| Arizona Coyotes | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=logo} | |
| Founded | 1972 |
| History | Winnipeg Jets 1972–1979 (WHA) 1979–1996 (NHL) Phoenix Coyotes 1996–2014 Arizona Coyotes 2014–2024 |
| Home arena | America West Arena (1996–2003) Gila River Arena (2003–2022) Mullett Arena (2022–2024) |
 | |
| Team colors | Brick red, sand, forest green, purple, sienna, process black[1][2][3] |
| Stanley Cups | 0 |
| Conference championships | 0 |
| Presidents' Trophies | 0 |
| Division championships | 1 (2011–12) |
| Official website | nhl |
TheArizona Coyotes are an inactive professionalice hockey team based in thePhoenix metropolitan area. They competed in theNational Hockey League (NHL) as a member of theCentral Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and thePacific Division (1998–2020) in theWestern Conference, and theWest Division (2020–2021). They played at America West Arena (nowMortgage Matchup Center) indowntown Phoenix from 1996 to 2003, atGlendale's Gila River Arena (nowDesert Diamond Arena) from 2003 to 2022, and atMullett Arena inTempe from 2022 to 2024. The organization was established on December 27, 1971, as theWinnipeg Jets, a charter franchise of theWorld Hockey Association (WHA).
After seven WHA seasons, they were one of four organizationsenfranchised by the NHL on June 22, 1979, when the WHA ceased operations. Due to financial troubles, the Jets were sold to American owners, who moved the team to Phoenix on July 1, 1996, where they were renamed thePhoenix Coyotes. The franchise was renamed the Arizona Coyotes on June 27, 2014.Alex Meruelo became the majority owner on July 29, 2019, later becoming the franchise's sole owner following the arrest of minority ownerAndrew Barroway.
The team failed to gain long-term stability despite the relocation to Arizona, enduring multiple changes in ownership and struggling for a profitable arena for home games. The NHL took over the Phoenix Coyotes franchise in 2009 when then-ownerJerry Moyes gave up the team afterfiling for bankruptcy. The NHL maintained control of the franchise until 2013, when they found new ownership willing to keep it in Arizona. Despite a difficult working relationship with the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, the Coyotes were able to secure a year-to-year arrangement to play in theGila River Arena until the end of the 2021–22 season.
Negotiations with the city deteriorated, and the team subsequently signed an agreement to play their games at Mullett Arena on the campus ofArizona State University, starting with the 2022–23 season. The arrangement was intended to be brief, lasting only until anew arena was built in Tempe, but the arena proposal was rejected by the city's residents in May 2023.
Amid growing pressure to resolve the arena situation and to find an alternative to a college arena considered too small even for temporary usage, the Coyotes suspended hockey operations following the conclusion of the2023–24 season. In a deal brokered by the NHL, the Coyotes were essentially split in half. The team's hockey assets (players, staff, and draft picks) were transferred to the Utah Hockey Club (now theUtah Mammoth), anexpansion franchise awarded at the same time toRyan Smith and based inSalt Lake City. The Coyotes' name, history, and other intellectual property were initially retained by Meruelo, who had intended to build a new arena in Arizona by 2029.
Meruelo hoped to win a parcel of land at an auction in June 2024. When this auction was canceled by Arizona state authorities, Meruelo left the franchise and abandoned his efforts to revive the Coyotes, relinquishing the franchise rights and intellectual property to the NHL.
The team began play as theWinnipeg Jets, one of the founding franchises in theWorld Hockey Association (WHA). The Jets were the most successful team in the short-lived WHA, winning theAvco World Trophy, the league's championship trophy, three times and making the finals five out of the WHA's seven seasons. It then became one of the four teams admitted to the NHL as part of amerger when the financially struggling WHA folded in 1979.
However, the club was never able to translate its WHA success into the NHL after the merger. The merger's terms allowed the established NHL teams to reclaim most of the players that had jumped to the upstart league, and the Jets lost most of their best players in the ensuing reclamation draft. As a result, they finished last in the NHL during their first two seasons, including a nine-win season in1980–81 that is still the worst in franchise history. However, they recovered fairly quickly, making the playoffs 11 times in the next 15 seasons, but the Jets only won two playoff series, largely because they were in the same division as the powerfulEdmonton Oilers andCalgary Flames. Because of the way the playoffs were structured for much of their Winnipeg run, the team was all but assured of having to defeat either the Oilers or the Flames (or both) to reach the conference finals. In1984–85, for instance, they finished with the fourth-best record in the NHL with 96 points, at the time their best as an NHL team. However, they were swept by the Oilers in the division finals.Two seasons later, they dispatched the Flames in the first round, only to be swept again by the Oilers in the division finals. The franchise did not win another playoff series for 25 years.
The Jets ran into financial trouble when player salaries began spiralling up in the 1990s; this hit the Canadian teams particularly hard. Winnipeg was the second-smallest market in the NHL for most of the Jets' existence and became the smallest after theQuebec Nordiques moved toDenver in 1995 to become theColorado Avalanche. In addition, the club's home arena,Winnipeg Arena, was one of the smallest in the league, seating just under 15,400 people. It was over 40 years old and had no luxury suites. Despite strong fan support, owner Barry Shenkarow was forced to put the team on the market. Several attempts to keep the team in Winnipeg fell through.
