The story of the Utah Mammoth moving to Utah belongs in the history books.
After the end of their season, on April 18, 2024, the NHL quickly approved moving the Arizona Coyotes to Utah.
The team arrived at the airport to find families and their children. All were receiving the players with open arms.
That very same day, Ryan and Ashley Smith (owners of the Mammoth and Utah Jazz) hosted a Welcome the Players Event, where fans around the state gathered to embrace their new team, selling out the arena (20,000 seats) and flooding its outside concourse.
Within a span of a few months, every player managed to settle into their new home in the mountains. This quick transition helped align the schedules of the Jazz and Mammoth, ensuring both teams could coexist and thrive in the next season.
Critics questioned whether a hockey culture existed in Utah and whether people would support the team. But before the Mammoth ever came to town, Utahns were already rooting for their own minor league hockey team.
For 30 years, the Utah Grizzlies captured the hearts of Utahns with the team’s exciting beginnings. They paved the way for the Mammoth to find success and a home in Utah. Even with the Grizzlies leaving the state this season, they remain a large staple in the community.
Bringing Back Hockey to Utah
The Grizzlies became an integral part of keeping hockey in Utah. The Salt Lake Golden Eagles, a former minor league team in the state, became a mainstay in the Utah sports culture from the early 70s to the mid 90s.
Winning five championship cups, Golden Eagle hockey gained many beloved fans in the state. However, the team’s last owner, Larry H. Miller, sold them to William Davidson, who’d move the team to Detroit, Michigan, in 1994.
At first, it seemed like hockey in Salt Lake City was over. However, when a small franchise out of Denver found itself without a home, the Grizzlies moved to Salt Lake in 1995 and won the IHL 1996 Turner Cup in front of thousands at the Delta Center.
“It went into overtime, every time we went into the offensive zone, we were going to score, and we won the championship,” said a long-time fan reminiscing on the game. “That overtime was really exciting.”
After one season without hockey, the Grizzlies managed brought passion and hockey culture back to hopeless fans one year after the Golden Eagles left, further cementing the sport’s presence in the winter state.
“They brought hockey back to Utah, like they said,” stated a long-time employee of the team in an interview with The Lead.
Historic Franchise
The team participated in numerous leagues, such as the aforementioned IHL (International Hockey League), the American Hockey League (AHL), and the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), their most tenured league. Since joining the ECHL in 2005, the Grizzlies have averaged 12th in league attendance among the league’s 30 teams.
Thousands of Utahns flocked to the Grizzlies’ home, the Maverik Center, each year, just to experience the game. If they weren’t going to a Jazz game, it would be the Grizzlies. The games hosted parties, social gatherings, and even corporate events, giving more than a single viewer the chance to experience the great game of hockey in the Wasatch Front.
Maintaining a Proud Culture
“I think one of the lasting impacts everybody’s going to have is the memories,” said Grizzlies play-by-play announcer Tyson Whiting in an exclusive interview with The Lead.
“It’s memories of first hockey games, you know,” Whiting later stated. “For a lot of people, myself included, it’s the first experience of seeing hockey live and in person was at a Grizzlies game.”
Just like its predecessor, the Golden Eagles, the Grizzlies introduce thousands of fans to the sport, continuously perpetuating a thriving fan base. New fans are made every year just by getting people into the Maverick Center and watching a game.
The Grizzlies Experience
“I’m like, oh yeah, I know all about hockey now,” a fan exclaimed when asked about the team’s impact on her. “I don’t have to ask questions a hundred times. We bring all of our family with us, it’s a lot of fun.”
Many fans enjoyed the drama as a heated rivalry grew between the Grizzlies and their northern neighbor, the Idaho Steelheads. Players on both teams went pound-for-pound, always looking for a way to gain the upper hand.
Others enjoy the themed nights promoted in the ECHL, such as the Grizzlies’ famous military night. Fans also reminisced about the glory days of the Grizzlies’ recent playoff success, such as the Western Conference finals series against the Toledo Walleyes.
