“Nothing about hockey in Arizona is easy,” the narrator with a deep, velvety voice says. “We’re used to taking the hard road in the desert. Nothing is given. Everything is earned.”
Despite the ridiculous branding video, the NHL appears committed to getting the Coyotes out of Arizona. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the league sent a memo to its Board of Governors indicating progress in talks to move the Coyotes to Utah. While the hockey insider clarifies that nothing is set in stone, the league is in active negotiations with current Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo and the potential owner of any Utah team, Ryan Smith.
Per ESPN, the league could purchase the team from Meruelo for $1 billion and sell to Smith for $1.3 billion, sharing the $300 million of profits with the other 31 NHL franchises.
While some may be resisting the move in Arizona, the NHL’s patience eroded over the past few years. Meruelo’s current plans for the team are to win a land auction scheduled for late June and then start construction on an arena set for a 2027-28 season debut.
Friedman reports that the NHL is concerned about what would occur if Meruelo is unable to win the auction and then even if he did, the prospect of having the team play at Arizona State’s Mullett Arena for another three seasons, would be tough to endure. Per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Coyotes also have not been given a “green light” to extend contract offers to players on expiring contracts due to financial concerns regarding their arena search.
“Sources say Yotes players have been informed that something of a ‘verbal’ agreement is in place to relocate to Salt Lake City, but we’ve received pushback on that characterization of talks,” Seravalli added Wednesday. “Nonetheless, this is well down the track. Let’s see what happens next.”
Friedman adds that as a requisite of any sale to Smith, Meruelo may be given a “five-year, exclusive window” to bring the Coyotes back as an expansion team. Certain obligations, like a new arena, would need to be met but the league “values” the Arizona/Phoenix market.
On top of that, according to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, the NHL will require Smith to make “hockey-specific renovations” to the Delta Center, the current home of the NBA’s Utah Jazz. Smith is reportedly on board for those expenses just as the owners of the Seattle Kraken were when they received their franchise.
Smith and Utah have been at the forefront of talks since late January when they released a statement requesting that the NHL “initiate a formal expansion process” that would see a team brought to Salt Lake City. Delta Center has housed NHL games in the past and the Los Angeles Kings have held preseason games inside the venue for the past few years.
Smith’s plans also included the future construction of a brand-new arena in conjunction with the 2034 Winter Olympics which is expected to take place in Salt Lake City. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was impressed by the well-formed plans.
“The Utah expression of interest has been the most aggressive and has carried a lot of energy with it,” Bettman said at the most recent All-Star Game.
If the Coyotes do end up moving to Utah, the relocation will be the league’s first since the Atlanta Thrashers departed the United States and arrived in Winnipeg in 2011.
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