In October 1995, Minnesota businessmen Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke purchased the team with plans to move it toMinneapolis–St. Paul, which had lost theMinnesota North Stars in 1993, for the1996–97 season. However, in December, after they were unable to secure a lease at Minneapolis'Target Center, they opted to move the Jets to Phoenix, instead. Minnesota was ultimately awarded anexpansion team in 1997, theMinnesota Wild.
After the franchise considered "Mustangs", "Outlaws", "Wranglers", and "Freeze", a name-the-team contest yielded the official name "Coyotes".[4] At the time, the name was largely seen as play on theLooney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote ofWile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, since Phoenix was home to several minor league teams andone short-lived WHA team called thePhoenix Roadrunners, including anInternational Hockey League (IHL)team that was playing there in 1996. However, "Coyotes" was considered suitable in any case since the coyote is endemic to the whole of Arizona, unlike theroadrunner, which is only found in the southern and western regions of the state. The Roadrunners only played one more season before leaving Phoenix; however, the Coyotes later revived the "Roadrunners" nickname for theirAmerican Hockey League affiliate, theTucson Roadrunners.
In the summer, the team added established superstarJeremy Roenick from theChicago Blackhawks, in exchange for tradingAlexei Zhamnov. Roenick teamed up with power wingersKeith Tkachuk andRick Tocchet to form a dynamic 1–2–3 offensive punch that led the Coyotes through their first years in Arizona. Also impressive were young players likeShane Doan (he eventually was the last remaining player from the team's days in Winnipeg),Oleg Tverdovsky, and goaltenderNikolai Khabibulin, whom the fans nicknamed the "Bulin Wall".
Another key addition to the squad was veteran forwardMike Gartner, who had joined from theToronto Maple Leafs. Despite his experience and scoringhis 700th career goal on December 15, 1997, Gartner battled injuries in the latter half of the 1997–98 season. The Coyotes did not renew his contract and he retired at the end of the season. After arriving in Phoenix, the team posted six consecutive .500 or better seasons, making the playoffs in every year but one. The one time they did not make the playoffs, in2000–01, they became the first team to earn 90 points and miss the playoffs.
The Coyotes' original home,America West Arena, was suboptimal for hockey. Although considered a state-of-the-art arena when built for the Phoenix Suns, it was designed specifically as a basketball venue, with sight lines optimized for the smaller playing surface of that sport, and not with hockey in mind. The floor was just barely large enough to fit a standard NHL rink, forcing the Coyotes to hastily re-engineer it to accommodate the 200-foot rink. The configuration left a portion of one end of the upper deck hangingover the boards and ice, obscuring almost a third of the rink and one goal from several sections. As a result, listed capacity had to be cut down from over 18,000 seats to just over 16,000 – the second-smallest in the league at the time – after the first season.
Burke bought out Gluckstern in 1998 but was unable to attract more investors to alleviate the team's financial woes. In 2001, Burke sold the team to Phoenix-area developer Steve Ellman, withWayne Gretzky as a part-owner and head of hockey operations.
The closest that they came to advancing past the first round during their first decade in Arizona was during the1999 playoffs. After building a 3–1 series lead, the Coyotes fell in overtime of game 7 on a goal byPierre Turgeon of theSt. Louis Blues. In2002, the Coyotes posted 95 points, one point behind their best total as an NHL team while in Winnipeg, but went down rather meekly to theSan Jose Sharks in five games.
From then until the 2007–08 season, the Coyotes were barely competitive and managed to break the 80-point barrier only once during that time. Attendance levels dropped considerably, worrying many NHL executives. In addition, an unfavorable arena lease at city-owned America West Arena had the team suffering massive financial losses[5] (as much as $40 million a year at one point);[6] the Coyotes have yet to recover from the resulting financial problems.
Ellman put forward numerous proposals to improve the hockey sightlines in America West Arena in hopes of boosting capacity back over the 17,000 mark. However, none of these got beyond the planning stages, leading Ellman to commit to building a new arena. After nearly three years of proposals to build an arena on the formerLos Arcos Mall inScottsdale and having difficulty financing the purchase of the Coyotes and finishing demolition of Los Arcos, along with infighting in the Scottsdale City Council, Ellman looked toward the West Valley, and in December 2003, the team moved into Glendale Arena (which then became known asJobing.com Arena during the2006–07 NHL season). Simultaneously, the team changed its logo and uniforms, moving from the multi-colored kit to a more streamlined look. In 2005, Ellman sold the Coyotes, theNational Lacrosse League'sArizona Sting and the lease to Gila River Arena to trucking magnateJerry Moyes, who was also a part-owner ofMajor League Baseball'sArizona Diamondbacks.
On August 6, 2005,Brett Hull, son of former JetBobby Hull, was signed and promptly assigned the elder Hull's retired number 9. Two days later, Gretzky named himself head coach, replacingRick Bowness, despite the fact he had never coached at any level of hockey. The Coyotes "Ring of Honor" was unveiled on October 8, inducting Gretzky (who had never played for the organization, but whose number 99 was retired by all NHL teams after his retirement in 1999) and Bobby Hull. Only a week later, Brett Hull announced his retirement. On January 21, 2006, Jets greatThomas Steen was the third inductee to the "Ring of Honor".
Another moment in a series of bad luck: the Coyotes were planning to host the 2006NHL All-Star Game, but the event was canceled because of the2006 Winter Olympics. The team returned toWinnipeg on September 17, 2006, to play a preseason game against the Edmonton Oilers, but were shut-out 5–0 before a sellout crowd of 15,015.
