Find out who owns the Utah Hockey Club. owner's net worth, source of wealth, and ownership history.
The Utah Hockey Club competes in the NHL as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference.
The team is one of the newest franchises in the NHL, having joined the league as an expansion team for the 2024–25 season.
The Utah Hockey Club is based in Salt Lake City and plays its home games at the Delta Center.
Who owns the Utah Hockey Club?
As of January 2025, the Utah Hockey Club is owned by Ryan Smith. He is the majority owner of the NHL franchise, which began to play in the league in the 2024/2025 season.
Smith had plans for having an NHL team in Utah in 2022 and made a formal request to the league for a franchise team in January 2024.
In order to actualize this, Smith went on to purchase the assets of the Arizona Coyotes NHL team for $1.2 billion from its owner Alex Meruelo. Thus, this allowed the establishment of the new franchise in Salt Lake City.
Who is Ryan Smith?
Ryan Smith is an American businessman and chairman of Smith Entertainment Group. He is also the co-founder of Qualtrics.
Smith is known for his ownership of major franchise teams including NBA team Utah Jazz and co-owner of MLS side Real Salt Lake. He is the owner of the Smith Entertainment Group.
Net worth
According to figures from Forbes, Ryan Smith has an estimated net worth of $2.2B accrued from his earnings at Qualtrics, and Utah Jazz of the NBA.
Ryan Smith source of wealth
Qualtrics
Ryan Smith is the co-founder of the American experience management company Qualtrics. According to Forbes, the company was later acquired by SAP for $8 billion.
However, Smith purchased up to $120 million worth of the company's stock in 2021. Today, the company generates around US$1.46 billion as of 2023.
Utah Jazz
Ryan Smith is the majority shareholder of the NBA franchise team Utah Jazz in October 2020 from Gail Miller for $1.66 billion. Along with the sale of the Jazz is the Delta Centre indoor venue.
Other assets included in the deal are the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League and the Salt Lake Bees, the teams that play in Minor League Baseball.
Real Salt Lake
Smith is the co-owner of the Major League Soccer franchise alongside investor David Blitzer. The duo purchased the club in 2022 for $400 million.
The sale also included the America First Field, Real Monarchs, and Zions Bank Stadium.
Utah Royals
Ryan Smith and investor David Blitzer re-established the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team Utah Royals in 2023.
Utah Hockey Club Valuation and Net Worth
According to figures from Forbes, the Utah Hockey Club is valued at $1.2B. Although the team is relatively new in the NHL, it has already signed sponsorship deals with major brands across the United States.
Stadium
The Utah Jazz Hockey Club currently plays its home games at the Delta Center Arena which is an indoor venue in Salt Lake. It is also home to the NBA franchise team the Utah Jazz.
The Delta Center Arena has a seating capacity of 18,306 for basketball. It can accommodate up to 16,200 seats for ice hockey (NHL) and indoor football games as well as concerts which can be increased to 20,000. The Arena was built at a construction cost of $93 million.
What Conference are the Utah Hockey Club in?
The Utah Hockey Club competes in the NHL as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The team began to play in the 2024/2025 season as an expansion franchise.
What are the team colours and nicknames?
The Utah Hockey Club traditional colours features a Rock black, salt white and mountain blue. The rock black and mountain blue are the team's primary home colours. The team's nicknames are often referred to as the Yeti" or "Yetis.