TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) The Arizona Coyotes are officially headed to Salt Lake City.
The NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously on Thursday to approve a $1.2 billion sale from Alex Meruelo to Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith, paving the way for the franchise’s move to Utah next season.
The deal includes a provision for Arizona to get an expansion team if a new arena is built in the next five years. The deal will be facilitated by the NHL, with $200 million going to the league’s owners as a relocation fee.
“We have publicly expressed our interest with the NHL,” Ryan Smith told the Associated Press. “It’s probably been two years where we said, ‘Hey, look, we really believe Utah can be an amazing hockey city.’ You look at all the demographics, we were talking about the Olympics and you think about the Olympics coming back.
Smith will take over the franchise’s hockey operations and Meruelo will maintain his business operations in Arizona in an effort to secure and develop land for a new arena in north Phoenix.
Meruelo also maintains ownership of the Tucson Roadrunners, the franchise’s AHL affiliate, and hopes to move them to Mullett Arena, the Coyotes’ temporary home shared with Arizona State University for the past two seasons. He plans to return the billion dollars once an expansion team is approved.
“The NHL’s belief in Arizona has never wavered,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “We thank Alex Meruelo for his commitment to the franchise and to Arizona, and we fully support his continued efforts to secure a new desert home for the Coyotes. We also want to thank the loyal Arizona hockey fans who have dedicatedly supported their team for nearly three decades as the game grew.”
Meruelo will keep the Coyotes name, logo and trademark, so Smith’s group will have to rename the team. The team will play at the Delta Center, home of the Jazz, until a new arena is built.
“We’ll start with Utah on the jersey and figure out the logo and everything and what we are, but that’s a one-way door,” Smith said. “You have to do it once. And with this timeline, I think both the league is better off and we feel better just executing the process and then we’ll abandon it when we abandon it.”
The sale ends the Coyotes’ long attempt to find a permanent home.
The franchise shared an arena with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns after moving from Winnipeg, moved to Glendale and ended up at Mullett Arena when the city of Glendale backed out of a lease.
Meruelo was adamant that he did not want to sell the team, despite having received numerous offers since purchasing the team in 2019. When an auction for the land in north Phoenix was postponed until June, the Coyotes had no guarantee that a deal for a new arena would happen. through.
With the NHL and the players’ association hesitant to have the Coyotes play in the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena for a third season, Meruelo opted to sell the team, his focus shifting to the new arena and the expansion team.
“I agree with Commissioner Gary Bettman and the National Hockey League that it is simply unfair to continue to have our players, coaches, hockey management and the NHL teams they compete against spend another few years playing in an arena that is not suitable for NHL hockey,” Meruelo said in a statement “But this is not the end for NHL hockey in Arizona. I negotiated the right to revive the team over the next five years and maintained ownership of the beloved Coyotes name. brand and logo I remain committed to this community and to building a world-class sports arena and entertainment district without seeking financial support from the public.”
The Coyotes played their final game in Arizona on Wednesday night, a 5-2 victory over the playoff-bound Edmonton Oilers. Players celebrated on the ice with team personnel and some handed their sticks over the cup to fans, who shouted “We love you coyotes!”
“It’s hard to take it all in,” Coyotes rookie forward Logan Cooley said. “A lot of noise, a lot of personal stuff and obviously the organization, you hear it’s going to one point and then the next. We did a good job in this locker room focusing on cutting through the noise and improving as a team, trying to be the team we want to be one day.”
Officials in Salt Lake City and the city’s bid for the 2034 Olympics supported Smith’s attempt to bring hockey to Utah by giving the state two major professional franchises.
“This announcement is more than bringing an NHL team to Salt Lake City – it is a defining moment in our trajectory, becoming a catalyst for a positive vision that integrates community, connection and more possibilities for families, residents and visitors to experience our capital,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement. “I am grateful for the close partnership with Ryan and Ashley Smith and the entire SEG team. This is the beginning of a new era that will generate exciting opportunities for our communities, amplify pride and unlock new potential in our city center.”
