NHL makes it official, approves Coyotes move from Arizona to Utah

Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes players acknowledge the fans after an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. The Coyotes won 5-2. Team owner Alex Meruelo agreed to sell franchise's hockey operations to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, who intends to move the team to Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)AP

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The NHL has made it official. Professional hockey is coming to Utah.

The NHL Board of Governors voted Thursday to establish a team in Utah under the ownership of Ryan Smith, who also owns the NBA’s Utah Jazz and co-owns Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake.

The Utah franchise will replace the Arizona Coyotes, who have spent years in economic flux and spent the last two seasons playing at Mullett Arena, a 4,600-seat facility on the campus of Arizona State University.

Coyotes fans were heard chanting “Salt Lake Sucks” during the Coyotes bittersweet season finale on Wednesday night. The franchise, sold for $1.2 billion, is now considered inactive, according to the NHL.

Owner Alex Meruelo can reactivate it if he has fully constructed a new, state-of-the-art facility appropriate for an NHL team within five years, according to an agreement with the league.

“As everyone knows, Utah is a vibrant and thriving state, and we are thrilled to be a part of it,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We are also delighted to welcome Ashley and Ryan Smith to the NHL family and know they will be great stewards of the game in Utah. We thank them for working so collaboratively with the League to resolve a complex situation in this unprecedented and beneficial way.

“The NHL’s belief in Arizona has never wavered. We thank Alex Meruelo for his commitment to the franchise and Arizona, and we fully support his ongoing efforts to secure a new home in the desert for the Coyotes. We also want to acknowledge the loyal hockey fans of Arizona, who have supported their team with dedication for nearly three decades while growing the game.”

The Smiths have purchased the contracts of Arizona executives, coaches and players, the NHL said. The team will play in Salt Lake City at Delta Center, home of the Jazz since 1991-92, where about 17,500 fans should be able to pile in for hockey games.

In a statement, Ryan Smith said he was “honored to bring an NHL team to Utah.”

“The one thing I do know about Utah is, people show up,” Smith told NHL.com. “We just had the NCAA Tournament here for basketball, and the entire arena was full. It’s just different. It’s just different here. I mean, (the Jazz have)291 straight sellout games at the Delta Center. I think every concert that’s come into town has sold out. It’s just what we do. We show up. I have a lot of faith in the people of Utah.”

Smith said he has talked with the NHL about an expansion team for the better part of two years in large part because Utah already has history with hockey.

The Salt Lake Golden Eagles played in the Western Hockey League from 1969-74, Central Hockey League from 1974-84 and International Hockey League from 1984-94. Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, featuring NHL players.

The original Utah Grizzlies played in the IHL from 1995-2001 and American Hockey League from 2001-05. The current Utah Grizzlies have played in the ECHL since 2005-06.

Smith said Utah plans to build community rinks, the way the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken did after joining the league in recent years.

As for the team’s name, Smith said “Utah” will be on the front of the jerseys next season, but the team will take its time to determine its name, logos and colors.

The NHL has expanded significantly in the last 25 years starting with the addition of the Nashville Predators in the 1998-99 season. For its 2000–01 season, the NHL added the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild to bring the league to thirty teams.

The Vegas Golden Knights joined the league in 2017-18 and the Seattle Kraken just finished their third season in the NHL to put the number at 32 teams.

The Coyotes orginally moved to Arizona from Winnipeg in 1996, but their tenure in the desert has been marked by several ownership changes, including one infamous bankruptcy in 2009 that led to the NHL owning the team for several seasons.

Discussions about relocating the team have happened for years and Arizona has played in three different buildings since arriving from Manitoba.

The team shared a downtown Phoenix arena with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns after relocating, then moved to Glendale’s Gila River Arena in 2003, but endured a troubled tenure in the suburb with both financial and legal issues and moved to ASU’s arena in 2022-23.

Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie also tried to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario amid financial issues in 2009, but the league stepped in the keep the team in the desert and ran it for four seasons.

Arizona has made the playoffs just one time since 2011-2012 and it was during the modified 2019-20 season impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic when 12 teams in each conference were invited to bubbles in Edmonton and Toronto.

The Coyotes, despite having a loyal fan base, also consistently ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance.

Brandon Champion

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