“That playoff run in 2022 was a ton of fun. It turned out to be the only division championship in team history,” said Whiting when asked about that playoff run.
Even though the Grizzlies lost that Western Conference series against the Walleyes, fans look upon the journey of beating teams like the Tulsa Oilers and Rapid City Rush quite fondly.
If you go to a Grizzlies game, you’ll hear horns blowing, cowbells jingling, and the fans’ famous chants when a player gets sent to the penalty box. The fans yell the player’s name and yell “shame, shame, shame, and you suck”! Or, when the opposing team comes back to full strength, the PA announcer announces the player’s return and the fans come back with a thunderous roar, “AND THEY STILL SUCK”.
“People love hockey”, another fan told The Lead. “A lot of people like it because of the hitting and the fights. We just like to come, there’s nothing better to do.”
Impact on the Players
It’s not just the fans the Grizzlies have impacted, but the players as well. The team has seen many great players come through its ranks. Ryan Kinasewich was one of them. In his tenure with the Grizzlies, Kinasewich scored 156 goals, 200 assists, and 356 points–making him the franchise’s highest scorer in history. He even spent seven years as both an assistant and head coach of the team.
When asked by the Deseret News about the state and the team, these were his thoughts: “I have a ton of great memories here,” Kinaswich said. “Met my fiancé here and consider this home now.”
The Lead interviewed a few players after a recent game against the Oilers in March. 12, 2026, to ask about their thoughts on the state of Utah. The first interviewee, the most eager and longest tenured player, is Luke Manning. That night, Manning earned the second star of the game, scoring one goal and two assists.
“Coming here, the Grizzly culture was already established before I was here,” said Manning when asked about the hockey culture in Utah. “You can tell around the community and with the fans that people love Grizzly hockey.”
He then added, “With the Mammoth coming to town too, I mean, there’s just more and more hockey lovers around the community, so that’s fun to see,” Manning later stated. “But the Grizzly community is like no other, so it’s been really fun to play in front of these fans.”
Besides playing in front of a great group of fans, Manning also told The Lead he loved the area and living in the mountain state.
Good Things Come to an End
The Grizzlies brought hockey back to Utah, cultivating its culture over the last 30 years. Sadly, the team will be leaving after this season for Trenton, New Jersey, to become the Skyhawks. David Elmore, the owner who brought the Grizzlies to Utah, passed away in 2023, leaving the team to his family. The organization felt confident the team would continue to thrive in Utah until another tragedy occurred.
“A big turning point was May 9, 2025, when Grizzlies CEO Kevin Bruder passed away,” said Whiting, when asked about the team moving. “Whatever reason that seemed to be kind of the last straw to get the ball rolling, and Elmore’s were able to find a seller.”
After Bruder’s death in 2005, the team’s President and CEO, Bruder, left a leadership void for the organization, and ownership felt it best to sell the team.
Passing the Torch
Hockey culture in Utah will never be the same after the Grizzlies leave town. The team brought excitement to hockey when the state was dominated by elite basketball teams like the Jazz. Without the contributions of the Grizzlies, such as creating new fans, starting youth programs, and maintaining the culture, the Mammoth wouldn’t have embedded itself into Utah so quickly.
Fans will forever remember the Grizzlies for their ability to help bring families to games with cheap tickets and quality entertainment. Others will remember their championships and playoff battles.
Many fans will look back on the fun they had, the atmosphere, and the growing love for the game in front of them. Parents will tell children stories of the great team that got them into hockey as they walk into any icy arena. The goals, the horn, and the announcer speaking, forever gracing their memories.
Thank you, Grizzlies, for what you did, helping Utah find its joy in hockey once again. You provided fans a way to find more enjoyment in their lives, you brought families together, and you paved the way for the sport to grow in this state. Your legacy will live on through your fans, the Mammoth, and the state history books.
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