Utah Hockey Club, Delta Center breaks record in beer and merchandise sales

If the people drinking beer out of their shoes until the third period didn't show that the Utahns have embraced their new NHL team, the Delta Center has the numbers to prove it.

The Utah Hockey Club defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 to earn the franchise's first win in its home opener on Tuesday.

“That building was special,” said forward Dylan Guenther, who scored Utah’s first-ever goal. “It was a lot of fun playing in front of that crowd.”

But history was written beyond the ice.

The Delta Center saw record-breaking demand for drinks from the hockey crowd. According to Smith Entertainment Group, the arena alone generated $120,000 in beer sales, which is more than any other NBA or NHL event played there.

On the hockey club's opening night, beer prices were slightly higher. A Michelob Ultra cost $13 at Monday's Utah Jazz preseason game, but sold for $15 at Tuesday's Utah HC game. Even at $15 each, that would be 8,000 cans sold on Tuesday evening.

The Utah Hockey Club had a packed – and lively – crowd cheering them to victory. At the Delta Center, the 11,131 full-view tickets were sold out. The game's final attendance was 16,020 spectators, with seats available in the upper bowl with a view of a single goal.

“To hear the crowd, that was the loudest building I’ve ever played in,” said forward Logan Cooley, who assisted on Guenther’s goal.

The fans really wanted to represent the Utah Hockey Club. Their merchandise spending at the inaugural game doubled the Delta Center's previous sales at single-night sporting events. The Foreign Rider Solace Hood Sweater — with “UTAH” printed on the chest and styled like a jersey — was the best-selling item on Tuesday. The opening game T-shirt came second.

From the pregame festivities outside the Delta Center to the warmups to the national anthem and throughout the three game periods, Utahns' enthusiasm – and big spending – showed the state is ready for the NHL.

The players felt that too.

“When we scored the fourth goal, the building exploded,” goalkeeper Connor Ingram said. “You see the towels disappear. I think that's why each of us is playing hockey at this very moment. That sound, that feeling.”