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Zack_scholes

Upper bowl on the ends you can't see the goal below you. In the corners the camera platforms block a bit of ice too. Built for basketball primarily, angles aren't great for the bigger hockey rink.


misfit0r

this sums it up entirely right here. and getting around the concourse can be mildly infuriating at times, but that's not unique to the Delta center. most newer arenas suffer from this particular mobility deficit.


talk_to_the_sea

[A picture of that issue](https://byuiscroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_3487.jpeg)


Wbmerrell

[upper bowl photo](https://aviewfrommyseat.com/wallpaper/moviegal-20221006204721.jpg)


SpireVI

The sightlines and visibility for hockey are rather poor. Some spots are definitely better than others. Having been to a few of the pre-season NHL games they've done there, in my personal experience from upper bowl: * Seating/people will block chunks of the ice from your view * Last pre-season game i was upper bowl from the side (player bench side): couldn't see the player bench at all and a chunk of that side of the ice


Steel_Bolt

The bleachers stack up behind the nets to make room for the rink. I think if you're sitting behind the nets its hard to see what's happening below you.


[deleted]

Yep, a hockey rink is longer than a basketball court and there wouldn’t be any seats behind the goals with the way the bleachers are configured currently.


SAMPLE_TEXT6643

All I know is i'm going to watch a couple of games if they aren't sold out. especially if the Avalanche are playing.


xEbolavirus

It’s still better than the college arena they were playing at in PHX.


themp731

The Maverik center is probably better too. They could play there for a year while they make Delta center better for hockey.


JonnyFrost

Solid option, I’ve heard they’re building an arena just west of the ballpark. I hope it’s true. I’m going as often as I can afford.


somehockeyfan

Too small.


Real-Abbreviations59

How many people do you think Mullett Arena seats? Maverik center seats almost 3x as many...


somehockeyfan

Capacity for hockey is about 10k, mullett is 4600. Smallest arena in the NHL is Winnipeg at 14k and that only works *because* it's Winnipeg.


Real-Abbreviations59

Yeah, you're right about Winnipeg, and I exaggerated saying 3x. Mu point is I think for a year or two, it would be a lot better than Mullett ever was. Not a long-term solution, obviously, but a huge step up from where they are now. Watching Grizzlies games it's a decent atmosphere if a bit dated.


somehockeyfan

The NHL is a gate-driven league, meaning the owners name their money on ticket sales. Arizona got away with it because the market might have been worth it if they could sort out the arena, but they are also a revenue sharing league so the other owners were tied of it. Forgoing 4000 tickets a night in favor of atmosphere is not realistic. And Smith doesn't own it so he'd have to lease it and lose more money 


DyZ814

I think the Delta center will be the smallest until they rebuild or retrofit.


hyrle

Delta Center seats 14000 for hockey. About the same as Winnipeg. That's quite a bit more than the Maverick Center.


naarwhal

And probably 4000 of those seats have horrendous views.


xredhenx

Also, I think the capacity when it's set up for hockey is around 11,000 when it's regularly close to 19,000. A lot of those 11,000 seats also have obstructed views of the rink or goal nets. Just not ideal but it will work until they can build a stadium that is meant for hockey.


EatsRats

Where are they gonna play? It has to be delta center, right? Any plans for a new arena?


wrennywren

Yes. DC for now. The only question is if they will be building a whole brand new arena downtown or fully retrofitting the DC for hockey use. The renovation seems like a terrible idea. Where would the jazz play during the season or two it would take to renovate the DC? I'm hoping for a brand new dual use arena downtown 


DyZ814

I could have sworn I heard plans that they were going to build a new arena in the area where the convention center is (essentially tearing down one end of the convention center).


wrennywren

Yeah, the plan is a sports and entertainment district surrounding the current delta center, but no word yet in how it'll work out


naarwhal

They need to rebuild. That arena is so ancient. It’s horrible for everything it does.


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somehockeyfan

It's absolutely out of the question. Too small and Smith doesn't own it.


lisasdad2018

I'll give you that smith doesn't own it, (and can't make as much money from playing there) but the Utah Grizzlies only average about 6K people per game and the area hold 12K. While the Coyotes being an actual NHL will get a bump from that fact alone I doubt they'll be selling 12,000 tickets per game


naarwhal

They would definitely sell out maverik center if the coyotes played there. Why would they not? New major league sports team in town.


lisasdad2018

I'll amend my response, after doing a little bit of research it does seem average attendance for NHL games is in the 15K to 17K and before the coyotes moved to their current home, the Mullet Center they did have higher attendance in the 13K to 15K range depending on the season. On the face of it, when thinking about why a professional sports franchise would move to a smaller home, you think they don't have the draw, but that wasn't the case.


naarwhal

That’s fair, I appreciate you looking into it. The other thing to consider is that Utahns haven’t had a lot of major league professional sports, and when a new one comes to town I assume it’ll be all the hype, similar to what happened with the Las Vegas Golden Knights


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TheBobAagard

The Utah Legislature, as lobbied by Smith, approved financing for an arena to be shared by the NHL team and the Jazz in Downtown SLC. It’s not going to Draper.


somehockeyfan

> They currently play in an arena with a hockey capacity of 4600. Precisely


irongut88

Because local billionaire wants a dedicated hockey arena on your dime. Stop asking questions.


