A round of penalty shootouts ended a recent Junior Grizzlies hockey practice, with teammates slapping their sticks on the ice and shouting encouragement. One by one, each youth player in the 16-and-under league took his turn facing the goaltender, practicing for a dream game-winning moment. 

“Let’s go! Bar-down-ski!” Colton DeBirk cheered as his teammate sped toward the goal, dribbling the puck with his stick.

This early December night at the Ice Sheet Skating Rink at the Weber Sports Complex in Ogden represents one of many scenes where Utah kids are building their dreams of one day playing in the National Hockey League.

DeBirk is just one of many youth hockey players in the state who share a love and passion for the sport. With the arrival of a new professional sports franchise in Salt Lake City, the Utah Hockey Club, a new era has begun for youth hockey culture across the valley. 

“The NHL team has brought an enthusiasm and drive to the market that we haven’t seen since the 2002 Winter Olympic Games,” said Mariko Rollins, director of the Ice Sheet at the Weber Sports Complex. 

According to Kristen Bowness, youth program director for the Utah Hockey Club, all 32 NHL teams have youth hockey programs that give children access to play hockey, develop a love for the sport and ultimately grow the game’s market. 

“The youth hockey program’s primary mission is to expose as many kids to the game as possible,” Bowness said. “There are so many different avenues you can explore when it comes to hockey fandom, and we want to take full advantage of every opportunity.” 

The Utah Hockey Club’s starter program, Hockey 101, aims to bring wider knowledge of and participation in hockey to Utah youth of all backgrounds, Nate Martinez, youth director for the Utah Hockey Club, said on KSL Sports’ “Utah Puck Report” podcast.

“Our first touch point … is what we’re calling Hockey 101, the street equivalent of trying hockey for free,” Martinez said on the podcast, posted Nov. 18. “So you can go to the rink, put on your mittens and your bike helmets, and go try hockey for free, … even if you don’t want to put on skates.” 

The club, Bowness said, employs a mix of strategies to support existing hockey culture and invite new participants into the world of youth hockey.

“Right now, our youth program is working on growing street hockey initiatives, collaborating with established youth hockey organizations and promoting our league-wide, learn-to-play initiative, which is intended for those same youth hockey organizations to grow their programming and boost their ecosystem,” she said.

Martinez, who has an extensive background in promoting youth athletics in conjunction with professional sports, has also led the state’s successful Junior Jazz program since 2016. Bowness said the hockey club intends to follow that model.   

“The goal for our street hockey initiative is to emulate the structure of Junior Jazz,” she said. “We are working with all the parks and rec departments throughout the state to host hockey 101 and clinics to, hopefully, develop a street hockey league.”

The strategy, Martinez added, includes offering coach training and free hockey equipment. The goal, he said, is to build on this foundation in various local Utah communities.

Martinez told KSL that one obstacle to reaching a large audience for youth hockey is the cost of the gear needed to play the sport. The Utah Hockey Club, he said, has plans to help remove that barrier and make the youth program accessible to all.

“We’ll go to rec centers [and] these different places and say, ‘Hey, these are free; come try it out,’” Martinez said on the podcast. “We’ll give you a stick, you can hit a puck, you can do these things. We’ll give you a T-shirt, we’ll give you some swag. Get you excited about the game.”

Bowness said she’s confident the sport has an attraction all its own.

“From street hockey to ice hockey, in physical education classes or at your local parks and rec departments, every child should have the opportunity to put a hockey stick in their hand and simply be given the chance to play,” she said. “Once they do, they’re typically hooked.” 

The Utah Hockey Club’s youth initiative is aimed at increased participation among both boys and girls, Bowness said

“This is where our learn-to-play program can really help boost our youth hockey numbers, as well as various initiatives to encourage growth in the girls’ game,” she said.

Rollins said youth hockey has benefits that extend far beyond the ice.

“Ice hockey uses many facets of a young person’s development to improve at skating and playing the game, developing … motor skills and cognitive function,” she said. “Many young players begin to thrive at school and in other sports as they develop as hockey players.” 

In addition to aiding personal development, youth hockey fosters young people’s social flourishing, Rollins added.

“It’s also team-oriented, but based on an individual’s ability to develop their own skills,” she said. “Once players have the skill, they must also learn to be great teammates, which is another layer of complexity that kids crave.”

While the Utah Hockey Club has brought a new infusion of energy into Utah youth hockey, the sport has been prevalent in the area for decades.

“Utah [youth hockey] has been thriving for quite some time,” said Rollins. “Our teams have made appearances at nationals for the last four straight seasons, which is remarkable.”

Last April, Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz, announced that his Smith Entertainment Group would bring the NHL to Salt Lake City, moving the former Phoenix Coyotes franchise to the Delta Center. Utah HC’s inaugural season started in September, signaling Salt Lake City’s status as a growing professional sports market.

Rollins said she expects the arrival of the NHL to lead to even greater participation in youth hockey.

“The enthusiasm and resources that the [club] has brought will continue to improve access to new players as that organization builds more facilities and utilizes the starter programs the NHL has in place,” she said. 

She added that youth hockey’s impact promises to reach beyond the ice for Utah’s youth.

“Kids are social creatures, and ice hockey is very social,” said Rollins, adding there are many other ways to get involved with the sport as well. “Not all kids will be athletes. Some will participate as game attendees, one day becoming announcers, broadcasters, commentators, camera operators, team trainers, coaches, and other team and arena staff.” 

For many of the Junior Mustangs 16U teams, on a cold December night in Ogden, however, NHL glory is the ultimate goal.

This article was published from the University of Utah’s COMM 1610 class.