Tonight, the Stanley Cup could be raised by the Florida Panthers as the puck drops in Florida this evening. The Utah Mammoth has announced that on September 30th, the puck will drop in Boise, Idaho, for a preseason game against the Los Angeles Kings. A neutral-site preseason game will be hosted by Utah before the start of the regular season. Idaho Central Arena will play host to the contest and welcome both NHL franchises to the state.
The full preseason schedule has not been announced, but in the coming weeks, the hockey world will be very busy with the Stanley Cup Finals finishing up this week and the NHL Draft next week. July 1st will begin free agency, which will be the apex of the hockey offseason.
This event in Boise is great for the game of hockey and spreading awareness of the sport around the country. Utah, being a new franchise, is a perfect organization for the NHL to show off in states that do not have an NHL franchise.
Idaho does not have professional hockey in the state, but it does have a minor league baseball team called the Boise Hawks. The Hawks are part of the Pioneer League, which is an MLB partner league.
It will be a great opportunity to grow the game and grow the fan base for Utah.