• Loading stock data...
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

Utah’s Long-Term Hockey Dream Is a Short-Term Logistical Nightmare

  • Ryan Smith now faces a lengthy to-do list to prepare for the next NHL season.
  • Alex Meruelo now has a defined, five-year window to develop a Phoenix-area arena.
Jazz owner Ryan Smith
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

The worst-kept secret in pro sports is no longer a secret. Now comes the hard part for Utah.

As has been increasingly expected for more than a week and capping a period of rising turbulence, the NHL is shifting the Coyotes to Salt Lake City beginning with the 2024–25 season. The league’s Board of Governors unanimously approved on Thursday a complex, two-stage transaction in which Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo will return the franchise back to the league for $1 billion. The NHL is then reselling the Coyotes to Ryan Smith (above), owner of the NBA’s Jazz and co-owner of two pro soccer teams in Utah, for $1.2 billion, with the difference split among other NHL team owners.

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

The move, designed in part to avoid a continued stay for the Coyotes at Arizona State’s 5,000-seat Mullett Arena, now sets in motion an extensive amount of preparations required for Smith to host NHL games starting this fall in Salt Lake City. Among the outstanding elements to be completed before training camp begins in September:

  • Delta Center upgrades: The home of the Jazz was not designed for hockey, and renovations are required. Specific work will include improving sightlines at the 32-year-old venue and the installation of infrastructure to support a full-time presence of hockey, which carries a rather different set of equipment and arena management needs than basketball. 
  • Team name: Meruelo is retaining the rights to the Coyotes brand as part of the larger deal with the NHL. Smith previously canvassed fans on X for ideas on a new name, and now a team rebranding—in most other situations a deeply considered, multiyear effort—will happen in a matter of weeks. 
  • Practice facility: Like most other NHL teams, the plan for the relocation will involve identifying and preparing a separate practice facility for the franchise. That venue could be used not only for training camp but also in-season workouts, particularly when the Jazz or other events occupy the Delta Center. 
  • Ticket sales: The Jazz have sold out nearly 300 consecutive games, dating back to 2017, and Smith has spoken frequently of Salt Lake City’s ability to support pro sports at a level exceeding its No. 27 ranking among U.S. media markets. But an operation to support this critical revenue source for the NHL franchise will need to be set up immediately. 

“There’s so much work to do,” Smith said Wednesday at the CAA World Congress of Sports, organized by Sports Business Journal. “You name it, we’ve got to do it. There’s nothing we don’t have to go do. We’ll find a way. If everyone’s in, we’ll find a way. We’ve done harder stuff.”

Back in Phoenix

Meruelo is keeping not only the Coyotes name but also the rest of the team’s intellectual property tied to the market, such as the Kachina jerseys, and the Arizona franchise is now rendered “inactive,” as opposed to nonexistent. He also gets a defined, five-year window to make a long-elusive arena project in the Phoenix market happen. If he succeeds, the Coyotes will be reborn as an expansion team. 

The next key step in that process will be a June 27 land auction, where he intends to secure a 110-acre parcel of state-owned land in north Phoenix, initially appraised at $68.5 million.

“I agree with [Bettman and the NHL] that it is simply unfair to continue to have our players, coaches, hockey front office, and the NHL teams they compete against, spend several more years playing in an arena that is not suited for NHL hockey,” Meruelo said. “But this is not the end for NHL hockey in Arizona.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

YouTube’s Revised NFL Game Rating Still Has Fox, ESPN Execs Upset 

Adjusted viewership metrics from the streamer reignited debate about the game.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.

Massachusetts Sues Kalshi To Block Sports Prediction Markets

A lawsuit claims the company’s offerings are indistinguishable from traditional sports bets.

FanDuel, Jaguars Reach $5M Deal Over Employee Theft

A Jaguars employee stole $20 million and gambled much of it with FanDuel.

Featured Today

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Sep 8, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) runs to first base during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

The $339 Million Mets Are in Jeopardy of Missing the Playoffs

The Mets’ wild-card lead is 1.5 games with 15 remaining in the regular season.
Mar 3, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) warms up prior to the game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center.
Sponsored

Hornets Cancel Sports Betting Night Vs. Heat Over Terry Rozier Tie-In

Terry Rozier is under federal investigation for point-shaving in a 2023 game when he was on the Hornets.
Sep 10, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards (8) fights to keep the ball in-bounds during the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Mohegan Sun Arena.
September 12, 2025

Connecticut AG Demands Documents From WNBA About Sun Sale Process

The WNBA reportedly prefers to move the team to Houston.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
May 3, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) controls the ball in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets during game seven of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena.
September 11, 2025

Clippers Minority Owner Allegedly Invested in Aspiration to Pay Kawhi

Minority investor Dennis Wong allegedly invested in Aspiration as well.
Sep 10, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; A general view of the main scoreboard at Yankee Stadium during a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk before the game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers.
September 11, 2025

Yankees Prepare for Security Chaos With Trump at 9/11 Game, Days After..

The team told fans to arrive three hours early without any bags.
September 9, 2025

Clippers, Kawhi Leonard Draw New Scrutiny As More Details Emerge

The NBA has commenced an investigation.
September 8, 2025

Bears, Without State Funding, Officially Pivot Stadium to Suburbs

The NFL team formally abandons its plans for a downtown stadium.