By Eric Duhatschek, Chris Johnston and Ian Mendes
It’s official: The Arizona Coyotes are moving to Salt Lake City starting next season. How did it happen, and what comes next? Here’s everything we know about why the team is moving to Utah.
The @NHL is here! Utah let’s go! https://t.co/VwfWS2mkS9
— Ryan Smith (@RyanQualtrics) April 18, 2024
How did the Coyotes end up in Arizona in the first place?
In 1979, the Winnipeg Jets were one of four World Hockey Association teams absorbed into the NHL and they survived there until 1996, when a series of issues — an aging building, and a low Canadian dollar – led to the relocation in Arizona. Team owner Barry Shenkarow couldn’t make a go of it financially and sold the team to Richard Burke and Steven Gluckstern, who originally planned to move the team to Minnesota to replace the North Stars, who’d left in 1993 for Dallas. When that fell through, they reached an agreement with Jerry Colangelo to move the team to Phoenix, where it played its first handful of years at America West Arena, home of the NBA Phoenix Suns.
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What were the highlights of their run there?
The Coyotes were competitive in their early years and made the playoffs in six of their seven first seasons in Phoenix, but lost in the first round of the playoffs every time. But in the two decades since, the Coyotes have been one of the NHL’s weakest teams, except for a three-year run between 2010 and 2012, when they made the playoffs each time, and in 2012, when they unexpectedly qualified for the Western Conference final — where they ultimately lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings.
The fans in Phoenix mimicked a tradition that began in Winnipeg, staging a “Whiteout” in which every spectator dressed in white to show support for the team, probably the most stunning visual memory of the franchise. The Coyotes got as far as they did in 2012 by virtue of stingy defense. Antoine Vermette (10 points in 16 games) was the only position player to crack the top 25 of playoff scoring, but goaltender Mike Smith was outstanding, posting a 1.99 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage in 16 games played. He also had three shutouts.
Also of historic note: Wayne Gretzky, the NHL’s all-time leader in goals, assists and points, spent four years as the Coyotes’ head coach between 2005 and 2009. Ex-owner Steve Ellman originally invited Gretzky into the Coyotes’ ownership group in 2001, and four years later, Gretzky went behind the bench. Gretzky’s career coaching record was 141-161-24 and the Coyotes – operating under significant budgetary restrictions – failed to make the playoffs in each of those four years. Gretzky eventually stepped down in 2009, when the Coyotes filed for bankruptcy, saying (almost prophetically) at the time: “This was a difficult decision that I’ve thought long and hard about. We all hoped there would be a resolution earlier this month to the Coyotes’ ownership situation — but the decision is taking longer than expected.”
What went wrong in Arizona?
How much time do you have? Unstable ownership, the lack of a proper place to play and a revolving door of failed plans to get things right put the organization on a perpetual doom loop.
The Coyotes played more than half of their 27 seasons under some form of cloud – be it bankruptcy proceedings, loan defaults by owners, a slew of unpaid bills or the consistent hum of speculation about relocation. Looking back, the biggest mistake was arguably made by former owner Steve Ellman, when he elected to move the team 20 miles northwest of Phoenix to the suburb of Glendale. That’s where he constructed a rink that would eventually become known as Gila River Arena, which was a fine facility. However, it was an extremely difficult place for the bulk of Coyotes fans to get to and without question affected their ability to gain a stronger foothold in the market.
More recently, after Alex Meruelo purchased the team, they were unable to find a timely fix to the arena issue. The Coyotes were given the boot by Glendale after being unwilling to sign a long-term lease extension, and that forced them to play out of temporary facilities at the 4,600-seat Mullett Arena in Tempe for two seasons. Players and staff chafed under that arrangement. It lost its charm quickly. When voters in Tempe turned down three propositions last May to build a $2.1-billion entertainment district that would have included a new facility for the Coyotes, that was the beginning of the end.
Is there a chance the Coyotes could return at some point?
In some form, yes. The franchise has formally been declared inactive and Meruelo maintains the rights to the brand, marks and logos. His intention is to get an arena built that would see the team reincarnated within five years. Whether or not that happens is anyone’s guess. His track record raises serious questions and doubts about his ability to see that project to completion. He doesn’t have much time on his side. Presumably, it would require Meruelo to win the June 27 auction on a parcel of land in north Phoenix that he’s been eyeing to develop an entertainment complex, which would include a new building.
No matter what happens there, it’s no secret the NHL intends to return to Arizona eventually, just as it did with previous teams in Minnesota, Winnipeg and Atlanta. Phoenix is a major U.S. market, and the region’s strong youth hockey program stands as a testament to the fact an NHL team could one day thrive there with a properly run organization and a well-appointed arena built in the proper place. Asked about the prospects of a return this week, Coyotes legend and Scottsdale resident Shane Doan expressed hope. “I think I’m probably the worst person to ask,” Doan said, “because I’m always the eternal optimist and so I’m going to assume that it’s going to. I’m viewing this as a chapter that’s closing. It’s not the end of the book. Hopefully, something like that happens, but I mean, that’s not my job to worry about.”
What do we know about the deal?
Ryan and Ashley Smith paid $1.2 billion to acquire the Coyotes’ existing hockey assets — including its full reserve list, roster of players, draft picks and hockey operations department. Of that amount, $1 billion will go to Meruelo, with the additional $200 million dispersed among existing NHL owners as a relocation fee for the move to Utah. Arguably the most interesting aspect of the deal is the fact that Meruelo kept the rights to reactivate the Coyotes franchise in Arizona. However, he has a high bar to clear in order to make it happen.
