SALT LAKE CITY — With the inaugural season of the Utah Hockey Club underway, fans are eager to get their hands on team merchandise.
The Delta Center is gearing up to meet that demand, and fans will have plenty of options to choose from.
Inside the Delta Center, preparations are in full swing as the Utah Jazz Team Store undergoes a significant expansion.
"Our main location is expanding by over 2,000 square feet for the season. They're in the middle of construction right now," said Parker Bushnell, the director of purchasing and analytics for the team store.
In addition to the expanded Jazz store, a hockey-exclusive shop has been set up on the fifth floor.
"It’ll be a hockey store the entire season," Bushnell said.
Bushnell and his team are excited about the launch.
"For us to be in a situation like this, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," he said.
The store is stocked with a variety of items, from hats and shirts to lanyards, and even stuffed animals.
"We're going to do a ton of learning at the beginning of the year," Bushnell explained. "We need to make sure that we're hearing our fans."
Fans, especially those who want to show their support from the very beginning, are looking to commemorate this historic first season.
Bushnell understands the importance of these keepsakes.
"You can't take tickets home — they're all digital," he said. "You put the food right into your belly. So the merchandise is a massive piece of the memories, the moments that we are all going to share together."
One key piece of merchandise already receiving rave reviews is the Utah Hockey Club’s distinctive blue color.
"Color response has already been tremendously positive," Bushnell said. "The draft party was the first time we had the blue, and it’s been a hit."
However, one item fans may be eagerly awaiting — the team jersey — isn’t available right away.
"The jersey situation is a little challenging with us being a team established much later than everybody else," Bushnell noted.
But not to worry, the store is offering alternative apparel, including player T-shirts.
"We've got quite a few different player options. We should be getting close to six or seven total throughout the season," said Bushnell, noting that player popularity will influence the selection.
If the shirts aren’t your style for those still craving a jersey-like look and feel, the team has a solution.
"We’ve got what's called a skate lace hoodie... it's got the jersey markings, and more of a traditional hockey look with the skate lace," Bushnell said. "It’ll satisfy that need just enough until the jerseys arrive."
Bushnell and his team are committed to ensuring fans have plenty of unique merchandise to choose from throughout the season.
"It's such a great opportunity for people to buy stuff that is unique to one year and kind of gives that stamp of 'I was there,'" he said.
As the season progresses, new merchandise will continue to roll in.
"Our assortment is going to continue to get better and better," Bushnell promised. "We can say, on a weekly, maybe even daily basis, we'll be getting new product throughout most of the season."
For those wondering when they can finally snag a jersey — known in hockey as a "sweater" —the wait will soon be over.
The timeline has been moved up, and jerseys are expected to be available by November. So, who will you be repping this season?
