While Utah gained a professional hockey team last year in the Mammoth, the state may lose one in the Grizzlies.
The ECHL organization announced on Sunday that it has begun exploring the potential sale of the team, which could result in a future relocation. The Grizzlies will play in the 2025-26 season, the news release said, with “full commitment” from players, coaches and staff.
After that, though, plans are unclear.
No official sale has been completed yet nor has relocation been finalized. Both decisions need formal approvals from the ECHL and stakeholders. Those conversions will continue in the coming months.
The ECHL is a minor professional hockey league that is a level below the American Hockey League — and that is a level below the National Hockey League. The Grizzlies’ NHL affiliate is the Colorado Avalanche.
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Grizzbee, the Utah Grizzlies mascot, celebrates a Grizzlies goal against the Idaho Steelheads at the Maverik Center in West Valley City Monday Feb. 19, 2018.
The Grizzlies have been facing a transitional period in ownership, which is the leading reason for the sale. David Elmore — who created Elmore Sports Group (the Grizzlies’ current owner) — died in June 2023. Elmore’s wife and co-owner, Donna Tuttle, is now facing declining health and it is challenging for the family to remain actively involved in team operations, the team said.
“This is an emotional and difficult moment for our family and our organization,” said the Elmore Sports Group in the news release. “Utah has been more than a home — it has been part of our identity. But ensuring the Grizzlies have the opportunity to thrive in the future may require new ownership and, potentially, a new home.”
Elmore and Tuttle founded the Denver Grizzlies in 1994; they were part of the International Hockey League then. The couple moved the team to Utah the following year and worked with West Valley City to develop the Maverik Center (the team’s home rink). The IHL ceased operations in 2001 so the Grizzlies shifted to the AHL for four years before turning to the ECHL in June 2005.
With the Grizzlies’ roots in Utah now in question, it is fair to wonder if Ryan Smith (and Smith Entertainment Group) could be a potential buyer. Smith — who owns the NHL’s Utah Mammoth and NBA’s Utah Jazz — purchased the former Arizona Coyotes last April for $1.2 billion.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Ryan Smith at the announcement of the new name for Salt Lake City's NHL team, Utah Mammoth, in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
The Mammoth announced a one-year affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Allen Americans (based in Texas) in July 2024. Utah’s AHL affiliate is the Tucson Roadrunners which it inherited from Arizona. The Roadrunners’ owner is Alex Meruelo (who formerly owned the Coyotes).
Utah will remain connected to Tucson for at least the duration of the 2025-26 season. A report from Sportico last summer said Meruelo has plans to move the Roadrunners to Reno, Nevada, after the Arizona State Land Commission canceled the auction for the land that Meruelo wanted to build a $3 billion arena for hockey in Phoenix. The Roadrunners are entering the ninth year of their 10-year lease at Tucson Arena.
Regarding the Grizzlies, one cannot simply elevate an ECHL franchise to the AHL. However, the AHL bylaws do not allow upward movement, and the league aims to maintain the same number of teams as the NHL (which is the 32 it has now).
So, if Smith were to buy the Grizzlies, they would (most probably) remain an ECHL franchise. He could look into eventually purchasing the Roadrunners to bring the organization’s AHL affiliate under the same roof, but that topic has not been broached publicly. The Mammoth, to be fair, have been busy.
The Grizzlies and Mammoths’ future may not ultimately intertwine at all, but the prospect — given the NHL’s recent arrival in Utah — is something to consider.