On April 11, 2007, chief executive officer Jeff Shumway announced that General ManagerMichael Barnett (Gretzky's agent for over 20 years), senior executive vice president of hockey operationsCliff Fletcher andSan Antonio Rampage's general manager and Coyotes' assistant general manager Laurence Gilman "have been relieved of their duties". The Coyotes finished the 2006–07 season 31–46–5, their worst record since relocating to Phoenix.[7] On May 29, Jeff Shumway announcedDon Maloney had agreed to a multi-year contract to become general manager of the Coyotes. As per club policy, the terms of the contract were not disclosed.[8] However, as had been the case with all general managers since 2001, Maloney served in an advisory role to Gretzky.
The 2007–08 season was something of a resurgence for the Coyotes. After their disastrous 2006–07 campaign, the Coyotes looked to rebuild the team by relying on their drafted talent such asPeter Mueller andMartin Hanzal to make the team successful as opposed to using free agency. The Coyotes also acquiredRadim Vrbata from the Chicago Blackhawks forKevyn Adams in an effort to provide the team with more offense. The team signed bothAlex Auld andDavid Aebischer to compete for the starting goaltender position withMikael Tellqvist acting as the backup goaltender. Neither Auld or Aebischer were able to hold on to the starting position, leaving the Coyotes to turn to the waiver wire for assistance. On November 17, 2007, the Coyotes were able to claimIlya Bryzgalov off waivers from theAnaheim Ducks. Bryzgalov responded by not only starting in goal the day he was acquired but posting a shutout in his Coyotes debut against theLos Angeles Kings. Bryzgalov was soon given a three-year contract extension because of his high level of play. Despite predictions of another disastrous season, the Coyotes played competitive hockey for most of the season. However, they finished eight points short of the last playoff spot, with 83 points.
On September 24, 2009,Dave Tippett took over coaching duties of the Phoenix Coyotes after Wayne Gretzky stepped down hours before. In just 61 games, Tippett led the Coyotes to more wins in their 2009–10 regular season (37) than their previous season (36), en route to the first 50-win season in the franchise's NHL history.
On March 27, 2010, the Coyotes clinched a playoff spot, their first playoff spot since the 2001–02 season, and in the process, reached the 100-point mark for the first time ever as an NHL team, and the first time overall since the 1977–78 (WHA) Jets scored 102 points.[9] They finished with 107 points, the highest point total in the franchise's 38-year history. This was good enough for fourth overall in the NHL, tying the 1984–85 Jets for the franchise's highest finish as an NHL team. They also qualified for the fourth seed in the Western Conference, giving them a home-ice advantage in the first round for the first time since 1999.
Their first round opponent in the2010 Stanley Cup playoffs were theDetroit Red Wings. Game 1 of the series was the first NHL playoff game to be played in Gila River Arena. However, an injury to Shane Doan sidelined him for most of the series, and the defending conference champion Red Wings defeated the Coyotes in seven games.
The Coyotes again faced Detroit in the first round of the2011 playoffs, losing the series in four games.
On April 7, 2012, the Coyotes defeated theMinnesota Wild 4–1 to win thePacific Division title – their first and only division title as an NHL team (in Winnipeg or Phoenix).[10] This gave them the third seed in the West, and with it home-ice advantage in a playoff series for only the third time in franchise history. In the first round, they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in six games, the franchise's first playoff series win since 1987. The first five games went to overtime, tying a record when theMontreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs did it in the1951 Stanley Cup Final. They faced theNashville Predators in the second round, winning the first two games and the series 4–1. However, in the conference finals, the Coyotes fell to the Los Angeles Kings (who eventually went on to win the Cup that year) in game five of a 4–1 series.
In December 2008, the media became aware the Coyotes were suffering massive losses and that the NHL was paying the team's bills. The media reports were minimized by NHL commissionerGary Bettman and vice president Bill Daly. However, Moyes had secretly given operational control of the team to the league. In May 2009, Moyes put the team into bankruptcy hours before Bettman was to present him an offer to sell the team toChicago Bulls andChicago White Sox ownerJerry Reinsdorf. Moyes intended to sell the team toCanadian billionaireJim Balsillie, who in turn intended to purchase the team out of bankruptcy and move it toHamilton, Ontario. The NHL responded by stripping Moyes of his remaining ownership authority.
From May until September 2009, hearings were held in Phoenix bankruptcy court to determine the fate of the Coyotes and the holding company. Two potential bidders for the team surfaced, Reinsdorf and Ice Edge Holdings, but they did not submit a bid for the team. Instead, the NHL put in the only rival bid to Balsillie for the team, while it contended the Moyes–Balsillie deal violated NHL rules. The bankruptcy court voided the planned sale to Balsillie, accepting the NHL's argument that bankruptcy could not be used to circumvent NHL rules. The NHL's bid was also declared insufficient, but the judge left the window open to an improved bid. Moyes and the NHL settled, with the NHL purchasing the team and assuming all debts. The NHL negotiated a temporary lease with the City of Glendale, which owns Gila River Arena.
