The newest NHL franchise owner called putting the Utah Hockey Club on the map a "worthy cause" in his all-encompassing press conference with reporters Friday at the Upper Deck NHL Draft.

Opening night is less than 100 days away, and any rational human being would shy away from trying to grow a brand like the Utah Hockey Club now has.

Thankfully, owner Ryan Smith does not call himself a rational human being -- at least, by those standards.

He knows what it's like to start from ground zero, as he took Qualtrics from his basement to create a worldwide brand, defying expectations that Silicon Valley was more profitable than Silicon Slopes.

And two months into what's he called a "whirlwind" of building out an NHL franchise, he said it's as challenging as it is inspiring to watch his team grow.

"In sports, you want to surround yourself with the smartest people and wisdom," Smith stated. "But you also want to protect yourself from yourself."

Those people Smith has around him, namely president of hockey operations and alternate governor Chris Armstrong and general manager Bill Armstrong, have certainly contributed, further punctuated by an NHL draft that made headlines for Utah's acquisition of Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino, in addition to drafting Tij Iginla sixth overall.

And while winning the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal, from watching the Boston Celtics win their 18th NBA title not 12 days ago to seeing Florida lift the Cup on Monday, Smith knows patience will be required -- as has been preached all off-season.

"There's really not a playbook (to win the Stanley Cup) until you find it," Smith said. "That's the beauty of sports; whatever model it takes is worth it."