Arizona Coyotes to relocate to Salt Lake City
The Arizona Coyotes are said to have played their last game in Arizona as they plan to head to Utah (photo courtesy of Christian Petersen/Getty Images).
On Thursday, Apr. 18, the rumors circulating the National Hockey League (NHL) proved true, as the Arizona Coyotes announced they would be relocating to Salt Lake City, Utah effective immediately. The NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve the $1.2 billion sale and relaxation of the Coyotes from Alex Meruelo to Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith of Smith Entertainment Group, jumpstarting the franchise’s move to Utah for next season.
Meruelo had owned the Coyotes since buying the franchise for $300 million in 2019, however, the league had begun to lose patience with his ability to find a long-term arena solution in Arizona. This facilitated the sale, leaving the next home of the Coyotes as the Delta Center, in Utah. Mereulo was told that if he could get the arena situation figured out in Arizona in the next five years, however, the league would reactivate the Coyotes franchise with all records still intact.
The Coyotes franchise spent 28 years in Arizona, and within that time became mostly associated with legendary right-wing Shane Doan, and ‘Captain Coyote’ left-wing Keith Tkachuk. Although they only have one Division Championship under their belt, it is clear that without the Coyotes, hockey in Arizona would essentially be non-existent. Two current Toronto Maple Leafs’ stars weighed in on the move, and although he never played for the Coyotes, center Auston Matthews told ESPN, “Obviously, selfishly, growing up there with them was a big part of me getting into hockey.” Matthews was a first-overall pick, Hart Trophy winner, Rocket Richard winner, and remains one of the league’s best. Toronto’s top rookie, forward Matthew Knies, also spoke on the Coyotes move stating, “It's pretty unfortunate. The Coyotes did a lot for me growing up, and I loved going to the games. It was a big reason as to why I got into hockey.” Matthews and Knies make up some of the few Arizona-bred hockey players in the NHL, making this move an even closer hit to home.
With the move to Utah, the Coyotes will be transferring its hockey assets, including its full reserve list, roster, and draft picks, as well as its hockey operations department. The only aspect remaining in Arizona will be the history of the Coyotes. Utah will be an entirely new franchise, with a new name and colors, which have yet to be decided. One of the possible name ideas being thrown around is the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, an homage to the professional team that was there from 1969 to 1994. Others include the Utah Buzz, Utah Hive, Utah Stingers, Utah Swarm, and the Salt Lake City Swarm, as nods to Utah’s relationship with bees.
The real question here is: why Utah? Many people have argued to keep hockey in the desert, however, the NHL believes that Utah holds a market with a ton of potential for hockey. Salt Lake City is a winter sports town and is expected to host the 2034 Winter Olympics, which could mean a new arena for both the Utah Jazz and the new NHL team. According to new owner Ryan Smith, Utah’s new franchise collected over 6,000 season ticket deposits in the first two hours of sales after acquiring the Coyotes hockey assets.
The Coyotes played their final game in Arizona on Wednesday, Apr. 17, against the Edmonton Oilers and ended their run in the state with a 5-2 win. After the game, Coyotes players had team employees join them on the ice for a final roster photo and a salute to their fans. In an interview following the last game, former Coyotes’ and now-Utah player, forward Clayton Keller, said “[Arizona] is just a special place in my heart and there's a lot of emotions for sure. Just thinking about the future and it's the last one in Arizona at least for a little bit…Seeing all the signs of the memories over the last couple of years and seeing the fan support means so much to us. It's definitely great to see that and it put a smile on our face.”