The NHL then negotiated with Reinsdorf and Ice Edge toward a deal with Glendale. Ice Edge signed a letter of intent to purchase the team from the NHL, while Reinsdorf had won the approval of the City of Glendale. On May 7, 2010, ESPN.com reported the Reinsdorf bid had fallen apart and that the City of Glendale was working with Ice Edge to purchase the team in a last-ditch effort to keep them in Arizona. TheNational Post criticized both bids, as they were conditional on municipal taxpayers covering any losses the Coyotes might incur, and suggested that keeping the team in Phoenix was never economically viable.[11]
In July 2010, the Ice Edge bid collapsed because it did not satisfy Glendale's financial conditions. Ice Edge decided to concentrate on an effort to purchase a minor league team. The City of Glendale had to step in and guarantee the team's losses for 2010–11 as a precondition of the NHL not transferring the franchise. A consortium of investors led by Chicago investor Matt Hulsizer then reached a deal to purchase the Coyotes from the NHL along with a lease agreement with Glendale. However, the Hulsizer deal collapsed in late June 2011 at least in part because of a threatened suit by theGoldwater Institute over the legality of payments that Glendale was to make to Hulsizer before the consortium bought the team. The threat of the suit may have prevented the sale of bonds to finance the payments. The team only stayed in the Phoenix area for the 2011–12 season after another $25 million payment by the City of Glendale.
Also in 2011, former Coyotes biddersTrue North Sports and Entertainment purchased theAtlanta Thrashers and moved them to Winnipeg, thus ending any possibility that the Coyotes would return to Manitoba. As part of the transaction, the NHL agreed to transfer the Jets' name, logos, and related trademarks from the league-owned Coyotes to True North and the Thrashers thus becoming the "new"Winnipeg Jets. However, the original Jets' history remains with the Coyotes organization.
The2012–13 NHL lockout provided another opportunity for the Coyotes to find a potential owner and avoid relocation while the NHL suspended team operations during the labor dispute. A deal to former San Jose Sharks owner Greg Jamison had been drafted just as the lockout ended, but failed to be finalized and fulfilled by January 31, 2013. The deal would have kept the Coyotes in Phoenix for the next 20 years relying on a taxpayer subsidy, according to the agreement. It would also have had "Phoenix" dropped from the name and instead used "Arizona".[12]
California investment executiveDarin Pastor also submitted a bid to purchase the Coyotes. His bid proposed to keep the team in the Glendale area while engaging young hockey players in the region through school partnerships and scholarship efforts.[13] The NHL rejected Pastor's bid on May 13, 2013, citing the bid was "inconsistent with what we had previously indicated were the minimum prerequisites" of a bid.[14]
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Because the team had been in bankruptcy since 2009 and lost revenue each year, the NHL planned to move the Coyotes should a deal with the city for a new lease and new ownership not be decided by July 2, 2013. The plan was to move the franchise to a new city, likelySeattle.[15] On July 2, 2013, by a vote of 4–3, the Glendale City Council approved a 15-year lease agreement with Renaissance Sports and Entertainment (RSE), which purchased the team from the NHL for US$225 million by August 5, 2013.[16] The members of the Canadian group were executive chairman and governor George Gosbee; president, chief executive officer and alternate governor Anthony LeBlanc; alternate governor Craig Stewart; and directors Gary J. Drummond, W. David Duckett, William "Bill" Dutton, Robert Gwin, Scott Saxberg and Richard Walter. RSE partnered with Global Spectrum (owners of thePhiladelphia Flyers) for help in managing Gila River Arena. The agreement had the City of Glendale giving RSE US$15 million per year for management fees. There was a clause stipulating RSE could relocate the team after five years if it accrued US$50 million in losses.[16]
On January 29, 2014, the new ownership group announced that the team would change its name to the "Arizona Coyotes" for the 2014–15 season. According to Coyotes club president Anthony LeBlanc, the change was made to reflect the fact the team is no longer located within Phoenix city limits and to include all hockey fans in the state of Arizona. Aside from a new shoulder patch, the team's uniform design did not change.[17] The name officially changed on June 27.[18]
Following the conclusion of the2013–14 season, it was reported that lackluster revenue from parking and non-hockey events enabled the City of Glendale to recoup just $4.4 million, which was significantly less than the $6.8 million the city expected to receive back from sources including parking receipts, ticket sales, and naming rights for the arena.[19]
On June 4, 2014, it was reported that aScottsdale, Arizona, public-relations firm had sued IceArizona, the owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, alleging the NHL club had reneged on a sponsorship deal worth nearly $250,000. A Coyotes spokesman responded to this issue by calling it a "quarter-million-dollar scheme".[20] By October, IceArizona entered a deal to sell a 51% controlling interest in the Coyotes toPhiladelphia-based hedge fund managerAndrew Barroway, who had recently failed in his attempt to purchase theNew York Islanders.[21] The deal was approved by the NHL Board of Governors on December 31, 2014.[22]
