Sandy's Utah Mammoth Ice Center offers public skating, hockey leagues and learn-to-skate programs at a time when Salt Lake County rinks face a capacity squeeze.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported Tuesday that a new restrictive policy and a catastrophic equipment failure at a county rink are creating what the newspaper called a crisis for beginner skaters across the Wasatch Front. The Tribune did not identify the rink or detail the policy in its available report, but described the situation as a growing obstacle for developing future athletes ahead of the 2034 Winter Olympics in Utah.

Sandy residents already have an alternative. The Mammoth Ice Center, a 146,000-square-foot facility at 10450 S. State Street in The Shops at South Town, has been open to the public since its Feb. 20 grand opening weekend.

The center features two NHL-regulation ice surfaces and runs open skate sessions Fridays through Sundays at $12 per person. Skate rentals cost $3. Skate assists run $5. The facility also offers youth and adult hockey leagues, clinics, camps and girls' and women's hockey programs.

At its February launch, the center introduced a seven-week Learn to Skate program on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings. Current schedules may differ; residents can check mammothicecenter.com or call 801-325-7000 for updated programming.

Chris Barney, president of revenue and commercial strategy at Smith Entertainment Group, said in a February news release that the facility "… was built to be a resource for the community as much as it is for our team."

SEG acquired the 111-acre Shops at South Town site in August 2024. The facility broke ground that same month, was unveiled in September 2025 and opened to the public in February. A Utah Jazz practice facility is under construction nearby with a 2027 target. SEG and Intermountain Health announced in May a partnership to build a nearly 60,000-square-foot sports performance center on the same campus, scheduled for 2028.

The county's ice shortage adds context to a broader regional push as Utah prepares for the 2034 Games. Figure skating and short track speedskating events are slated for the Maverik Center in West Valley City, and ice hockey will be held at the Delta Center, according to a November 2025 KPCW report.

Tom Kelly, a 2034 Games spokesperson, said at a May 14 Stars on Ice event at the Maverik Center that it was "… really great to see us expanding the footprint of national figure skating right here in Utah." The 2027 U.S. Figure Skating Championships are scheduled for Jan. 5-10, 2027, at the same venue.

Sandy residents can find current Mammoth Ice Center schedules and register for programs at mammothicecenter.com.