• Loading stock data...
Thursday, June 26, 2025

Salt Lake City About to Land NHL’s Coyotes (Minus Their Name)

  • Jazz owner Ryan Smith appears days away from closing a $1 billion deal, according to sources.
  • Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo to keep Coyotes name, work toward a new arena for expansion team.
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Smith’s two-year quest to land Salt Lake City an NHL franchise will likely conclude later this week, although it won’t be the expansion team his Smith Entertainment Group lobbied for publicly in January. 

Instead, it will be the Arizona Coyotes—or at least the players, coaches and some other staffers of the franchise that has called the Valley of the Sun home since 1996. Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo, Smith, and the NHL are nearing the end of negotiations of a $1 billion sale of the team that will play under a new name at Salt Lake City’s Delta Center starting next season, sources with knowledge of the transaction tell Front Office Sports

Meruelo keeps the Coyotes name and will have five years to build an NHL arena with the league’s promise of making the Phoenix market the home of an expansion team, the sources confirmed. SportsNet was the first outlet to report the setup. 

“I understand and empathize with the concerns of our fans, our community, our partners, our players, our front office, and all of our team members,” Meruelo said in a statement over the weekend after Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong’s chat with players Friday about the pending relocation leaked.  

The Coyotes are wrapping up their second season playing in Arizona State’s 5,000-seat Mullett Arena and the team faced at least two more seasons at the facility. That situation, despite upgrades the Coyotes made, proved untenable for the players and other owners, leading to this conscious uncoupling. 

Meruelo, however, hasn’t given up on the Phoenix market. The Coyotes’ quest to secure a plot of land in north Phoenix that goes up for auction in June will move forward, a plan team execs shifted to after three ballot measures toward an arena development in Tempe were voted down last May. 

As the Coyotes lay dormant, there’s likely to be a push by Meruelo to continue to support area youth hockey, which has produced NHLers Auston Matthews, brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, and former U.S. Women’s National Team player (and current Coyotes broadcaster) Lyndsey Fry. Meruelo will also keep the Tucson Roadrunners and the Associated Press reported there are plans to potentially move the AHL franchise to Mullett Arena.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Bold Trades Shake Up NBA Draft After Predictable Start

A flurry of trades and falling draft positions lead the post-Flagg activity.
opinion

From Woj Bombs to Shams Calm: ESPN Insider Avoids Draft Spoilers

Charania’s presence was fairly muted both on ESPN and social media.

Cooper Flagg Goes No. 1 to Dallas, Capping Mavs’ Rapid Rebuild

The expected selection extends a wild turn of events for Dallas. 
Oct 20, 2023; Doral, Florida, USA; James Piot plays his shot from the eighth tee during the first round of the LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral.

From LIV to PGA Tour: James Piot Shows Path Back From Rival..

A former LIV Golf player is competing at this week’s Detroit event.

Featured Today

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field
June 21, 2025

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.
June 15, 2025

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Apr 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) before game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.

Rockets Get $20 Million in Wiggle Room From New VanVleet Deal

VanVleet first signed with the Rockets in 2023.
April 20, 2025

Max Verstappen Linked to $300M Aston Martin Deal Ahead of Miami GP

Aston Martin is currently seventh in the constructors championship.
June 24, 2025

Timberwolves’ 4-Year Ownership Saga Ends As A-Rod, Lore Take Over

The unanimous approval brought a clean end to a long-disputed transaction.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
March 27, 2025

Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions Gets PE Boost

The Hall of Famer’s company gains another prominent backer.
March 20, 2025

High School Sports Power Signs Eight-Figure Rights Deal in First

The deal pays roughly $1 million annually, FOS has learned.
March 20, 2025

Maxx Crosby’s Agent: Edge Rushers Set to Dominate NFL’s Non-QB Market

Maxx Crosby just signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension.
March 4, 2025

Eagles Make Saquon Barkley NFL’s Highest-Paid Running Back Ever

Barkley is coming off a historic 2024 season with the Eagles.