During the2014–15 season, the team finished last in the Pacific Division with the second-worst record in the NHL. On June 10, 2015, Glendale City Council voted to terminate its 15-year, $225 million agreement with the Coyotes. The city claimed "It was entitled to terminate the agreement because two former city employees, Craig Tindall and Julie Frisoni, were involved in securing the deal and later worked for the Coyotes."[23] On July 23, 2015, it was announced the Coyotes and City Council had agreed on a resolution.[24][25] On July 24, 2015, the Coyotes announced the City Council had reached a two-year deal.[26]
At the conclusion of the2015–16 season, general managerDon Maloney, who had wonGeneral Manager of the Year award in 2010, was fired from his position after eight seasons.[27] The Coyotes replaced Maloney withJohn Chayka, who, at 26 years of age, became the youngest NHL general manager of all time, being promoted from his position as assistant general manager/analytics within the Coyotes staff.[28] In August 2016,Dawn Braid was hired as the Coyotes' skating coach, making her the first female full-time coach in the NHL.[29]
On November 14, 2016, the Coyotes announced plans to build a new arena inTempe, Arizona, which was scheduled to be completed for the 2019–20 NHL season. The project would have included an adjoining 4,000-seat arena to be used for Coyotes practices and as the home for theArizona State University hockey team.[30][31] However, the arena project was withdrawn when ASU pulled out of the deal in February 2017.[32]
At the end of the 2016–17 season, Barroway bought out the rest of the IceArizona ownership group and became the sole owner of the franchise. Following the transfer, former IceArizona chief executive officerAnthony LeBlanc and the director of hockey operations Gary Drummond both left the organization.[33] On June 19, 2017, the Coyotes opted not to re-sign long-time captain Shane Doan, who had been with the franchise since they were the Winnipeg Jets. The Coyotes left Doan[34] a standing offer to remain with the team in a non-playing role. On June 22, 2017, head coachDave Tippett left his positions within the Coyotes after eight seasons,[35] and was succeeded byRick Tocchet on July 11, 2017.[36]
On December 4, 2018, it was announced that the team would move to theCentral Division in 2021, changing divisions for the second time since relocating to Arizona, as part of a league realignment following the addition of theSeattle Kraken.[37] The team previously played in the Central Division for their first two seasons following their relocation from Winnipeg in 1996. On December 20, 2018, the team extended their lease in Gila River Arena through the 2019–20 season.[38][39]
On July 29, 2019, Barroway sold controlling interest in the Coyotes to billionaireAlex Meruelo, with Barroway remaining as a minority owner[40] until his arrest, which left Meruelo the sole owner of the franchise.[41]
During the2020 NHL entry draft, the Coyotes received widespread backlash and criticism for draftingMitchell Miller in the fourth round (111th pick overall), after allegations surfaced that he had bullied and discriminated against an African-American classmate having a learning disability, during high school in 2016.[42][43] Soon thereafter, they renounced his draft rights.[44]
For theCOVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season the Coyotes were placed in the reformedWest Division and played a division-only 56-game schedule.[45] They finished in fifth place with 54 points, outside of the playoffs. After the season, the team and coach Rick Tocchet mutually agreed to part ways.[46]Andre Tourigny was hired as head coach of the Coyotes on July 1, 2021.[47]
For the2021–22 season, the Coyotes moved into the Central Division upon the arrival of the Kraken in thePacific Division.[37] In the2021 NHL entry draft, the Coyotes would selectJosh Doan, son of former Coyotes playerShane Doan; Josh would later play with the Coyotes in 2024. On August 19, 2021, the city of Glendale and the Gila River Arena chose to not renew their operating agreement with the Coyotes beyond the 2021–22 season,[48] as the team's lease had been renewed each year since 2016.[49] The franchise entered negotiations withTempe to develop a new arena on an old solid waste compost yard,[50] but the terrain had problems regardingenvironmental remediation.[51] On September 3, they submitted a proposal to build a new arena in Tempe.[52]
On December 8, 2021, the Coyotes were informed that they would be locked out ofGila River Arena on December 20, 2021, if they did not pay $1.3 million owed in taxes, including $250,000 to the City of Glendale. The team paid the bills the next day, citing "unfortunate human error" as the cause of the issue.[53] In late January 2022, the Coyotes were in talks withArizona State University (ASU) to use their new 5,000-seat arena as a temporary home arena for the next few years.[54] On February 10, 2022, the Coyotes signed a three-year agreement to play their games atMullett Arena, starting with the2022–23 season.[55] On April 29, 2022, the Coyotes played their final home game at the Gila River Arena against theNashville Predators, with a 5–4 comeback win. On October 28, 2022, the Coyotes would make their debut in theMullett Arena, which sold out to a crowd of 4,600 people that day, in a 3–2 overtime loss to the currentWinnipeg Jets franchise, withChristian Fischer scoring the first two goals of the franchise at the arena for that game.
