There's a pretty solid base of NHL in western North America. Unlike the NBA, the NHL has 3 teams in Western Canada, plus Seattle now (Let's Go Kraken!), in addition to California, Colorado, and now Las Vegas. So Utah is right in the middle of the NHL Western Conference.

I also expect that Houston may get the 34th NHL team (assuming AZ gets the Yotes back), which would probably move Chicago to the East, if not Nashville.