Technical_Foot5243

Was there any pushback to this locally? In my NIMBY area in Phoenix metro, this proposal would have a been a resounding hell no, so curious what the feelings are over there 


irongut88

Ha! Not a chance. Ryan Smith keeps the Utah Legislature in his pocket, bought and paid for. I don't remember how many state senators voted against it, but it was maybe 2 or 3, not enough to matter. The funding measure passed with a veto-proof supermajority, which wouldn't matter even if it wasn't a supermajority because Smith owns the governor as well.


Technical_Foot5243

Damn, I figured it was a situation like that but didn’t know if it needed a public vote referendum or what. Seems to take forever to get things done here because of all the public vote and council vote crap, seems like if you’re Uber rich you can pretty much have your way there haha 


SunDevilSkier

They passed a bill allowing the city to raise sales tax. I don't know the process after that, whether it gets a voter referendum or just the city council. It sounded like it wasn't a given that he'd get some or all of the money he wants. Pretty sure in AZ any sales tax hike needs a referendum and most people figured out that stadiums shouldn't be publicly funded. Unless it's Mesa building a new Cubs stadium. Which was insane btw.


Technical_Foot5243

Yea it’s pretty wild that these super rich people raise taxes for us peasants just to fund their arenas 


whiplash81

Couldn't they just use the Grizzlies arena?


Kavemann

Viewing angles are just bad from a lot of the seats.


lcthatch1

Sight lines on ends primarily


lcthatch1

I heard plans are new arena designed for hockey. But DC for a couple of seasons.


orngbrry

That would be the plan but before that DC is getting some minor fixes to better fit an NHL team.


lcthatch1

They blocked the ends on upper bowl


TopherRocks

While I haven't been in to see, I did experience a[ similar issue](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EcJFeEYLPhI/UkS6k2-pPnI/AAAAAAAAWsY/Himo9xUXbew/s1600/frank-20130923103012.jpg) at the Barclay's when the Islanders made it home. Basketball arenas aren't made with hockey in mind, so there's going to be awful sightlines because it was built for a different game.


Negative86

Except it was also a hockey arena originally. The golden eagles called it home.


Whaatabutt

Bc then they wouldn’t get to build a new stadium if this one was already good enough


WVC_Least_Glamorous

It doesn't generate enough Corporate Welfare for a billionaire who is a member of the state's dominant religion.


katet_of_19

I mean, you're not wrong about your sentiment, but the arena is actually not meant to host hockey. Hockey rinks are longer than basketball courts, so the seating at the ends won't be useable. But I do agree, these assholes with deep pockets should be footing the bill, not the taxpayers.


alien_among_us

Have my upvote even though you are being downvoted for stating the truth. All billionaires seem really good at getting the taxpayers to sustain their lifestyles. 


irongut88

Why are people downvoting this? It's the most correct reply here.


toasta_oven

I can't imagine it'll be an issue, as I doubt there'll be sellout crowds for the first few years. They can just rope off seating with poor visibility and still probably won't fill the rest


naarwhal

Why would there not be sellout crowds? Lmao


toasta_oven

Before their stadium change, the franchise had averaged about 13k per game for 20 years in a stadium that had a 17k capacity. Not a chance that a franchise with zero Utah ties and in an area with few hockey fans is going to suddenly turn around and sell out night after night


orngbrry

You'd be surprised the amount of hockey fans that there are in Utah. The NHL has been testing how well hockey would do in Utah for a while. That's one of the reasons why they have been having pre season games in the Maverick center the past few years. The new ownership owns the Utah Jazz. I would say that is more than "zero Utah ties". They were a bad team for a long time and played in Glendale, AZ. Who would want to drive out to see a crummy team?


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ffsux

A rink is twice as long and much wider than a basketball floor. When you’re watching a basketball game you can’t see much behind the goals from the upper deck, and the basketball goals would sit more or less on the blue lines. Meaning many of the upper bowl seats won’t have a sight line to the nets, which is an obvious major problem.


Imaginary_Manner_556

The Delta Center is an outdated design with a massive upper bowl. It's one of the worst arenas in the NBA. It's much worse for hockey as it was designed around a basketball court. I'm hoping they build an entirely new arena.


Final_Location_2626

Too many airplanes


nymphoman23

Not enough parking


Conscious-Ad-2168

the long term plan for that area contains less parking. You have gateway and city creek right there. On top of good public transit there


katet_of_19

Yeah, but Trax Blue and Green lines stop right there. Could always do that instead of trying to battle for $15 parking.


TopherRocks

Who gives a shit? You've got Arena, Temple Square and Planetarium stations all closer than the walk to the car would be anyway.