The National Hockey League (NHL) is reportedly making preparations to move the Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City as early as next season. This news comes following the Coyotes’ announcement of plans to build an arena in Phoenix, with owner Alex Meruelo participating in a land auction in June to secure the necessary space. The league is said to have a backup plan ready in case Meruelo does not win the auction, with two schedules being prepared for next season – one for Arizona and another for Utah. While reports suggest a potential verbal agreement for the move to Salt Lake City, there has been some pushback on the characterization of talks.
On Wednesday, it was reported that significant progress had been made on an agreement to sell and relocate the Coyotes franchise to Salt Lake City, Utah. The NHL would purchase the team from Meruelo for approximately $1 billion and then sell it to Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz, for potentially $1.3 billion. This deal would include a relocation fee distributed to league owners. Smith expressed interest and readiness for the move, emphasizing that the arena is ready and there is a solution in place. The Arizona State Land Department Board of Appeals approved a $68.5 million appraisal of land in north Phoenix, with the auction set for June 27.
It has been speculated that the agreement to sell the Coyotes could include provisions for Meruelo to potentially reactivate the franchise in the future if a new arena is built and certain conditions are met. Commissioner Gary Bettman has previously expressed a desire to keep the Coyotes in Arizona and emphasized that the league is not actively seeking to relocate or expand teams. However, Smith Entertainment Group formally requested that the NHL consider bringing a team to Salt Lake City earlier in the year. If the Coyotes are successful in the land auction, construction on a new arena could begin in 2025, with a projected opening in 2027, roughly in line with their previous plans for an arena in Tempe that fell through due to voter opposition.
The potential relocation of the Coyotes to Salt Lake City would mark the first NHL franchise move since the Atlanta Thrashers were relocated to Winnipeg in 2011 and became the Winnipeg Jets. This development has certainly surprised fans and raised questions about the future of the Coyotes in Arizona. While the league has been committed to keeping the team in its current location, recent reports indicate a shift in plans that could see the team moving to Utah in the near future. Time will tell how this situation unfolds and what it means for NHL fans in both Arizona and Salt Lake City.
