Utah Mammoth fans buzzing about their first NHL playoff home game

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The NHL playoffs are headed to Utah for the first time and the state is buzzing with anticipation. The puck drops on Friday for Game 3 in the first-round series between the Mammoth and the Vegas Golden Knights. Utah evened the series at 1-1 with a 3-2 win at Vegas on Tuesday night. The debut of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Salt Lake City has caused a stir in town since tickets first went on sale. Gameday merchandise sales at the Mammoth team store inside the Delta Center, according to team officials, have increased by 18% since Utah clinched a playoff spot. Tickets for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Tuesday have been difficult to obtain, with all but a few seats already sold out. “It’s going to be amazing,” Utah captain Clayton Keller said. “I think it’s going to blow past our expectations and I can’t wait for it. Everyone’s been talking about it — people I’ve met in the community — saying they can’t wait to come to the game.” Prices for playoff tickets have surged well past the normal cost for a regular-season game. According to tracking data from TickPick, the average price for a lower-bowl seat for Game 3 of the first-round series is $481 and the average price for an upper-bowl seat is $217. The overall average price is $266, which is 213% higher than the $85 average for Utah’s regular-season games. The demand hasn’t lessened with increased prices. If anything, tickets are in scarce supply because fans are eager to be a part of it. “It’s a breath of fresh air,” said Tyson Enniss, a Mammoth season-ticket holder and owner of a bar that hosts watch parties. “People are really energized about hockey. People come out for the games. They’re really into watch parties. The NBA is kind of fizzled out with what’s going on. I think hockey has kind of reenergized local sports fans.” Enniss noted the cost of first-round home games represented a 30% increase for him over his regular-season ticket package, but he quickly opted in. Opt-in options for subsequent rounds are also available to Mammoth season-ticket holders should Utah advance. “As I said to (owner Ryan Smith in March), what’s going to be great for the Mammoth is people are going to experience something different and even better than what they’ve been experiencing the last two years,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "There’s something special about our playoffs: the intensity, the excitement. As good as our regular season it is, and it’s terrific, the playoffs takes everything to the next level.” For fans not attending in person, there are other ways for them to enjoy a community hockey experience. SLC Puck!, a Mammoth hockey podcast, organizes watch parties for selected games. Their Game 1 watch party was at A Bar Named Sue — a Salt Lake County bar owned by Enniss — and it drew approximately 75 fans at puck drop. Monthly watch parties organized by SLC Puck! during the regular season averaged 50 fans for the full three hours. Enniss said hosting watch parties offers a nice boost to his business. He estimated the Game 1 watch party increased his normal Sunday evening revenue by 30-40%. “It’s a big deal,” Enniss said. “It’s helping out the local community. It’s really helping out the local economy on many levels other than just downtown on gameday.” SLC Puck!’s next watch party will be held for Game 4 on Tuesday at Flanker — a downtown Salt Lake City sports bar. Watch party organizers hope to offer an option to fans who want to attend pregame festivities at the Delta Center but are unable to get a game ticket. They expect a heavy turnout given the hype the Mammoth are generating. “The buzz is getting louder every day,” said Austin Facer, host of the SLC Puck! podcast. “There’s definitely been an appetite for a really competitive sports team and a team that’s going to play games that have big implications in their sport. The Mammoth are just in a good position where they’re catching a lot of hunger.” Hockey has surged in popularity in Utah with the Mammoth’s success. Minor league hockey teams were a fixture in the area for more than five decades. The Salt Lake Golden Eagles played in Utah from 1969 to 1994 and the Utah Grizzlies had stints in the AHL and then the ECHL from 1995 to 2026. But the Mammoth have elevated hockey from a niche sport. For fans of those former minor league hockey teams, having an NHL team in the playoffs in their backyard is a dream come true. “It gives me the chills,” said Codie Jones, whose grandfather played for the Golden Eagles. “It’s so cool to see the NHL come to Utah, but then to have them in their second season go to the playoffs is just huge. All of my family are hockey fans, so it’s a big deal for us and we’ll be watching and cheering them on.” \\_ AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in New York contributed to this report. \\_ AP NHL: