As the 1990s progressed, many things changed across the world. Cell phones grew to become a mainstay in society, new music genres took the stage, and the value of the Canadian dollar dwindled. In the NHL, a league that comprises numerous Canadian hockey hotbeds, teams were finding it increasingly difficult to attract and pay players using their native Canadian dollar, the standard since the league’s inception in 1917. As players began to demand compensation in the far more stable US dollar, many of the smaller market teams in the true north had to figure out how to navigate the new economic surge that comes with operating a successful franchise. Unfortunately, this meant that teams that had become embedded in local communities for decades prior to the WHA/NHL merger, had to explore the possibility of packing up and relocating to the United States of America. The Quebec Nordiques were the first team to do this, opting to become the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche enjoyed instant success, filling the void of pro hockey in the Denver area since the Colorado Rockies left for New Jersey in 1982. However, relocating to a proven hockey market was not what the Winnipeg Jets (1972-1996) had in mind. Rather than setting up base in a hockey desperate city, such as Minneapolis/St. Paul at the time, Jets ownership opted to move to Phoenix, henceforth becoming the Coyotes.
Initially, the Coyotes were all the rage in Phoenix, as they loaded up their roster with veterans such as Blackhawks legend Jeremy Roenick and Blues great Keith Tkachuk. Though they had brought in established talent from across the entire league, arguably the greatest player to ever wear the famous Kachina logo lies in Shane Doan, the winger who made his NHL debut with the Jets in their last season prior to relocation, before becoming one of the greatest veterans of all time. The team enjoyed early prosperity, making the playoffs in five out of their first six seasons in the desert. The fans seemed to be on board, turning the poorly configured Phoenix Suns arena into a sea of white, reminiscent of their longtime tradition in Winnipeg. However, this brief period of hope would soon fade away, setting forth the gloomy future that lay ahead.
As all good things must come to an end, so did the careers of former superstars such as Brett Hull and Mike Gartner, names brought in that barely lasted more than a season before retirement. As attendance and local interest plummeted, ownership for the club went on the market, with NHL all-time points leader Wayne Gretzky buying a large share. The Coyotes quickly faded off into irrelevance, even with first time coach Gretzky taking over behind the bench. Gretzky’s play proved to not translate into coaching, as at the peak of his ownership, the team finished with a .409 points percentage, the worst record since settling in the desert. Fortunately, the decline in on-ice performance greatly benefitted their draft arsenal, as they worked their way back into the playoff picture by 2010.
Though falling to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round in both 2010 and 2011, the Coyotes had gained enough experience to win their first division title in the desert in the 2012 campaign, beating the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round before proceeding on to take care of the Nashville Predators in round two. Unfortunately, the Yotes were no match for the powerhouse that was the 2010s Los Angeles Kings, who took care of them in only five games during that year’s Western Conference Final. Although an untimely end to their playoff run, this year would ultimately be the closest the Coyotes ever got to hoisting the Stanley Cup.
What occurred over the following decade would only get worse with each passing season. It had been revealed that, since 2009, the Coyotes ownership had been unable to pay their bills due to low interest among the surrounding areas and had been under the control of the NHL league offices. Rather than relocate the franchise to a more suitable market, Commissioner Gary Bettman insisted on keeping the Coyotes in Arizona, claiming that they would eventually work out and be a successful franchise. The NHL was able to finally move the Coyotes to the suburb of Glendale, which housed the team in a far more suitable arena optimized for hockey, though their average attendance still hovered near 13,000 fans, about 6,000 below league average at the time. The team’s performance did them no favors, as they consistently finished in the bottom tier of the standings, only making the playoffs during the 2020 expanded bubble tournament.
Although they had dealt with instability for the greater part of a decade, nothing could prepare the Coyotes and their few fans for the news they would receive in late 2021. After missing multiple rent payments and taxes towards their arena, they were notified by the City of Glendale that they would be locked out for the upcoming season. Scrambling to find solutions, the Coyotes front office, now on its third different set of ownership in nine years, negotiated with Arizona State University to play in their new D1 facility for the time being, with no future plans in place. Already the laughingstock of the league, the Coyotes were immediately grilled with concerns from team owners, player unions, and fans alike, who found it to be unfair for NHL teams to play in a 4,000 seat college facility. Although the initial lease signed with ASU agreed to three years, the league began to put pressure on the team to make something happen. The closest the franchise got to stability was a proposed privately funded arena district in the suburb of Tempe, though it was shot down on the ballot in Spring 2023. Gary Bettman eventually made it known that something had to be done, as groups based in hockey-hungry cities submitted bid after bid looking for a team.
The ultimate decision came down to Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Just last week, the plans were finalized that every single hockey asset of the Coyotes will immediately be transferred to a new franchise based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, starting play next season. However, the NHL is still giving Coyotes ownership a chance, giving them a timeline of five years to construct a suitable hockey arena with the promise of a guaranteed expansion franchise while maintaining the original Coyotes brand.
In conclusion, I feel it is for the better that the NHL finally part ways with Arizona in favor of proven hockey cities. While it has been a truly special scene to see hockey be played in such a small arena on the regular and we likely wouldn’t see players such as Arizona native Auston Matthews without the existence of the Coyotes, they have severely lacked the necessary ownership and dedication to winning as an entire franchise and fanbase. When done right, hockey can be a truly successful sport in Southern cities (i.e. Tampa, Dallas, Raleigh), though the lack of care and support that has plagued the Coyotes beyond their initial years has proven that the Phoenix area is not ready for a major NHL franchise. I ultimately blame Gary Bettman
