In Salt Lake City, Hockey Fans Can Enjoy a Quirky and Exciting Getaway

Utah HC captain Clayton Keller scores a dazzling goal and the sellout crowd at Salt Lake City’s Delta Center roars amid the din of the goal horn.

This sounds like an exciting but also standard night for hockey fans in traditional NHL markets. However, the newest of the league’s 32 franchises — allocated back in April after the Arizona Coyotes needed a new home — is still a true novelty in the Utah capital.

Apart from Canada’s gold-medal triumphs in the 2002 Olympic men’s and women’s hockey tournaments, this city of 1.2 million has only previously hosted minor-league hockey, from the Salt Lake City Golden Eagles to the Utah Grizzlies. So for adventurous sports lovers, it’s an interesting time to make a pilgrimage to Salt Lake City and catch your favourite NHL club in action versus Utah HC, while also experiencing local food and drink, sightseeing, history, and more.

Yes, “adventurous” is the word. Canadian visitors might struggle to picture what an exciting and diverse sports-related outing in Salt Lake City looks like. Perhaps an alternative timeline where the Utah Jazz top Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the 1997 or 1998 NBA Finals. Or, Mitt Romney and Donny Osmond swigging dirty sodas in a luxury box at a BYU Cougars football game. But in real life, things have heated up variety-wise.

Between periods at a Utah HC game, you can wash down Korean BBQ and artisan pizza with an Ogden Beer Co. Hibiscus Ale. Admire guitars autographed by Taylor Swift and Metallica. Or shop for hockey jerseys and hoodies galore. And that’s just the start.

Before or after your NHL fix, there’s much more to experience in Salt Lake City. It’s not the remote, staid Mormon theocracy of your imagination. Sporty and whimsical diversions abound in the area.

For example, do you dream of reaching new heights like towering NHL defencemen Jamie Oleksiak or Tyler Myers? A refreshing foray into the neighbouring Wasatch Mountains is just the ticket.

Start off on a sugar high with breakfast-to-go from Hruska’s Kolaches, The family-owned bakery specializes in Central European-inspired pastries with flavours like maple pecan or berries and cream. After downing a spicy Maya Mocha at the nearby Sugar House Coffee, make the half-hour drive to the Snowbird ski resort, ascending through Little Cottonwood Canyon’s abundant aspens.

The ultra-smooth aerial tram ride to the 11,000-foot summit of Hidden Peak — reminiscent of Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain Skyride — is a highlight for ski buffs and non-skiers alike. It’s pure serenity amid spartan peaks.

If you like athletes who say, “We gotta keep our foot on the gas pedal,” a unique taste of America’s love affair with cars awaits at the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum. This photogenic passion project of former Jazz CEO Greg Miller occupies a converted metal foundry. It showcases more than 100 of the Toyota four-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured from the early 1950’s to modern times. Miller set a world record between 2012 and 2014 by driving a Land Cruiser on all seven continents, covering more than 93,000 kilometres (57,800 miles).

Aim to chat with museum expert Dan Busey, who is as knowledgeable as he is quotable. “Here in North America, we see just the tip of the Land Cruiser iceberg,” says Busey, a former Toyota salesman. “Australia is probably the world’s largest Land Cruiser market. If you want to go to the Outback and come back, you take a Land Cruiser.”

Keep the Mad Max vibes going afterwards with lunch at Garage on Beck as tunes like AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” blast in the background. The self-proclaimed “Best Damn Road House,” decorated with Quaker State and 76 Motor Oil signs, dishes up specialties such as the fiery Mormon Fried Potatoes with cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and bacon, and the Roadkill Chicken Sandwich on a brioche bun with herb aioli.

If arena rock turns your crank, indulge your headbanging hunger at the 1987-founded Heavy Metal Shop — another surprising Salt Lake City institution. Frequented by stars from Joan Jett to Alice in Chains, the store sells not only albums and posters but also metal-themed hockey jerseys and carrot-ginger hot sauce.

When visiting the free-to-enter Gilgal Sculpture Garden, local bishop Thomas Child’s strange outdoor exhibition of religious stone carvings, you may spot similarities between the Sphinx with LDS Church founder Joseph Smith’s head and the cover of Iron Maiden’s ancient Egypt-inspired classic “Powerslave“.

Complete your hat trick of cultural curiosities at Ken Sanders Rare Books. At this three-storey book emporium inside the Leonardo Museum, you can buy tomes like W. Dustin White’s “The Book of Winter Sports” (1925), which includes this scintillating quote: “The first time one witnesses a real game of ice hockey, it appears to be but a wild scramble on skates, to the tune of swinging clubs and skimming puck.”

