Will this be the last week in Arizona for NHL Coyotes franchise?

The Arizona Coyotes have two games to play to close out the 2023-24 season.

Will those be the last two games the franchise plays with the kachina logo on their sweaters?

The team and the National Hockey League aren't talking yet, but Salt Lake City and a prospective owner hungry for a franchise are rolling out the red carpet.

The NHL did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday. Its board of governors would have to approve any ownership change or team relocation. But the Phoenix Mayor's Office released a statement and two letters from Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo.

The second letter, from April 10, asks for a meeting with the mayor about a proposed arena and entertainment district in northeast Phoenix. That meeting is still on for later this month, a mayor's spokesperson confirmed.

The scenario raises additional speculation about whether, if the current franchise is moving, Arizona might get a new team in the future.

The Coyotes likely will be sold to billionaire Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, and the deal will guarantee Meruelo an expansion team if a new arena is built in Arizona within five years, the Associated Press reported Saturday, quoting an unnamed source.

The deal would transfer the franchise’s hockey operations first to the NHL and then to Smith, who plans to move the team to Salt Lake City, the AP reported.

Meruelo would maintain business operations and move forward in his attempt to buy state land and build an arena and entertainment district in northeast Phoenix, the AP said.

As reports swirl about the sale and the move, the Coyotes play in Calgary on Sunday and return to Arizona State University's Mullett Arena in Tempe for a 7 p.m. Wednesday game against Edmonton.

Dailyfaceoff.com reported Wednesday that the NHL was drafting two versions of the Coyotes' schedule for next season, one with the team playing at Mullett Arena, and the other with the team playing in Salt Lake City at Delta Center, the home of the NBA's Utah Jazz.

Coyotes owner has meeting set with Phoenix mayor, city says

Coyotes owner and Chairman Meruelo has a meeting scheduled with Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego later this month, according to Arielle Devorah, Gallego's spokesperson.

Meruelo sent the mayor a letter dated April 10 saying, "We see this as our home ... and I am very excited about the opportunity to build a world class sports facility and entertainment district in the City of Phoenix."

Meruelo previously sent the mayor a letter on April 5. In it, he said he planned to successfully bid on the state land in northeast Phoenix and invest at least $68.5 million in cash to build the arena.

The plan would avoid taxpayer funding or property tax cut incentives, he said, but he wanted the mayor's support toward establishing a special taxing district, called a theme park district. The taxing district would establish a board that could issue tax-free bonds to finance construction.  

Both letters were provided to The Arizona Republic through the state's public records law.

The April 5 letter also shows a hiccup in communication. Meruelo wrote he had been trying to set up a meeting with Gallego for three weeks, to no avail, and was "deeply disappointed."

The tone changed in the April 10 letter, which praised Gallego's "incredible leadership."

Devorah said the Mayor's Office had not received any meeting requests before Meruelo's first letter but reached out after receiving it to set up the meeting.

The mayor first met with Coyotes CEO and President Xavier Gutierrez in September and learned about the team's plans for northeast Phoenix.

What have Coyotes officials said publicly?

Gutierrez, reached Saturday, declined comment about the letters but did not dispute the information released by the Mayor's Office.

Earlier Saturday, the team posted a statement from Meruelo on X saying, in part: "We are focused on a myriad of issues that are unresolved, and therefore we are unable to make any official public comments at this time.

"However, you have my commitment that I am going to speak on all of these issues and publicly address all of your concerns as promptly as possible."

What about Salt Lake City?

The NHL announced on Jan. 24 that Smith Entertainment Group, parent company of the Jazz, formally requested to initiate an expansion process for the purpose of bringing an NHL team to Utah. 

It was revealed that Ryan Smith, chairman of SEG and governor of the Utah Jazz, has been in discussions with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman since 2022. Smith is the executive chairman and co-founder of Qualtrics, an experience management company based in Provo, Utah, and is worth $2.2 billion.

Smith Entertainment Group told the NHL it could welcome a franchise to Salt Lake City as soon as next season, using Delta Center as an interim home arena. 

What about the state land the Coyotes have been eyeing?

A roughly 100-acre rectangle of desert land in northeast Phoenix will be auctioned for sale on June 27, and the Arizona Coyotes president said on April 4 that the team’s owner is “fully committed to being the winning bidder.”

The Arizona State Land Department, which will sell the land to benefit the state’s public school system, has published a legal notice with the auction date.

The starting bid is $68.5 million and is based on the appraised value of the land. 

The Coyotes have pursued the parcel north of Loop 101 and west of Scottsdale Road since last June, while under pressure from the NHL to find a permanent home. 

Even if the team is the highest bidder, the Coyotes will have to clear other hurdles before breaking ground.  

Those include reconciling with Phoenix whether an arena is allowed on the property under its current zoning. Team leadership is also likely to seek a special taxing arrangement to help finance construction. 

The mayor of Scottsdale, who originally objected to an arena and entertainment district on the property, said he's OK with the Arizona Coyotes' plan as long as access points to the project are in Phoenix and are designed to prevent traffic issues in Scottsdale.

What we know:Arizona Coyotes owner to meet with Phoenix mayor

Includes information from Republic reporters Stacey Barchenger, Jenna Ortiz and Sam Kmack.