The first steps in the relocation of the Utah Grizzlies have begun, as the West Valley City Council voted unanimously on July 22 to authorize sale of the team. Councilmember Don Christensen cast a yes vote, but “reluctantly,” as the minor league hockey team will vacate the Maverik Center where it has played hockey for 30 years. This coming season will be the team’s last in Utah.

The team’s owners announced in June that they were exploring a potential sale. According to the House of Hockey website, the club’s longtime owner David Elmore died in 2023, and his widow and co-owner Donna Tuttle “is in failing health and making ongoing family involvement untenable.” Pro Hockey Partners LLC, the organization who hopes to close on the sale shortly, has plans to relocate the team somewhere in the eastern part of the country, rumored to be New Jersey or Florida. The ECHL (East Coast Hockey League) must all signoff on the deal.

West Valley City bought the team’s minority stake in 2009 to help settle a $600,000 rental debt in the form of cash. Council approval was asked for since the city has a minor ownership in the team, but it was mostly procedural, since the team could proceed with the sale anyway. Once the deal is closed, West Valley City will get a small amount of the sales revenue from the transaction.

The Grizzlies were part of the American Hockey League (AHL) from 2001 to 2005. Once they moved to the ECHL, they became affiliated with the AHL Colorado Eagles and the NHL Colorado Avalanche. Over the course of the team’s history in Utah, more than 200 Grizzlies players have spent time in the NHL.

Plans for the farewell season for the Grizz are being finalized, though some sort of celebratory events are expected. As for the Maverik Center, West Valley City director of asset optimization Andrew Carroll said it will be upgraded to host future events such as concerts or even other sports events. The city council approved $300,000 to begin those upgrades, which will include seat replacements, renovated suites, a new VIP lounge, renovated concession stands, remodeled bathrooms, a redesigned restaurant and banquet room, parking lot and locker room redesigns, new tech and sound systems, replacement of the ice deck, renovated kitchens and a security system update.

The Grizzlies’ final season in Utah begins on Saturday, October 25 when they host the Idaho Steelheads at 7:10 p.m.