Meanwhile, beer fandom and sports fandom go hand in hand, and finding great craft brews in downtown Salt Lake City doesn’t require a wild scramble.

The 1989-founded Squatters Pub Brewery has retro video game- and speed metal-inspired beers like Galaga IPA and Kreator Kolsch, plus fried Brussels sprouts and prosciutto arugula pizza. Steps away is Red Rock Brewery, which combines a friendly sports-bar feel with pictures of Monument Valley — where hits from Stagecoach (1939) to Westworld (2016) have been filmed — and other amazing Utah rock formations. The Marvella Belgian Style Tripel (11% ABV) is the hard-hitting beer of choice.

At Bewilder Brewing, there’s an eclectic mix. Soak up Schwarzbier and Guava Sour and old-school hip-hop from Cypress Hill to Talib Kweli in the 120-year-old former Western Electric building.

A sobering Natural History Museum of Utah visit is in order if you dig menacing sports team names like “Sharks” or “Predators.” Home to nearly 30,000 paleontological specimens, the museum displays reconstructed dinosaur skeletons like the 80-million-year-old Lythronax. Its dramatic gaping jaws and sharp teeth earned it the nickname of “Gore King from the Southwest.”

The University of Utah’s neighbouring Red Butte Garden offers a chance to decompress with sweeping views of the city skyline, amid tranquil gazebos, and some 46,000 individual plants from roses to crab apples.

Fans who revel in memories of the 2002 Winter Games or anticipation of the 2034 sequel in Salt Lake City can book a Rice-Eccles Stadium tour that has a number of highlights worthy of photographing. Outside the venue, which accommodates close to 60,000 spectators, you can photograph the ’02 Olympic cauldron, the iconic five rings, and the Paralympics logo. Capacious dressing rooms, luxury suites, and an opportunity to walk on the football field await inside.

Looking to elevate your heart rate? Utah HC’s practice facility is located at the Utah Olympic Oval, and you can rent skates to go speed-skating on the Olympic track. As you’re lacing up, check out the jerseys of NHL stars like Nathan MacKinnon and Logan Couture displayed on the wall.

For sports visitors, Salt Lake City remains in some respects a work in progress. Close to 5,000 seats at the Delta Center offer restricted views for hockey, so you might need to look up at the big video cube to catch that Connor McDavid breakaway. Non-U.S. citizens must present their passports in order to buy a beer at local bars.

Still, when you experience the party-like atmosphere at a Utah HC game, from chants of “Spicy Tuna!” honouring forward Liam O’Brien to the free dill pickles at the condiments table, you’ll be glad you flew to the Southwest.

MORE ABOUT VISITING UTAH

Getting There: As Delta’s Rocky Mountain hub, Salt Lake City is easy to reach for Canadians, with daily direct flights from and to both Vancouver and Calgary (flying time is approximately two hours). Air Canada also offers non-stop service from Toronto.

Where to Stay: The swanky Le Méridien Salt Lake City Downtown delivers amenities aplenty. Score a warm chocolate chip cookie in the lobby or use your free pass to the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. Luxuriate in a walk-in rain shower or a soaker tub with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Delta Center. Malin + Goetz toiletries and Illy coffee-makers add to the creature comforts. Room Rates: A weekend night in January that coincides with a Utah HC game starts at $191 USD (approximately $270 CAD), based on a recent search of the property’s booking engine.

Where to Eat: Downtown options are endless. Breakfast on French toast with blueberry compote and powdered sugar at Eva’s Bakery amid elegant blue-and-white decor. A meatball sub and Greek salad makes for a hearty lunch at Caputo’s, a sprawling Italian deli that also offers artisan chocolate and cheese brands. Grab a pre-hockey or basketball bite at Hallpass, a lively food hall near the Delta Center with outlets like Colossal Lobster, Hog & Tradition BBQ, and Skinny Fats.

Alcohol Rules in Utah: While alcohol is prohibited in a handful of Utah cities, beer, wine, and spirits are readily available in Salt Lake City. International visitors must present a passport for age verification to buy alcohol. A Canadian driver’s license (for instance) will not be accepted.

Utah Hockey Club Tickets: With dynamic pricing, tickets to an NHL game in Salt Lake City can range from $50 to $1,000 USD apiece (about $70 to $1,400 CAD). Check SeatGeek, the official vendor for home games, for more details.

Note: Vacay.ca sometimes publishes content on destinations outside of Canada that our editors believe will be of interest to our readers. In this case, Vacay.ca contributor Lucas Aykroyd was a guest of Visit Utah and Visit Salt Lake as he spotlighted the NHL’s newest hockey experience. No organization or business reviewed the article prior to its publication.