Turns Out Utah Hockey Fans Really Like Drinking Beer

There’s a new — or at least renamed — team in the NHL this year, and they call Salt Lake City’s Delta Center home. This is the outfit currently known as Utah Hockey Club, though that name is likely to change in the coming seasons. Previously, they’d called both Arizona and Winnipeg home; now, they share an arena with the NBA’s Utah Jazz. And if beer consumption during the team’s home opener is any indication, the Beehive State’s hockey enthusiasts are glad to have them there.

As The Salt Lake Tribune‘s Belle Fraser reports, Delta Center set a new beer sales record when the Utah Hockey Club played their home opener there, a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Fans purchased $120,000 worth of beer at the game, which set a new record for beer sales at any NBA or NHL game held at the arena.

The price of beer at the arena may have played a role in setting that record. Fraser writes that the cost of a Michelob Ultra was more expensive for the Utah Hockey Club game than it was for a recent Jazz game. Certainly, the fact that over 16,000 tickets were sold for the game didn’t hurt: a cold atmosphere and the excitement of being a part of something new does sound like a recipe for abundant beer consumption.

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What’s also notable about this is that what’s record-setting for Utah might not look quite as impressive in some other NHL cities. Last year, The Hockey News cited a study that found that Maple Leafs fans spent, on average, over $58.00 on beers per game. Utah’s liquor laws might help explain this to some extent; that said, as someone who once watched part of a Devils game sitting in front of a quartet of wasted guys trying to start a fight, there’s nothing wrong with a little moderation when it comes to drinking during a game.