WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Hours after the Utah Grizzlies announced that the team is up for sale, much to the dismay of longtime fans, it was confirmed by FOX 13 News that the front-runner for buying the club plans to relocate it to Trenton, New Jersey.
So, if and when the Grizzlies skate off into the sunset, what does that mean for their longtime home since 1997, the Maverik Center?
"[The Grizzlies] had a long, distinguished history here, and the Elmore Sports Group has had a great relationship with West Valley City for three decades," explained Andy Carroll, the asset optimization director for West Valley City.
West Valley City owns the Maverik Center, and while it will be hard for some to see the Grizzlies pack up and leave, Carroll says the venue is still ready to serve
"The future of the Maverik Center is very bright," he explained. "Obviously, we have a number of events and concerts, and we continue to be very aggressive in making sure that we have very diverse entertainment offerings for the entire community."
While teams like the Grizzlies don’t add a lot to the local economy, Southern Utah University economist David Berri shared how they do provide something for the community.
"It adds a little sense of civic pride to your to your city," he said.
While the team seems likely to relocate to the land of Springsteen, some fans are looking for a different outcome and keeping the Grizzlies in Utah, just a little further south.
"We're getting to a point where we're certainly, St. George is getting big enough that there are enough people here that would be able to support a minor league team," Berri explained. "So, having a minor league hockey team would certainly be an addition that would be helpful, I think."
But as for the future of minor league hockey in northern Utah and at the Maverik Center in particular?
"There's no plan for it at this point. No right now," Carroll explained. "The plan is to be concerts, events and really, a multi-purpose venue, again, to serve the community.
The Maverik Center hopes to double down on those concerts and other events, taking advantage of the nearby Delta Center in Salt Lake City being less available due to ongoing renovations.
Whatever the future of the arena is, the impact of the Grizzlies leaving will be one of memories and a reinvestment to make new memories
"We're in the memory business, and we look forward to creating great memories for the people of Utah," Carroll said.
The Maverik Center is also scheduled to host events, likely figure skating, during the upcoming 2034 Winter Olympics. A spokesperson for the organizing committee said the Grizzlies departure changes none of their plans for West Valley City.
