Smith Entertainment Group comms head Caroline Klein dies at 40

SALT LAKE CITY: Smith Entertainment Group chief communications officer Caroline Klein died August 21 at age 40 following a multi-year battle with cancer. 

Klein shared the news of her own passing in a LinkedIn post in which she detailed her 2023 cancer diagnosis that evolved to Stage 4 Proximal Type Epithelioid Sarcoma in her lungs – a rare, aggressive soft tissue cancer for which she said there aren’t enough “answers, research or treatment options,” she said.

“If you’re reading this, it’s because my lungs have taken their final breath, and my soul is on a thoughtful search for its next great adventure,” Klein said in the post she asked her family to post on her behalf. 

Klein, who has served as chief communications officer for Smith Entertainment Group, the owner of Utah’s NBA and NHL franchises, since September of 2024, described the lessons she’s learned from her diagnosis and finding purpose in every moment — noting that she wants people to remember her for “the way I lived, not the way I died.”

“Life is beautiful in the way that it’s a timeless adventure, so this is not the end of our time together,” she added. “I’ll still be there to help celebrate your wins and give you a little boost when you need it the most, but how we connect and how you feel my presence will be in a different form moving forward.”

Chairman and CEO of Smith Entertainment Group Ryan Smith remembered Klein, whom he called “a legend” of Utah, in a post to X on Friday. 

“[Klein] was truly one of a kind. [Smith Entertainment Group cofounder Ashley Smith] and I and the rest of the SEG team will miss her every single day,” Smith wrote. “Working with CK was a highlight of my career.”

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NBA commissioner Adam Silver both issued statements Friday in response to Klein’s passing. 

“The National Hockey League family is deeply saddened by the passing of our friend and colleague, Caroline Klein,” Bettman said in a statement to X. “[Klein’s] effervescence and her tireless work to establish the Utah franchise were marvels in themselves, but all the more remarkable given the valiant fight she was waging with cancer.” 

Silver similarly mourned Klein, whom he referred to as a “colleague and friend” of the league, in a statement to social media.  

“[Klein] was a leader within the Utah Jazz, Smith Entertainment Group and across the league,” Silver said. “Her passion, determination and generosity left a lasting impact on everyone she met, and she played a pivotal role in making the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Utah an unforgettable celebration of the Jazz organization and the Salt Lake City community.”

Klein previously served as the chief communications officer for both the Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth. She started working with the NBA team in 2022 and later took on the same role with Utah’s NHL team in 2024, before becoming CCO for both teams’ parent, Smith Entertainment Group, later that same year. 

Prior to entering the sports world, Klein served as chief communications officer for Beyond Green, a global portfolio of independent hotels, resorts and lodges, as well as chief communications officer for Preferred Hotels & Resorts for over nine years.

Klein is survived by her husband, Mike Gartlan.