A proposal by the Coyotes to build anew arena in Tempe was rejected by residents of the city on May 16, 2023.[56] The arena was estimated to cost $2.1 billion, with $1.9 billion of the cost privately funded. Despite speculation on immediate relocation, the team remained in Arizona, playing at Mullett Arena during the2023–24 NHL season.[57] The Coyotes spoke with the city ofMesa about a potential arena at theFiesta Mall site, but that plan was ultimately rejected for unknown reasons.[58] In January 2024, Scottsdale mayor David Ortega announced his opposition to a Coyotes' proposal, which planned an arena in northern Phoenix near the border of Scottsdale.[59] Following this, the Coyotes initially stated on social media their commitment to keeping the team in Arizona.[60] They announced that the ownership was intent on winning a land auction for 110 acres (45 ha) of state-owned land betweenScottsdale Road andLoop 101 in Phoenix to build an arena.[61] However, the auction had been delayed from January to June 2024, which likely played a part into the ownership's final decision with the franchise near the end of the 2023–24 season.[62]
On April 10, 2024, it was reported that, with the NHL's permission, the Coyotes were making efforts to relocate toSalt Lake City, following concerns about an indefinite timeframe for finding a new arena and the effects of continued play at Mullett Arena, in the interim.[63] This led to the NHL buying the franchise then reselling it toRyan Smith, owner of theUtah Jazz of theNational Basketball Association (NBA), for a reported $1.2 billion.[64][65] Of that payment, $1 billion went to Coyotes ownerAlex Meruelo for the sale (with Meruelo agreeing to refund the money to the NHL as an expansion fee should his efforts to locate a new home for the franchise succeed) and $200 million went to the NHL's other 31 owners, as the equivalent of a relocation fee. The Utah team will play its home games at the Jazz's home arena, theDelta Center. Renovations will be required to make it the team's permanent home, similar to the renovations made toClimate Pledge Arena before the Kraken began play in the NHL two seasons prior.[66]
On April 12, 2024, ahead of a 3–2 overtime win against theEdmonton Oilers atRogers Place, general manager Bill Armstrong officially disclosed the news of the team's impending sale and relocation to Coyotes players and staff. Five days later, on April 17, the Coyotes played their final game at Mullett Arena, and ultimately their last game before deactivation, against the same Oilers team. With the fans engaging in one last Whiteout (and audibly heard chanting phrases such as "Salt Lake sucks" and "we love you Coyotes" throughout the game), the Coyotes won 5–2, withSean Durzi scoring the final goal of the team's first incarnation, into anempty net. Amongst the events of the game, Shane Doan was given his retirement banner (which had been lost by the team in the move to Mullett Arena but had been rediscovered by a local fan), and following the end of the game the fans gave the outgoing team a standing ovation, and the players, in turn, spent over an hour afterward on the ice giving away team apparel and equipment (also signing a majority of the fan gifts), as well as taking a final team picture on the ice and taking turns hugging and thanking longtime equipment manager Stan Wilson, who had moved with the team from Winnipeg in 1996.[67][68] The following day, the sale and relocation was officially approved, and the team was officially deactivated until further notice.
It subsequently emerged that the Utah club was considered an expansion team, not a relocated Coyotes team. In a deal that effectively split the Coyotes franchise in half, Smith acquired the Coyotes' player contracts, hockey operations staff, and draft picks while the Coyotes went "dormant" pending a permanent arena. This move was similar to theCleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens of theNational Football League (NFL), with the Coyotes continuing minor business operations, mostly focused on finding a new arena. Meruelo remained on the NHL Board of Governors as an observer, retaining the rights to the Coyotes brand and history (including the history and records of the 1972–1996 Winnipeg Jets), with a five-year window to build or otherwise locate a new arena for his team, before "reactivating" the Coyotes through an expansion draft. Conversely, if Meruelo were to fail to come up with a suitable arena by end of that five-year window, he would be required to permanently halt franchise operations and cede the franchise back to the NHL.[69] The sale was finalized on April 18, after the NHL Board of Governors voted to grant a new Utah franchise to Smith, effectively expanding the NHL to a total of 33 clubs, if the Coyotes succeeded in building a new team arena.[70]
On June 21, 2024, the Arizona State Land Department canceled a land auction for a 110-acre parcel of land in north Phoenix which Meruelo intended to purchase as a site for a new arena.[71] Three days later, it was reported that Meruelo had told staff he had no plans to pursue further arena options for the team.[72] At the Board of Governors meeting on June 26, Meruelo informed Bettman that he was not pursuing the franchise reactivation.[73] Meruelo formally relinquished his rights to the franchise as well as its intellectual property on July 10.[74][75][76][73]
In September 2025, an advisory panel, led by the wife of former Coyotes playerShane Doan, was formed with the aim of bringing an expansion team toMaricopa County. If successful, this team would also be known as the Arizona Coyotes.[77] The NHL has expressed interest in returning professional ice hockey to the area.[78]
Upon the franchise's relocation to Phoenix, a public team-naming vote was held, with "Coyotes" defeating "Scorpions" among the finalists. Both coyotes andscorpions are inhabitants of theSonoran Desert, and the owners/supporters of the club wanted the team name to be an animal that was representative of the region.[79] On June 27, 2014, the team changed their geographic name to Arizona.[18]
Upon their arrival in Phoenix in 1996, the team adopted a look with a traditional Southwestern design. The primary logo was a Southwest Native American-styled hockey stick-wielding coyote in akachina-inspired style. The jerseys featured pointed green shoulders with brick red trim over a white (home) or black (road) body, and non-traditional striping patterns. These uniforms remained in place until 2003. A third jersey, primarily green with a nighttime desert landscape wrapped around the bottom and the cuffs of the sleeves, was introduced in 1998 and was retired in 2003 when the team redesigned the uniforms.
As the NHL switched home and road jerseys beginning in the 2003–04 season and coinciding with the team's move from America West Arena to the newly completed Glendale Arena, the Coyotes redesigned their look completely, adopting a howling coyote head logo while dropping several colors from the team's palette. Sedona red and white became the primary colors, with desert sand and black remaining as logo trim colors. A variation of these colors was later used for theMajor League Baseball teamArizona Diamondbacks. The team also changed its shoulder patch, taking the form of the outline of the state of Arizona, with an homage to thestate flag and the abbreviation "PHX". This logo was worn only on the right shoulder leaving the left shoulder bare.
