The NHL Board of Governors recently approved a new franchise for Utah for the 2024-25 season and decided to end the Arizona Coyotes franchise. The Coyotes will be transferring all their hockey assets to the new Utah franchise, including players, draft picks, and the Hockey Operations Department. Coyotes fans were emotional at the team’s final regular-season game at Mullet Arena, knowing that the franchise may not return. The Smith Entertainment Group, owners of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, will be taking over operations in Salt Lake City after acquiring the team and its assets for $1.2 billion from Alex Meruelo.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expressed excitement about the new franchise in Utah and welcomed Ashley and Ryan Smith to the NHL family. The Smiths stated that their intention had always been to pursue an expansion team, but agreed to acquire the Coyotes franchise as a solution to an immediate need of the NHL. Meruelo has the right to reactivate a team in Arizona if a new state-of-the-art facility is built within five years. The NHL continues to believe in Arizona and supports Meruelo’s efforts to secure a new home for the Coyotes in the desert.
Meruelo, the current owner of the Coyotes, expressed support for the decision to relocate the team, citing the unsuitability of the current arena for NHL hockey. He has negotiated the right to reactivate the team within the next five years and retains ownership of the Coyotes name, brand, and logo. The players were informed about the relocation to Utah on Friday by the team’s general manager, Bill Armstrong, while they were on the road in Edmonton. The players and coaches were seeking answers about the situation, although they had anticipated a move was imminent.
The Utah team’s name and logo for the upcoming season are still under discussion, and there is a possibility of using a temporary name and logo. The team will play at the Delta Center, where the Utah Jazz play their home games. Meruelo retains ownership of the Coyotes’ name, intellectual property, and records. The team has recently made progress on finding land for a new arena in north Phoenix near Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road, after the future in Arizona was uncertain due to a failed proposal in Tempe. The Coyotes have petitioned to buy a 110-acre parcel in north Phoenix under “Miracle Development,” with a statewide auction for the land set for June 27.
The NHL Board of Governors approved a new franchise for Utah for the 2024-25 season and decided to relocate the Arizona Coyotes. The Coyotes will transfer all their hockey assets to the new Utah franchise, including players, draft picks, and the Hockey Operations Department. The Smith Entertainment Group, owners of the Utah Jazz, acquired the Coyotes and their assets for $1.2 billion from Alex Meruelo. Meruelo has the right to reactivate a team in Arizona if a new arena meeting NHL standards is built within five years. The players were informed about the relocation to Utah while they were on the road in Edmonton, and the team’s future name and logo are still under discussion.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expressed enthusiasm about a new franchise in Utah and welcomed Ashley and Ryan Smith to the NHL family. The Smiths mentioned that their original intention was to pursue an expansion team but decided to acquire the Coyotes franchise to address an NHL need. Meruelo retains ownership of the Coyotes name, brand, and logo, with plans to reestablish the team in Arizona within five years if a new arena is built. The team has made progress on finding land for a new arena in north Phoenix after a failed proposal in Tempe, with a statewide auction for the land set for June 27.
