The Arizona Coyotes have informed the team of their move to Salt Lake City, selling the team to Ryan and Ashley Smith, owners of the Utah Jazz. Smith has been a huge proponent of the move, most recently asking for potential names via X.
Ahead of the Coyotes’ game against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, general manager Bill Armstrong met with the players to discuss the future of the team. Armstrong confirmed the rumors that have been circulating: the Coyotes are coming to Utah.
Although the move has not officially been announced, it is nearly guaranteed. The official announcement is expected to come next week, at the end of the NHL regular season.
The move comes amidst concerns about the Coyotes’ future arena plans in Phoenix. The Coyotes have played in the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena on the campus of Arizona State since the 2022-23 season.
Looking to expand, the Coyotes relied on owner Alex Meruelo winning a land auction for 95 acres in north Phoenix for an appraised $68.5 million. The relocation to Utah was prepared as a backup plan as skepticism of Meruelo’s timeline grew within the NHL.
The NHL prepared two schedules for next season: one with the Coyotes remaining in Arizona, and the second being a backup in case of the team’s relocation to Salt Lake.
With the Delta Center being Salt Lake’s largest sports venue, the Coyotes are expected to play their next season at the current home of the Jazz. However, sources have reported that hockey-specific upgrades would be needed to make it a permanent NHL arena.
The current plan is for the NHL to purchase the Coyotes from Meruelo for an estimated $1 billion. After purchasing the team, the NHL would sell the Coyotes to the Smiths for a price as high as $1.3 billion. The NHL’s other 31 owners would split $300 million in the deal to pocket just under $10 million each.
The Utah State government, in addition to Smith, is in on the deal. The Utah State Legislature passed S.B. 272 this February, which allows Salt Lake City to raise sales tax by up to 0.5% to provide funding for a sports and entertainment district. The bill was signed by Gov. Spencer Cox in March and goes into effect on May 1.
The Coyotes join the Jazz as Utah’s second team in a “Big Four” league. These leagues are composed of the MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL. With rumors of MLB expansion, the Coyotes may not be the newest team in town for long.
