In a seismic shift from the NHL maintaining that hockey could work in Arizona, speculation is everywhere the NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is poised to announce on April 18th that the Arizona Coyotes have been sold to Ryan Smith and are set to relocate to Salt Lake City. While not confirmed as a done deal, the report comes from John Gambadoro of 98.7 Phoenix. If true, the move and the news marks the culmination of years of speculation and rumors surrounding the Coyotes’ future.
Other reports note that Coyotes’ general manager, Bill Armstrong, flew into Edmonton for a crucial pregame meeting with his team, where he briefed players on everything he knows about the rumors. He was there to answer questions, but it certainly doesn’t appear he’s told anyone that a deal to move the team has been finalized. Players like Lawson Crouse and Clayton Keller expressed their frustration at being kept in the dark about the situation. Crouse said, “We saw it everywhere, just like everyone, but we don’t know anything more than what everyone else is seeing.” “We’ve heard different things here and there, and none of them were really true,” said forward Clayton Keller. “You can say it’s not a distraction, but it’s just buddies, family, people always texting you. It keeps putting it in your head.
Is This The End of NHL Hockey in Arizona?
The franchise’s pending move to Salt Lake City signals a possible new chapter for the team, with plans for a fresh start under new ownership. Elliotte Friedman’s insights on the 32 Thoughts Podcast suggest that the Coyotes might be rendered inactive by the NHL, with Smith potentially acquiring player contracts and staff members for the transition to Utah.
While the news may come as a shock to many, the Coyotes’ relocation has been a topic of discussion for years. If the team departs from Arizona, it will mark the end of a turbulent and up-and-down era. As the season draws to a close, fans and players are bracing themselves for news that could come in less than a week.
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