New NHL team Utah Hockey Club has its very first player captain and the organization is throwing a celebration for opening night on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

With free admission, fans can attend day-long festivities at the Delta Center plaza featuring a live concert, live ESPN desk coverage and a watch party of Utah’s season-opener.

A 12:30 p.m. press conference begins the day with club owners Ryan and Ashley Smith, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, set to speak.

ESPN goes live from the plaza at 2 p.m. to kick off its tripleheader of NHL’s opening day. ESPN will anchor its coverage of the three games from Salt Lake City, with the Blues and Kraken (2:30 p.m.), and Bruins and Panthers (5 p.m.) preceding Utah’s game.

Full fan festivities begin at 4 p.m. with live music, free games, and the sale of merchandise, food and drinks.

The hockey team will arrive at the plaza at 5 p.m. for an inaugural game day walk-in, entering on  a blue carpet and being welcomed by youth hockey players from around the state.

Shaboozey, a multi-genre singer and songwriter, takes the stage at 5:30 p.m. for a free, live concert on the north end of the plaza (300 West and South Temple).

Pilots from Hill Air Force Base will fly F-35A jets over the festivities at 6:30 p.m. “in support of the inaugural game for the Utah Hockey Club, and the ongoing relationship between the base and the team,” a statement from the team reads.

Utah Hockey Club hosts the Chicago Blackhawks at 8 p.m.; those with tickets are encouraged to be in their seats by 7:45 p.m. The team takes the ice with forward Clayton Keller as captain. Keller is a four-time All-Star and has led his team in scoring five times over his seven-year career.

Outside the Delta Center, the celebration adds two big screens to the plaza on 300 West (one each on the corners of South Temple and 100 South) for a free watch party of the game.

All three games of the tripleheader air on ESPN and stream on ESPN+. Most of Utah’s games will be over the air on Utah 16, except for games like this chosen for national broadcast. The home team’s radio broadcasts will air on KSL’s 1280 AM/97.5 FM.

For travelers, expect road closures around the Delta Center in conjunction with the day’s festivities.