The Coyotes updated their jerseys for the 2007–08 season, along with all NHL teams, as part of the switchover to "Rbk Edge" jerseys. The changes made were adding an NHL crest just below the neck opening, removing the stripes that were previously just above the lower hem, and moving the "PHX" patch from the right to the left shoulder. The white jersey also gained red shoulder coloring and laces at the collar. The three-stripe pattern is applied to the side of the pants.[80]
The Coyotes also added athird jersey for the 2008–09 season. It is primarily black and features a new alternatecoyote logo on the front, with the primary logo (coyote head) patch on the right shoulder, and the "Official Seal" on the left.[citation needed] Since white does not appear on the alternate, solid red pant shells are worn with this jersey.
Before the 2014–15 season, it was announced the Coyotes' third jersey would no longer be used. The patch on the home and away jerseys that used to read "PHX" would also be changed to read "AZ" to match the team's rebranded name.[18]
On June 26, 2015, the Coyotes introduced updated jerseys. The uniforms reintegrated black into the design; the color was prominently featured on the uniform sleeves, socks, and pants.[81]
The Coyotes wore their black Kachina jerseys for a few dates between 2014–15 and 2016–17 seasons. The style was similar to the originals but was adapted to the Reebok Edge cut. For the 2018–19 season and beyond, the Coyotes revived the Kachina uniforms as a third jersey, and was updated to theAdidas adizero cut.[82] In 2020, the black Kachina design became the primary home jerseys (for 2021 only, the red trim on the letters were changed to silver to commemorate the team's 25th season in Arizona), but kept the previous red "howling coyote" jerseys as an alternate. The road "howling coyote" jerseys were also retained. In addition, the Coyotes wore a second alternate uniform: a purple "Reverse Retro" version of the 1998–2003 Kachina head alternates.[83]
Before the 2021–22 season, the Coyotes hinted at a possible rebrand in September after the team namedMullenLowe LA as its branding partner.[84] During the off-season, the Coyotes quietly brought back the 1996–2003 Kachina logo as the primary, and later revealed a white road version of the Kachina uniforms while keeping the previous "howling coyote" home uniform as an alternate.[85]
In the 2022–23 season, Arizona once again wore its 1998–2003 Kachina head alternates as its "Reverse Retro" uniform, but with sienna as the base color.[86] Also during that season, a new alternate uniform was released, returning to the simplified brick red and sand color scheme from 2003 to 2015 but with kachina patterns at the bottom and on the sleeves. The uniform features "Arizona" in sand with a star above the "i", and a sandsaguaro on the right side of the pants. The captain's patch is denoted by the crescent moon alternate, while the alternate captain's patch is denoted by two saguaros crossing each other.[87]
Howler has been the coyote-suited mascot of the Arizona Coyotes. He was introduced on October 15, 2005. The Coyotes' official kids club was called Howler's Kids Club.[88] Howler wore number 96 on his jersey, representing the year the Winnipeg Jets moved to Arizona, and he also wore an "M" designation for "mascot". He was known to beat on a bucket to encourage the fans to cheer and has had many different outfits in games.
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Coyotes. For the full season-by-season history, seeList of Arizona Coyotes seasons.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | 70 | 33 | 29 | 8 | 74 | 195 | 187 | 5th, Pacific | Lost in first round, 1–4 (Avalanche) |
| 2020–21 | 56 | 24 | 26 | 6 | 54 | 153 | 176 | 5th, West | Did not qualify |
| 2021–22 | 82 | 25 | 50 | 7 | 57 | 207 | 313 | 8th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2022–23 | 82 | 28 | 40 | 14 | 70 | 229 | 299 | 7th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2023–24 | 82 | 36 | 41 | 5 | 77 | 256 | 274 | 7th, Central | Did not qualify |
| No. | Player | Position | Career | Date retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19[a][b] | Shane Doan | RW | 1996–2017 | February 24, 2019 |
| No. | Player | Position | Career | Date honored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7[c] | Keith Tkachuk | LW | 1992–2001 | December 23, 2011 |
| 9[d][e] | Bobby Hull | LW | 1972–1980 | October 8, 2005 |
| 10[f] | Dale Hawerchuk | C | 1981–1990 | April 5, 2007 |
| 25[e] | Thomas Steen | C | 1981–1995 | January 21, 2006 |
| 27[c] | Teppo Numminen | D | 1988–2003 | January 30, 2010 |
| 49[g] | Leighton Accardo | Fan | — | April 17, 2021 |
| 97[h] | Jeremy Roenick | C | 1996–2001 2006–2007 | February 9, 2012 |
| 99[i] | Wayne Gretzky | C | — | October 8, 2005 |
Players
Note: This list does not include selections of theWinnipeg Jets.
