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SALT LAKE CITY — Luc Robitaille knows a thing or two about hockey.
The Montreal native spent 19 years on the ice in the NHL and has been part of the Los Angeles Kings front office since 2007, where he currently serves as team president.
He played alongside legends like Wayne Gretzky and won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002. In 2017, Robitaille was named one of the 100 greatest players in NHL history.
Since 2002, Robitaille and his wife have called Utah a temporary home. His affinity for the state has brought the Kings here on several occasions, playing in charity games during the Sundance Film Festival and outdoor games in Midway.
Five years ago, when Robitaille and the Kings were looking for a new place to play in the preseason, his first phone call was to the people at what was then called Vivint Arena. Thus "Frozen Fury" was born, the latest iteration of which was played Thursday at the Delta Center between the Kings and San Jose Sharks.
Could get used to this 🤩 pic.twitter.com/4qxlxRztnz
— LA Kings (@LAKings) October 6, 2023
"We've been coming down for five years and it's been great," Robitaille said. "We really enjoy it. Our players enjoy it. And hopefully by the end of it, maybe there's another team here."
That's right, as a part-time Utah resident, NHL legend and executive, Robitaille is in Salt Lake City's corner as it looks to get an NHL franchise in the state sooner rather than later.
Top-flight professional hockey in Salt Lake City has been a pipe dream for decades, but things really started to heat up this year when Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith reportedly met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in March.
"When he says he's interested in hockey, I think everyone's listening," Robitaille said of Smith. "They understand that he's the type of owner that you love to have in your league, and he's got the whereabouts to get it done."
One of the Kings' current players, Trevor Lewis, is a Salt Lake native who said he'd welcome an NHL team in his hometown.
Special night for Trevor Lewis 🖤
— LA Kings (@LAKings) October 6, 2023
Full avail 📲 https://t.co/j0mDvh2aPzpic.twitter.com/17DlQAI8jp
"I think the city would be behind the NHL team for sure," Lewis said. "I think one thing about hockey is that once people experience it live, it's a whole different animal, and they find out how much fun it is to watch."
To that end, Frozen Fury and the history of one-off games in Utah are serving a massive purpose: to get people in Utah to see a live NHL game. And both Lewis and Robitaille hope that experience doesn't go anywhere in the future.
"We really enjoy coming down, and we're even talking about maybe spending a few more days here," Robitaille said. "We're really interested to keep coming back and then hopefully we have a little bit of a help in if they ever end up getting an NHL franchise."
The NHL has added just four teams this century, but two have joined since 2017: the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken, the latter of which are starting their third season in the league.
"Our sport is in really good shape," Robitaille said. "There's been real growth in the world of hockey and we know there's a lot of room for growth also. That's why it's exciting when you come into a new market like Salt Lake City. I think there's a real opportunity for the future."
