SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 15, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The Arizona Coyotes took another step toward relocating to Salt Lake City on Monday with the NHL‘s executive committee reportedly approving the move.
That action was first reported by Sportico, noting the relocation bid next moves to a vote of the league’s Board of Governors, which includes all 32 teams.
If approved, the $1.2 billon sale will allow the Coyotes to be rebranded and relocated to Salt Lake City in time for the 2024-25 season, according to Sportico.
Arizona owner Alex Meruelo is selling the team’s hockey operations to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith while retaining the Coyotes’ name, logos, and trademarks, as well as ownership of the team’s minor-league franchise, the American Hockey League’s Tucson Roadrunners.
On Friday, Coyotes players and coaches were informed of plans to relocate to Salt Lake City. The pending move stems from the Coyotes’ failed attempts to build a new arena in the Phoenix area.
The Coyotes, who currently play in the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena at Arizona State, would begin play next season at the Delta Center, sharing the arena with the Jazz, under Smith’s proposal to the NHL.
An official announcement about the move is expected either Thursday or Friday, according to Arizona Sports‘ John Gambadoro.
Meruelo agreed to sell the team after securing contractual rights to reactivate the franchise within five years if an arena is built. That would trigger an expansion draft and require Meruelo to pay back the $1 billion he is getting from the sale, Gambadoro reported.
The NHL will receive $200 million from the sale as a relocation fee, which will be distributed to the league’s owners, according to multiple reports.
The Coyotes are scheduled to play their final game at Mullett Arena on Wednesday. The team had been planning to play at the ASU arena again next season.
Smith, chairman of Smith Entertainment Group and governor of the Utah Jazz, made a formal request in January that the NHL begin the process of expanding into Utah.
Smith and his wife, Ashley, have been in discussions with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman since early 2022 about why they believe Utah is an ideal market for an NHL franchise.
Smith ultimately plans to either renovate the Delta Center or build a new arena designed for both NBA and NHL games.
That effort found support earlier this year in the Utah Legislature, which passed legislation to create a “capital city revitalization zone” to support the renovation or new construction.
Ownership in Arizona did not have that political backing, ultimately ending the team’s 28-year stay in the Valley of the Sun.
The biggest blow to the franchise’s future in Arizona came in May 2023, when voters in Tempe rejected Meruelo’s proposal to purchase property, build a new arena and develop an entertainment district there.
In the most recent arena proposal, Meruelo earlier this month announced plans to purchase state land in northeast Phoenix scheduled to go up for bid on June 27.
The mayor of Scottsdale, which borders the northeast Phoenix property, publicly opposed the new development. Meruelo has said the auction was the Coyotes’ final attempt to keep the team in the Valley of the Sun.
