It’s really steep. It’s massive, so that’s pretty cool.

“From the energy, I think it just makes us want to play even quicker. ... We’re like kids at Christmas who are waiting for our gifts, so looking forward to 3 p.m. tomorrow.”

This stage of the renovation focused mainly on the upper bowl of the northeastern side of the building, behind the net the Mammoth defend twice per game. Crews removed the rows of traditional upper-bowl seating and replaced them with tiers of terrace-style areas.

The result can be characterized in one word: Steep. Of course, that comes with excellent views — fans in those seats will practically be hovering over the ice.

“We want everyone, no matter where you’re sitting, (to be able to) see the full sheet of ice,” said Jim Olson, president of the Utah Jazz and one of the main executives overseeing the project. “Last year, we accomplished that with the lower bowl. This year, we’ve accomplished that with the north end in the upper bowl, and next year we’ll do that with the south end in the upper bowl.

“... We’ve sat in literally every seat, so we’re really confident that there are great sight lines for both sports.”

Crews also built boxes above the two long sides of the arena. SEG called them “gondolas” at first, but they’ve now switched it to “sky boxes.” Either way, they’re not unlike the press box-style seating found in most NHL arenas.

Some of the suites are designated for broadcasters, statisticians, video replay personnel and media. Others, totaling approximately 200 seats, can be purchased by the public.

The official seating capacity for hockey is now 14,111, though that does not include the obstructed-view seats.

Another significant change is the new parking structure located along 400 W — the “SME Parking Garage,” as they’re now calling it, which has been under construction since the summer of 2025. Its 439 new parking spaces will be available to season ticket holders and fans sitting in premium spaces.

The Mammoth take on the Colorado Avalanche at 3 p.m. Saturday, marking the end of the preseason. Their first regular-season game is on Oct. 1, when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks.

“It feels good to be back,” said Mammoth star Logan Cooley. “I mean, (the) seats look amazing. I’m sure it’ll look a lot better when it’s sold out and rocking, so excited to get back going here tomorrow at home and into the regular season.”