A new city emerges as top contender for Coyotes’ relocation!

Tempe voters crushed the dreams of the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night, after a public vote went against a proposed Tempe Sports and Entertainment district that would have kept the team in the East Valley city.

Coyotes president and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez was visibly shaken after the referendum results with no clear response on what the team can do next.

Everyone is wondering where do the Coyotes go next and Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News believes the answer is in Utah. While he is aware that the three cities that usually come up as relocation candidates are Quebec City, Kansas City and Houston, Kennedy wonders if Salt Lake City could be the dark horse to welcome the NHL franchise.

“There are several reasons why Salt Lake City would be a great fit in a less-than-ideal situation, the first of which being that the Coyotes could move there right away and start play in a full-sized pro arena for 2023-24. Vivint Arena is the home of the NBA’s Utah Jazz and both the building and the basketball team are owned by local billionaire businessman Ryan Smith. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, Smith hinted that plans to bring a hockey team to Utah were “in motion” and he has reportedly met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in the past.”

Kennedy reminds fans that Utah has been a minor hockey city for decades, from the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies all the way back to the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, who played in various leagues starting in 1969, and could be an ideal location for a new chapter in Coyotes’ history.

On top of all the elements already in place to welcome an NHL team, Kennedy points out how the Coyotes “wouldn’t have to change divisions - geographically, they would still be very much in the range of other Central Division teams, especially Colorado.”

So this does sound like a viable option. This will be an interesting topic to keep an eye on in the coming days.

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