It’s done, Arizona is moving to Salt Lake City! But he can return to the NHL in five years

There has been speculation about this for years. But the fact is that the Arizona Coyotes’ move to another destination has never been closer than in recent weeks. The whole process has reached the stage where the players themselves have been informed of the possibility. They played their final game at their university’s Mullett Arena on Wednesday night. Salt Lake City is now claiming its glory.

The Arizona Coyotes finished 13th in the Western Conference standings this NHL season, safely out of the playoff position. They wrote the last episode of the eighty-two game portion on Wednesday night. And if it’s the last, it’s definitely the last. After 28 years, the Coyotes are done in the NHL.

A few days back, league executives were working with two regular season rosters for next season. One included Arizona, the other Salt Lake City. On Thursday, however, the NHL Board of Governors unanimously approved selling and moving the club to Salt Lake City just before the 2024-2025 season.

“As everyone knows, Utah is a vibrant and prosperous state and we are thrilled to be a part of it. We are also excited to welcome Ashley and Ryan Smith (Smith Entertainment Group) to the NHL family and know they will be great owners in Utah,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said shortly after the move was officially finalized.

The name of the new NHL club is not yet known. The owners just announced that the name will encompass the entire state, Utah, not just Salt Lake City. Utah will be in the Delta Center, which is also home to the NBA’s Utah Jazz. But Smith has previously said that if he is able to get an NHL franchise, he plans to build a large, modern hockey arena in the city in the coming years.

The end of the NHL in Arizona? Not quite

There’s no doubt that the move was mostly decided by finances. However, the NHL has been waiting for a long time for Arizona to get back on its feet. League commissioner Gary Bettman has stood by Arizona, still convinced that it is a very attractive destination in terms of market and TV rights sales.

That’s also why the NHL devised a plan to relocate the Coyotes while keeping the back door open. Club owner Alex Meruelo will be able to continue with his grand plans. And if he does indeed build the promised new arena, the NHL is willing to welcome Arizona back to the NHL as the 33rd club within five years. In that case, a renewed organization would face an entry draft, much like it did with Las Vegas or Seattle.

“This is not the end of NHL hockey in Arizona. I negotiated the right to reactivate the team over the next five years and retained ownership of the beloved Coyotes name, brand and logo. I remain committed to building a world-class sports arena,” said the Coyotes owner.

At this point, however, the NHL had nothing left to wait for. Arizona’s future had long been uncertain, and there was a bidder in line to play in a dignified setting as soon as next season.

Ryan Smith, who is also the owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz basketball organization, made his official application to join the NHL in January. He himself probably didn’t expect how quick the whole process would be. He himself said at the beginning that he was not insisting on buying out another organization.

“Our intention has always been to pursue an expansion team. But Commissioner Bettman devised and proposed an ingenious plan that would allow us to acquire an NHL franchise and get us into the competition faster,” Smith said. It was important to him to get to the NHL by any means necessary. Now he has the path to his next big dream cleared.

Source: NHL