Last week, the National Hockey League announced the Arizona Coyotes would move to Salt Lake City starting with the 2024-25 season.
Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and his wife, Ashley, of Smith Entertainment Group, will take over the team in a deal where the Coyotes' current owner would sell the team to the league and Smith would buy it from there. The reported price paid for the franchise is between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion. His $200 million to $300 million of the proceeds from the sale are expected to be distributed to other NHL owners as relocation costs.
A state like Utah, known for its cold winters and abundant snowfall, seems like a more logical location for an NHL team than Arizona, known for its hot desert. Additionally, Salt Lake City is a winter sports city, currently experiencing economic growth, and is expected to host the Winter Olympics in 2034.
“As we all know, Utah is a vibrant and prosperous state and we are excited 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 our NHL family and know they will be great stewards of the game in Utah.” We thank them for working with the league to resolve this complex situation.”
Wealthy owners like Smith coveted an NHL franchise and had influence in securing teams. Not only did he have an arena to house the team, he formally asked the NHL to begin the expansion process and bring a team to Salt Lake City.
Why move?
The Coyotes, who moved from Winnipeg to Arizona in 1996, faced uncertainty regarding future arena plans. The Coyotes have been looking for a new home since the city of Glendale terminated their contract with the Coyotes at Gila River Arena after the 2021-22 season. The Coyotes then moved to Mallett Arena in an attempt to find an arena solution in Tempe. The team had envisioned a $2.1 billion entertainment district with a 16,000-seat arena, but voters rejected that plan in May 2023. The uncertainty created an opportunity for Smith to land the team he coveted through relocation.
The new team will play at the Delta Center, where the NBA's Utah Jazz play. However, the state Legislature passed a bill that would provide $1 billion in tax dollars to fund the construction of a new sports and entertainment district around the arena. Smith had applied to work with the city on a proposal to revitalize that part of downtown.
What will the new team name be?
The team name has not yet been decided, but it will be “Utah Something'' and “Salt Lake'' will not be included in the team name. Smith plans to choose the name in a bracket-style contest where fans will have a say. He is also signed to Doubleday & Cartwright, an independent creative studio that has worked with professional sports teams and companies such as Apple and Nike on brand identities.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has already accepted applications for the names Utah Hockey Club, Utah HC, Utah Blizzard, Utah Venom, Utah Fury, Utah Yeti and Utah Outlaws. Whatever the name, Utah sports fans are excited to have a new team in town.
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