The NHL has a contingency plan incase the Coyotes relocate as they are reportedly making two schedules, one with the team in Arizona and another in Salt Lake City.
According to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli, the NHL is drafting a schedule with the Coyotes in Arizona and one with the scenario that the team relocates to Salt Lake City.
Seravalli added that this does not mean the Coyotes are moving out of Arizona but the league just has a contingency plan if things aren’t to work out for owner Alex Meruelo in his pursuit to keep professional hockey in the Valley.
PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reported that both the Coyotes and NHL declined to comment on this report.
The Coyotes announced that the organization is committed to winning an auction for land in northeast Phoenix in order to build a new arena. It is set to take place on June 27.
Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez made clear that the team will have to look into relocation if they fail to win the auction.
“This is it, this is the plan or else we have to explore relocation of this organization,” Gutierrez said via ABC15 Arizona. “We have made that very clear and I think everyone should be made aware that this is it.”
It was reported back in January that Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith formally asked the NHL to initiate the expansion process and bring a team to Salt Lake City.
This report from Seravalli comes at a strange time as NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said just a couple of weeks ago that there probably won’t be enough time for the Coyotes to relocate for the 2024-25 season.