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise (Winnipeg, Phoenix, and Arizona) history.[97]
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Doan | RW | 1,540 | 402 | 570 | 972 | .63 |
| Dale Hawerchuk | C | 713 | 379 | 550 | 929 | 1.30 |
| Thomas Steen | RW | 950 | 264 | 553 | 817 | .86 |
| Keith Tkachuk | C | 640 | 323 | 300 | 623 | .97 |
| Teppo Numminen | D | 1,098 | 108 | 426 | 534 | .49 |
| Paul MacLean | RW | 527 | 248 | 270 | 518 | .98 |
| Clayton Keller | LW | 520 | 166 | 252 | 418 | .80 |
| Doug Smail | LW | 691 | 189 | 208 | 397 | .57 |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | D | 769 | 128 | 260 | 388 | .50 |
| Jeremy Roenick | C | 454 | 152 | 227 | 379 | .83 |
| Player | Pos | G |
|---|---|---|
| Shane Doan | RW | 402 |
| Dale Hawerchuk | C | 379 |
| Keith Tkachuk | LW | 323 |
| Thomas Steen | C | 264 |
| Paul MacLean | RW | 248 |
| Doug Smail | LW | 189 |
| Morris Lukowich | LW | 168 |
| Clayton Keller | LW | 166 |
| Radim Vrbata | RW | 157 |
| Jeremy Roenick | C | 152 |
| Player | Pos | A |
|---|---|---|
| Shane Doan | RW | 570 |
| Thomas Steen | C | 553 |
| Dale Hawerchuk | C | 550 |
| Teppo Numminen | D | 426 |
| Keith Tkachuk | LW | 300 |
| Paul MacLean | RW | 270 |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | D | 260 |
| Clayton Keller | LW | 252 |
| Fredrik Olausson | D | 249 |
| Dave Babych | D | 248 |
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Note: This list does not include seasons of the 1972–1996Winnipeg Jets.
In the NHL, each team may select acaptain. Along with the two alternate captains, they have the "privilege of discussing with the referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game".[98] Captains are required to wear the letter "C" on their uniform for identification, which is 3 inches (7.6 cm) high.[98]
Note: This list does not includecaptains from the originalWinnipeg Jets (NHL &WHA).
Prior to the cessation of the team's operations, the following television stations carried the team's games:
KNXV-TV (Independent, Phoenix) would also be involved earlier in the team's final season of play, but would drop out in covering games live shortly after the season began.[100][101]
On October 5, 2023, the Coyotes reached a new multi-year broadcast agreement withScripps Sports, with games airing on Scripps-owned broadcast stations in the Coyotes' designated market. As part of the agreement, the Coyotes planned to launch adirect-to-consumer streaming service. In Phoenix,KNXV-TV'sAntenna TV-affiliated subchannel 15.2 initially served as flagship station; due to network programming commitments withABC andThe CW, KNXV or sister stationKASW could not carry the games on their main channels, but were still scheduled to air team-produced ancillary programming.[102][103] In November 2023, Scripps announced that KASW would become theindependent station Arizona 61 on November 20, taking over as the flagship station of the Coyotes television network. The CW would concurrently move to KNXV-DT2.[104][105] With the team's cessation in 2024, the Coyotes' deal would end prematurely, but it would be replaced with theUtah Hockey Club taking on the team's original contractual rights with Scripps Sports instead.
On February 16, 2024, the Coyotes launchedCoyotes Central, adirect-to-consumerstreaming service that featured all locally televised games in partnership withKiswe. At launch, the service cost $11.99 per month and $24.99 for the remainder of the 2023–24 season.[106] The service would shut down following the Coyotes' suspension period turned into an abandoned revival project starting on April 18, 2024.
From its move to Phoenix in1996 to the end of the2007–08 season, the regional television rights for Arizona Coyotes were split between Fox Sports Arizona[107] andover-the-air broadcasters includingKTVK and KASW (1996–2006)[108][109] andKAZT-TV (2006–2008).[110]
From the 2007–08 NHL season until the 2023 NHL preseason period,Bally Sports Arizona (formerly Fox Sports Arizona) was the exclusive regional television rightsholder for all Arizona Coyotes games not broadcast nationally byNBCSN, NBC,ESPN, ABC, orTNT.[111] As part of Bally Sports' bankruptcy proceedings, on October 4, 2023, Diamond Sports rejected Bally Sports Arizona's contract with the Coyotes.[111] For the 2023–24 NHL season,Scripps Sports became the new exclusive regional television rightsholder for all Arizona Coyotes games not broadcast nationally.
In 2021, the Arizona Coyotes entered a two-year deal with Bonneville Phoenix to broadcast the team's games on the radio in the Phoenix market on eitherKMVP-FM orKTAR.[112] In 2023, the Arizona Coyotes extended the deal with Bonneville Phoenix by one-year.[113]
The team's new style guide features six colors: red, purple, process black, sand, green and orange.
But a constant through it all was the color palette: forest green, brick red, sand, sienna, and purple.
There could be a new arena – eventually. Meruelo had been pursuing a tract of land in north Phoenix to build it. When delays pushed the land auction until June, the NHL and the players' association got cold feet about continuing to play at Mullett Arena, the loud-but-bandbox-sized venue shared with Arizona State University. Meruelo was adamant about not selling the team despite constant offers since he bought it in 2019, but he also didn't want the players stuck playing in a 5,000-seat arena – by far the NHL's smallest – that wasn't up to league standards in the long-term period. With no guarantee that he would have an arena in the state of Arizona and with no other options, Meruelo agreed to sell the franchise.
It's expected that the final transaction will include a clause that allows Meruelo to "reactivate" the franchise as an expansion team – paying what's expected to be a $1 billion expansion fee if that happens – between now and 2029 if his arena project is completed. All of the team's intellectual property – including those iconic Kachina jerseys – would remain with Meruelo. It's an agreement that evokes the deal made with the city of Cleveland when the Browns moved to Baltimore in 1995.
Media related toArizona Coyotes at Wikimedia Commons
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