As the saga surrounding the Arizona Coyotes continues, more information has been revealed that potentially changes the entire future of the franchise. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli has expressed that “significant progress” has been made for a potential relocation to Salt Lake City, Utah. These conversations have been ongoing between the Arizona Coyotes and the Smith Entertainment Group, owned by billionaire Ryan Smith.
It was also earlier reported that the NHL had a contingency plan for drafting schedules for the 2024-2025 season. The NHL was prepared to draft a separate schedule for a potential Salt Lake City team. The other one was for if the Coyotes remained in Arizona.
The point is that the NHL is prepared for any outcome regarding this situation. It’s mentioned that potential relocation talks are far from complete as many factors need to be in place before a move can be facilitated. This shouldn’t be a shock to hockey fans as the Coyotes have had a long history of mismanagement that has come at the expense of various owners and the NHL itself.
Playing out of Arizona State University’s Mullet Arena was never going to be a long-term option after the Coyotes were evicted from Glendale. Utah has emerged as the front-runner for receiving the team as relocation talks intensified. Additionally, Smith currently owns the Utah Jazz of the NBA and has always been vocal about welcoming an NHL Franchise.
Coyotes’ owner Alex Meruelo has been adamant with the plan of building a new arena in north Phoenix which would be possible through a land auction. However the auction isn’t set to happen until June 27th, and Meruelo potentially selling control of the franchise is still a very possible outcome.
Coyotes’ Players Being Made Aware of the Plans
Serevalli adds that players within the Coyotes organization have been made aware of the ongoing talks surrounding potential relocation. Additionally, he states that a “verbal agreement” has potentially been set to relocate the franchise.
Nothing is set in stone yet, but it begs the question of the future of prominent Coyotes players such as Clayton Keller. Would they want to be involved in a potential relocation? Do they see Utah as a place where they can succeed? Or would they rather seek better opportunities elsewhere? Lots of questions with very few answers.
Smith Aggressive in his Pursuit of the Coyotes
Smith has been quite clear on his interest in having an NHL team in Salt Lake City. The Smith Entertainment group formally requested to initiate an expansion process to bring a team to Utah.
The NHL and Smith have been in ongoing conversations surrounding a potential expansion. However, with Arizona’s struggles being magnified, it’s now more likely that Smith will get his wish fulfilled.
With constant struggle in Arizona sympathy sure is to be directed towards Coyotes fans. Losing a team is never easy and the Coyotes leaving town is an unfortunate event for the market to experience.
As time goes by, this situation will be monitored closely as more details are yet to come. However, it’s an interesting development and one where closure can be had on a team that has experienced struggles ever since its establishment.
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