The Coyotes’ move from Arizona to Utah is officially approved by the NHL Board of Governors…becoming the league’s first relocated franchise since 2011

The Arizona Coyotes, after years of struggling to find a new permanent home to keep hockey in the desert, are officially moving to Salt Lake City, Utah after the NHL Board of Governors approved their sale.

This is the third time in franchise history that the team has moved – originating in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada as the first incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets.

Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo has officially sold the team to the Smith family, owners of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, for a reported $1.2 billion. The Smiths will now prepare the franchise for competition in the upcoming 2024-25 season as a yet-to-be-named team.

The team played its final game in Arizona on Wednesday night, a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Sean Durzi scored the last goal in Coyotes history.

Fans in attendance, who knew the sale was inevitable, chanted “Salt Lake Sucks” as they watched the team they had cheered for 28 years play for the last time in the “Valley of the Sun.”

Fans came out for the final game the team will play in Arizona on Wednesday night.

“As everyone knows, Utah is a vibrant and thriving state, and we are thrilled to be a part of it,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a news release.

“We are also excited to welcome Ashley and Ryan Smith to the NHL family and know they will be excellent stewards of the game in Utah.”

“We thank them for working collaboratively with the League to resolve a complex situation in this unprecedented and beneficial way.”

Bettman added: “The NHL’s confidence in Arizona has never wavered. We thank Alex Meruelo for his commitment to the franchise and Arizona, and we fully support his continued efforts to secure a new home in the desert for the Coyotes.

“We also want to thank Arizona’s loyal hockey fans, who have devotedly supported their team for nearly three decades while growing the sport.”

This is the first time the NHL has seen a franchise move since 2011 – in fact, when the Winnipeg Jets were reborn after the Atlanta Thrashers moved north.

After giving the franchise as much leeway as possible (some might say much more than necessary) to find a new home, the NHL put an end to the team’s attempts to try to find and build an arena.

The Arizona Coyotes wave to fans after their final game of their existence Wednesday

Fans brought signs for the final home game at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona.

The team will be renamed in time for the 2024-25 season – with Meruelo retaining rights to the Coyotes name, logos and trademarks.

Meruelo will retain these brands in hopes of establishing an expansion franchise in Arizona. He will continue building a $3 billion arena in North Phoenix – with the NHL giving him five years to make it happen.

According to TSN Pierre LeBrun, the team will be called “Utah” and not “Salt Lake City” with a nickname still to be decided. LeBrun added that the team could “start next season without a nickname” similar to when the NFL franchise in Washington, D.C., was called the Washington Football Team for two seasons.

According to the release, the Coyotes are now considered an “inactive” franchise that can be reactivated if Meruelo builds that arena.

Of the $1.2 billion, Meruelo will keep $1 billion while the remaining $200 million will go to the NHL – which is negotiating the deal. If he gets the expansion team, he will pay back $1 billion to the NHL as a franchise fee.

Meruelo will also retain ownership of the Tucson Roadrunners – the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate.

The Coyotes played their games in a university establishment in a poor configuration

For years, the Coyotes were one of the National Hockey League’s worst-performing teams and those problems were compounded by the franchise being kicked out of its former home in Glendale, now known as the Desert Diamond Arena.

Since that eviction, the team has struggled to find a new and future home with several plans for different sites in the Phoenix metro area falling through.

The Coyotes played their games at Mullett Arena, home of the Arizona State University hockey team. It’s a decision that has been criticized because the facilities are below average for professional hockey.

But those problems will soon be behind the team – as they are set to move to the Delta Center, home of the NBA Jazz for next season. This arena should undergo some renovations to make it more pleasant for hockey.

Meruelo purchased the Coyotes for $425 million in July 2019. At the time, Arizona was the least valuable franchise in the NHL, worth an estimated $675 million.