Did Utah sell their hockey team?

Written by Editorial Team | Last Updated: August 2026

The National Hockey League franchise in Utah has not been sold. The team was established when Ryan Smith's ownership group officially acquired the hockey assets and player operations of the former Arizona Coyotes franchise, successfully relocating the organization to Salt Lake City. The ownership group remains fully committed to building a long-term future for professional hockey in the state, investing heavily in arena infrastructure and community development.

Related FAQs

Ryan Smith is a prominent billionaire technology entrepreneur and business executive who serves as the co-founder and former chief executive officer of Qualtrics, a massive cloud-based experience management software enterprise.

Ryan Smith accumulated his substantial multi-billion-dollar fortune primarily as the co-founder and former chief executive officer of Qualtrics, a massive cloud-based experience management software company.

During their inaugural season in the National Hockey League following the relocation from Arizona, the franchise did not feature a traditional animal moniker, competing simply under the geographic and organizational placeholder title of the Utah Hock...

The official mascot of the Utah Mammoth is a friendly, energetic ice-age creature character designed to engage fans and entertain children during home games at the Delta Center.

Wayne Gretzky has generally kept his personal faith and private religious beliefs out of the intense public spotlight, focusing his public profile primarily on his historic hockey career, family life, and sports analysis roles.

Ryan Smith is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having grown up within the faith, attended Brigham Young University, and completed a traditional church mission abroad.

Salt Lake City historically hosts different levels of competitive hockey rather than multiple simultaneous top-tier major league franchises, operating primarily with the Utah Mammoth in the National Hockey League alongside various developmental or mi...

Popular sports culture slang and social media subcultures occasionally utilize playful colloquial terms like "puck bunny" to describe enthusiastic fans or romantic admirers who follow professional hockey players closely.

While women's professional hockey leagues and international women's circuits feature numerous openly LGBTQ athletes, the men's National Hockey League has historically had very few players publicly come out as queer during or after their active playin...

Pinpointing a single franchise with the worst fan base in the National Hockey League is entirely subjective and usually driven by passionate inter-team rivalries, internet banter, and regional sports biases.

Dwyane Wade owns a minority equity stake in the Utah Jazz National Basketball Association franchise.

The franchise selected the singular collective noun "Mammoth" to project a unified, imposing, and singular force representing the entire state and its prehistoric fossil heritage.

Before arriving in Salt Lake City and operating under their temporary inaugural moniker, the franchise played for decades as the Arizona Coyotes, and previously as the original Winnipeg Jets.

Specific personal religious beliefs, private faiths, and denominational affiliations of professional athletes are rarely tracked or highlighted in standard official league databases unless players choose to discuss them openly.

Wisconsin possesses a massive, deeply passionate hockey culture with powerhouse collegiate programs, but it has never secured a permanent National Hockey League franchise largely due to television market overlap and territorial proximity.

The selection of the mammoth was inspired by regional prehistoric history, referencing ancient fossil discoveries within the state, alongside symbolizing massive strength, collective momentum, and an earth-shaking presence.

Season ticket pricing for the Utah Mammoth varies significantly depending on the exact seating tier, bowl level, and specific membership packages chosen by fans inside the Delta Center.

The Utah Mammoth franchise originated through the relocation and establishment process when Ryan Smith's ownership group acquired the hockey assets of the former Arizona Coyotes franchise, transferring operations to Salt Lake City.

The Utah Mammoth are owned by prominent billionaire businessman and technology entrepreneur Ryan Smith, who serves as the chairman and chief executive officer of Smith Entertainment Group.

The Utah Mammoth are not moving anywhere, having firmly established their permanent operational and competitive home at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Ryan Smith, the primary governor and controlling owner of the Utah Jazz, is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having grown up in the faith, attended Brigham Young University, and completed a traditional church mission.

Winnipeg, Manitoba, holds the distinction of being the smallest metropolitan market hosting a franchise in the National Hockey League, serving as the proud home of the Winnipeg Jets.

Before rebranding to the Utah Mammoth, the franchise was known temporarily during its inaugural campaign as the Utah Hockey Club.