The 2024-25 NHL season has been a controversial one from a broadcasting point of view. Earlier this week, the woes for American hockey fans continued as there was a TV blackout and pause in the broadcasting of Avalanche games on Comcast. This was due to a contract dispute between the broadcaster and the distributor of Avalanche games, Altitude Sports. As a result, the fans couldn’t catch a glimpse of that game on TV, leaving them furious. Nonetheless, the NHL fans are in for a wonderful surprise as the Utah HC owner made a big revelation.

Utah HC, the team lying third from the bottom in the Central Division, is fighting hard for the Stanley Cup Playoffs spot. Amid this, their owner, Ryan Smith wants the full support of the fans. For this, he announced that the fans would be able to get a $1 subscription to the team’s UtahHC+ streaming service to watch all the remaining regular season games and the first-round playoff games if they qualify. This comes as a huge boost to the fans, as they would be able to catch the live action by paying a paltry fee of $1.

Last year, SEG Media launched a dedicated streaming service for the Utah Hockey Club, named UtahHC+. Speaking about this, the Chief Communications Officer for Smith Entertainment Group, Caroline Klein revealed, “There has never been a more exciting time to be a sports fan in Utah, and we are committed to making sure our fanbase can easily engage in every minute of the action coming this season with Utah Hockey Club.” Moreover, with Smith’s latest announcement regarding a $1 subscription, maximum fans would be able to engage with the club and its games as they race for a Stanley Cup Playoffs spot.

However, this wasn’t the only thing that the Utah Hockey Club did to engage the fans with the team. Last year, they initiated a unique process that was never seen before in the NHL.

When fans voted to help pick up a name for Utah HC

Last year, the Utah HC was incorporated into the NHL as an expansion team. With Utah getting a new hockey club, fans were excited about what the future would hold for the city as far as hockey was concerned. Additionally, the aim of the new club was to make it more engaging for the fans. As a result, a fan vote was held to decide on the name of the club.

Smith Entertainment Group executive, Mike Maughan revealed, “Hockey is a community asset. They [Ryan and Ashley Smith] wanted to do something that’s never been done in the history of professional sports, which is invite fans to be part of this incredibly iterative and exciting process to help pick a name. We have such faith in the fanbase here and the people of Utah.”

Subsequently, the fans voted for the Utah Hockey Club and this was incorporated as a new team in the NHL. Further, the team would hope for some strong support from the fans in the upcoming games as it aims to climb up the Stanley Cup Playoffs race. Can Utah HC make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in its maiden year? Let us know your views in the comments below.