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SALT LAKE CITY — Ryan Smith climbed up the Delta Center's lower bowl stairs as the first fans trickled in on Monday.
He greeted some early-comers with a wide smile and waved as shouts of "Thank you, Ryan!" echoed through the arena. As he got near the top, he turned to look at the ice.
It was all real. Utah's very own NHL squad was about to take home ice for the first time.
It's been a whirlwind five months for the new franchise. Utah HC has built a temporary practice facility and broke ground on a permanent one. It's designed jerseys, came up with a temporary brand and moved an entire organization north. It's put in an NHL-caliber locker room at the Delta Center and has begun planning renovations to fix the less-than-ideal sightlines.
As Smith surveyed the arena — featuring wide black curtains draping large portions of the lower bowl and large swaths of seats that could only see one goal — his mind went to what it would look like in the future.
"We've got to get this fixed," he said.
Steffaun Dandy was wide-eyed as he sat midway up the upper bowl behind one of the goals.
The Utah Hockey Club had just made a grand introduction, scoring two first-period goals (with a couple of fights sandwiched in between) in rapid succession. A team deadset on making a good first impression delivered on all accounts.
The one problem? Dandy and the rest of the fans sitting behind that net couldn't see either of those goals — at least not live. The view of the goal — and much of the attacking zone — was blocked by the steep wall of the arena. That is what Smith wants to fix with the renovations.
The good news for Smith and Utah HC? The fans are willing to give the organization some grace.
"I mean, we've got a big screen to still see," Dandy said. "It's better than watching at home and we get to watch it live a little bit. It's a budget seat; it's worth it. I'd rather be here than not."
That was the sentiment for many fans who had single-goal viewing tickets on Monday. Of course, they would have preferred to see the entire ice, but being able to be in the arena and getting to bask in the atmosphere of NHL hockey still made for a memorable night.
"It's a good experience, and I feel like the team is feeding off the crowd," Aaron Feifer said. "I'd like to see the whole thing, but it's cool."
Even those that got some bad luck — all four regulation goals on Monday were scored on the same end — said they'd return for a game in the same section.
"Heck, I rarely can tell when the puck goes in anyway," Sam McCraig said with a laugh. "It was just awesome to be here. I'd 100% come back."
The organization has not yet determined what games will have single-goal tickets available, but a Smith Entertainment Group spokesperson said there is a good chance they will be offered for Friday and Saturday games.
The other obstructed-view seats didn't come with any loud complaints either.
"The game moved so fast that I hardly noticed," said Kevin Adams, whose view had a corner of the ice blocked. "I thought it was going to be more annoying. I was pleasantly surprised."
Undoubtedly, the fans are in a bit of a honeymoon phase. It was the first preseason game for a team that arrived in what felt like a blink of an eye. So what's the plan for when the goodwill eventually wears off?
Utah HC president Chris Armstrong said the team has explored the possibility of raising the floor to address the sightline issues, but no plans have been finalized.
"As you can understand and expect it's a complicated endeavor to do what we're trying to do in this building and still preserve the integrity of the fan experience for the Utah Jazz, but then ultimately create the best NHL hockey experience as well," he said. "So I think we're going to take a very deliberate and meticulous and patient approach making sure that we do this the right way in the shortest amount of time."
If Monday is an indication, the fans are fine being patient.
