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Arizona Coyotes players were reportedly informed of the franchise's plans to relocate to Utah, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN, following an initial report by PHNX Sports.
The reported meeting took place prior to the Coyotes' 3-2 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers Friday (April 12) night. The NHL is reportedly working to facilitate a sale of the franchise to Ryan and Ashley Smith, the owners of the NBA's Utah Jazz, and the Coyotes will begin playing at Delta Center in Salt Lake City during the 2024-25 NHL season.
Coyotes players and staff members were reportedly invited to Salt Lake City to familiarize themselves with the city and the team's new facilities following their final regular season game against the Oilers in Tempe next Wednesday (April 17). The relocation is reportedly expected to be officially announced this week following the conclusion of the NHL regular season and after being approved by the league's Board of Governors.
Current Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo, who purchased the franchise in 2014, faced a years-long challenge of finding a permanent home after the Coyotes, who initially moved to Phoenix and rebranded from the Winnipeg Jets in 1996, after the team was locked out of its former Glendale home, Gila River Arena, in 2021, signed a three-year deal to play home games at Arizona State University's Mullett Arena in Tempe, and had proposals to build a new arena in various Arizona cities rejected.