If the Arizona Coyotes are to relocate, Salt Lake City would be a viable option for the NHL
Will the Arizona Coyotes move to Salt Lake City?
Ever Since the Coyotes’ proposed Sports and Entertainment District was rejected by the people of Tempe, rumors of a potential relocation have been swirling around the hockey world.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed that relocating the Coyotes is a very real possibility while also mentioning that Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has expressed interest in bringing professional hockey to Salt Lake City.
“We’ve certainly talked to Ryan Smith, and he has indicated he has an interest in bringing the NHL to Salt Lake City,” Daly said, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
On top of owning the Jazz, Smith also is a part time shareholder with Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake.
Smith spoke to the NHL well before the Coyotes were in serious danger of relocating so Salt Lake City should be atop the league’s to add a new franchise.
“I think, obviously, what happened in Arizona created this talk of potential need for relocation, and I suppose on some level that’s accurate,” Daly said. “But I don’t think it changed what Ryan Smith had expressed to us, which is an interest in bringing the NHL to Salt Lake.”
Aside from Salt Lake City, some other cities rumored to be in the mix for an NHL team are Atlanta and even Toronto despite already having the Maple Leafs.
Moving out of Arizona is not a formality at all in fact NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman made clear that he hopes to keep the Coyotes in the Valley and remains patient in the team’s short term solution at Mullett Arena.
“It's not unprecedented,” Bettman said. “When the Flames moved from Atlanta to Calgary, they played in a very small venue for a couple years. When the Tampa Bay Lightning came into the league, they played at the fairgrounds and the San Jose Sharks played at the Cow Palace while they were building their arena. You do what you have to do if you believe in a market. We remain excited and optimistic about the project.”
All possibilities seem to be on the table regarding the future of the Coyotes as the organization continues to search for a permanent home.