SALT LAKE CITY — Excitement will soon swirl around Delta Center as the Utah Mammoth skate towards their first-ever Stanley Cup Playoff appearance.
But Thursday night, exasperation was all some fans could feel after they missed the game that effectively clinched franchise history.
“On the drive up, I just kind of had a feeling that they were going to flake on me,” said season ticket holder Skyler Beltran.
Beltran may be known in northern Utah as one of three Utah County Commissioners, but outside of work, he’s also a big sports fan. While hockey was never Beltran's thing, he took his family to the Mammoth's ‘Welcome the Team’ party back in 2024.
“It was packed, and the energy was amazing, and we’ve been hooked ever since," he said.
The Beltráns caught "Mammoth Fever" and became season ticket holders. While they only have two seats, with school being out for spring break, Beltran wanted to take both his sons to the Predators game and bought three resale tickets on StubHub hours before the puck dropped.
It was only after driving up to Salt Lake City that they discovered the bad news.
“It was 6:50 P.M. when we were supposed to get them. I called StubHub again, and they said, ‘Unfortunately, the seller cannot deliver your tickets,’” Beltran shared.
With no replacement tickets available, Beltran and his boys found solace in Baskin-Robbins and listened to the game on their ride home.
In the end, Beltran did get his money back, but missed out on an historic night.
With the NHL playoffs set to get underway next weekend, the Mammoth is also reminding people to think about where they’re buying and only go to authorized resellers, such SeatGeek, the team's official partner.
As fans get a load of the eye-watering prices that have already appeared, Beltran is hoping people see his tale as a cautionary one.
“There’s going to be sticker shock," he said. "If the deal’s too good to be true… that’s your first indicator.”