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The NHL’s Board of Governors have approved him to bring the team back if he has “fully constructed a new, state-of-the-art facility appropriate for an NHL team within five years.” That won’t be easy. Only Meurelo can exercise the right to that reactivation, meaning it’s not something he has the ability to sell or transfer to another prospective owner down the road.
What do players and staff think about this? Will they all be moving with the team?
This is a time of mixed emotions for those who have given blood, sweat and years to the Coyotes. The bulk of the hockey operations staff will relocate to Salt Lake City and there’s a sense of excitement from some under that umbrella about what comes next. As much as they loved calling the Phoenix area home, they’re viewing this move as an upgrade in ownership and stability.
It’s far less certain what will become of the business and marketing staff. They were not included in the sale and are likely facing a mass round of layoffs, even with Meruelo in discussions to relocate the American Hockey League’s Tucson Roadrunners to Mullett Arena. One of the toughest parts of Wednesday’s Coyotes finale was seeing those employees embracing in hallways and comparing notes on their collective futures. One quipped, “I hope my key card still works tomorrow!” and no one laughed.
The players will be well taken care of, with moving expenses covered and a still-to-be-determined relocation payment coming. The management, scouts, coaches and support staff are going to get the chance to continue working in the NHL, too. But not everyone will be so lucky.
“There’s tons of mixed emotions,” said Coyotes forward Liam O’Brien.
How did Utah enter the fray?
Smith, the Utah Jazz owner, initially burst onto the NHL radar last summer. Prior to the Stanley Cup Final in June, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said, “We’ve certainly talked to Ryan Smith, and he has indicated he has an interest in bringing the NHL to Salt Lake City.” Things really amplified in January, when Smith Entertainment Group — the parent company for Smith’s sports endeavors — released a public statement requesting the NHL initiate an expansion process to bring a team to Utah. As part of that statement, SEG indicated they had an “immediate ability to welcome an NHL team to Utah.”
Last month, Smith told The Athletic that he did not want his pursuit of an NHL team to come off as though he was poaching the Arizona Coyotes from afar.
“People who know me know I’m pretty direct. If that were the intention, I would just come out and say that. We’re not about trying to mess with anybody else’s world. I know what it’s like to be in a partnership, like we are in the NBA. There is a way to go about it,” Smith said.
At the time, Smith indicated he maintained an open line of dialogue with NHL officials about the possibility of landing a team in Utah.
“I don’t want to get involved with how they deliver a team. We’re showing that we’re ready and that’s what we’re putting forward,” said Smith. “We talk to them frequently. They know our interest. They see what’s going on. They see the value, and they’re intrigued.”
The relocated Coyotes will play out of the Delta Center in Salt Lake City starting this fall. (Ian Mendes / The Athletic)
Where will the Utah team play and who will run them?
The NHL team will initially play out of the Delta Center, which is the home of the NBA’s Jazz. It’s a basketball-specific venue, with a steep seating curvature that wasn’t built with hockey in mind.
With its current configuration, at least 11,000 fans can comfortably watch a hockey game inside Delta Center. Jazz officials told The Athletic last month they are aggressively pursuing solutions to add as many new seats as possible for NHL games.
The current plan is for the Delta Center to undergo a series of massive renovations, transforming it into a state-of-the-art facility that can comfortably house both an NHL and NBA franchise. That arena project will likely take several years to complete.
In terms of running the hockey operations department, Smith will have to decide if he’s keeping Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong and head coach Andre Tourigny. In previous NHL relocations, we’ve seen examples in which hockey operations staff is both retained and terminated with new ownership.
When the Thrashers left Atlanta for Winnipeg in 2011, general manager Rick Dudley and head coach Craig Ramsey were not retained. Instead, they were replaced by Kevin Cheveldayoff and Claude Noel, respectively, for the Jets’ first season in Winnipeg. Meanwhile, when the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver in the summer of 1995, they opted for continuity and stability on the hockey side.
Both general manager Pierre Lacroix and head coach Marc Crawford retained their roles in Colorado and helped guide the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup in their inaugural season in 1995-96.
Last fall, both Armstrong and Tourigny signed multi-year contract extensions with the Coyotes.
What will they be called?
On Thursday afternoon, Smith stated that the club will take its time to determine the nickname, logo and colors for the new NHL franchise. He did indicate that “Utah” will be on the front of the team jerseys for the 2024-25 season.
“It will 100 percent be ‘Utah,’ and then it will be ‘Utah Something,’ obviously,” Smith told NHL.com on Thursday. “I don’t think given this timeline that we’re going to have time — or nor should we rush with everything else that’s going on — to go force what that is in the next three months.”
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Smith said that naming the team is a critical step in creating a culture and connection for the community.
“It’s got to be something that drives people to want to be a part of it, from all ages. It’s got to be a momentum builder,” Smith said.
Earlier this month, Smith took to social media to solicit potential nicknames for a team in his city. In terms of potential nickname, there were no shortage of options thrown out by hockey fans on social media.
Several of the suggestions have ties to Utah’s mountainous and rugged terrain, as the Yeti, Stag and Mountaineers have been floated out by several fans.
There is some traction for the idea of the franchise adopting the Golden Eagles — the same nickname used by the wildly popular IHL team that thrived in Salt Lake City in the 1980s.
Since Utah is known as “The Beehive State,” the suggestions of Hive or Stingers are also on the radar. The name Saints or Pioneers would be an homage to the Mormon settlers who helped establish Salt Lake City in the 1800s and remain an essential part of the community.
With Salt Lake City on the verge of being announced as a Winter Olympic host for a second time, the idea of Olympians could work for some fans. The name Blizzard would not only keep with the winter theme, but also allow for another double ‘zz’ nickname — like the Jazz — in the marketplace.
(Top photo: Norm Hall / NHLI via Getty Images)
