Modification NHL: Coyotes potentially relocating to Salt Lake City

[A Maybe Baker]

Sources: NHL plan could move Coyotes to Utah

The NHL is preparing a contingency that could relocate the Coyotes to Utah as soon as next season, sources told ESPN.

www.espn.com

Once again, the Coyotes are proving to be a, well, not well run organization. It's gotten to the point where the NHL has made two versions of their schedule for next season, one that takes place in Arizona and one that takes place in Utah.

While it always sucks for somewhere to lose a team...and I'm sure @Crystal would be none too happy about it...this doesn't seem like the worst occasion of it. Things just can't seem to go right for the franchise for some reason, and SLC is one state away and seemingly a great place for a new team to go.


Not entirely sure what to think here...but it would be interesting to see if they do move and whether or not it'll involve a name change as well. Even if they don't move, it seems like the NHL is gearing up to have SLC be one of the next two expansion cities, so they'll likely get a team anyway.

 

[Crystal]

Can confirm no one here would give a damn about them leaving AZ. At all.

 

[Webster]

it seems like the NHL is gearing up to have SLC

Or Lord, they'll have to have Gentile and Mormon concession stands (you know, for those who drink beer, coffee, tea and other hot drinks and for those who don't )....

 

[A Maybe Baker]

Can confirm no one here would give a damn about them leaving AZ. At all.

What would you like to name them in Utah?

Or Lord, they'll have to have Gentile and Mormon concession stands (you know, for those who drink beer, coffee, tea and other hot drinks and for those who don't )....

I spent some time in Boise for work a while back, which is also a heavy mormon city. Went to a pretty cool bar with a friend where the bartenders just stood in front of us the whole time happily waiting for us to order a new round of drinks...because everyone else there was Mormon and only drinking water, so the only people who needed time spent on any of their drinks were the two of us.

It was lovely.

 

[Crystal]

What would you like to name them in Utah?

The Utah Phoenix a subtle middle finger to Arizona.

 

[turkey]

Can confirm no one here would give a damn about them leaving AZ. At all.

I care because I like going to hockey games. I feel bad for the actual Coyote fans.

With that said, I’d rather go to Vegas than Glendale and the hair palace hosting an nhl team is a joke.

I wish the plan in Tempe worked out and something at the former fiesta mall would be cool.

 

[Crystal]

I care because I like going to hockey games. I feel bad for the actual Coyote fans.

I did enjoy going to the Stars games when they came to town, it was fun.

With that said, I’d rather go to Vegas than Glendale and the hair palace hosting an nhl team is a joke.

I wish the plan in Tempe worked out and something at the former fiesta mall would be cool.

Glendale was a terrible mistake, and now that whole area is a mass of wasted arenas and a very meh shopping area.

 

[Webster]

The Utah Phoenix a subtle middle finger to Arizona.

Dear Gary Bettman....

 

[MC74]

Arizona Coyotes relocation to Utah set to be announced April 17th instead of the 18th, and the players have now been informed per Craig Morgan.

But with that of course, comes a catch. There's a chance that this is just a temporary move until Arizona gets a new arena. The move would see the team in Salt Lake until 2028 potentially.

 

[Crystal]

Make it last, Utah. Make it last!

 

[Webster]

Arizona Coyotes relocation to Utah set to be announced April 17th instead of the 18th, and the players have now been informed per Craig Morgan.

But with that of course, comes a catch. There's a chance that this is just a temporary move until Arizona gets a new arena. The move would see the team in Salt Lake until 2028 potentially.

Make it last, Utah. Make it last!

C'mon Utah, ya' Mormon bastards!

...and here's Gary Bettman when he realizes Salt Lake City has embraced the club....

 

[Webster]

a mass of wasted arenas and a very meh shopping area.

*deadpans* Maybe we could grab Kari Lake and tell her to clean up the place...

 

[Crystal]

*deadpans* Maybe we could grab Kari Lake and tell her to clean up the place...

Pfft, that damn thing would turn that area into the first trans camps. She's desperate to make that happen.

 

[Webster]

Pfft, that damn thing would turn that area into the first trans camps. She's desperate to make that happen.

Girl, I was basically saying if she really believes all the claptrap she says, she should pull a Serena Joy and go right on back to the kitchen.
#JustSaying

 

[Crystal]

Girl, I was basically saying if she really believes all the claptrap she says, she should pull a Serena Joy and go right on back to the kitchen.
#JustSaying

If only.

 

[Webster]

If only.

*continues* In other words, I was calling her a bitch without calling her a bitch.

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

Salt Lake City is a great spot for a team. They really only have the Jazz and I feel like that type of city could really embrace hockey. It feels like when a city without a sports team, or only one gets a new one, they will take to it. I've always been told it's an underrated city, as well. Like Denver-lite. I'd love to visit someday.

Arizona is a dearth of sports for some reason. Massive population but they don't seem to care about their teams.

 

[A Maybe Baker]

Yeah I would definitely like to visit SLC one day. And I do feel they'd have the right level of support for an NHL franchise.

They should be the Utah Hive or something. They are the beehive state...but there's also probably something better available.


edit: I was looking it up after typing this, apparently "Utah Hive" is a legit suggestion people have made

 

[Webster]

Salt Lake City is a great spot for a team. They really only have the Jazz and I feel like that type of city could really embrace hockey. It feels like when a city without a sports team, or only one gets a new one, they will take to it. I've always been told it's an underrated city, as well. Like Denver-lite. I'd love to visit someday.

Arizona is a dearth of sports for some reason. Massive population but they don't seem to care about their teams.

If they support 'em the way they have the Utah Jazz and (regionally, Real Salt Lake in MLS and Utah Royals in NWSL) then they should do pretty good.

 

[MC74]

Elliotte Friedman hinted that the Coyotes will be back in Arizona one day.

EDIT: The tweet

 

[MC74]

So, there's 2 ways in which the Coyotes can come back depending on how things go.

1) The move to Salt Lake is temporary.

2) The Coyotes come back as an expansion team. This was talked about in an ESPN article. The NHL have expressed interest in returning to Arizona in the future and are leaving the door open to Meruelo to own the team.

 

[A Maybe Baker]

NHL OK's Coyotes sale, move to Salt Lake City

The NHL, having lost patience in Arizona's ability to find a long-term home for the Coyotes, has approved the sale of the team and a move to Salt Lake City.

www.espn.com

What a great thing right there. Bought the club in 2019 for $300 million, failed spectacularly as owner, sell it 5 years later for $1.2 billion.

 

[Crystal]

NHL OK's Coyotes sale, move to Salt Lake City

The NHL, having lost patience in Arizona's ability to find a long-term home for the Coyotes, has approved the sale of the team and a move to Salt Lake City.

www.espn.com

What a great thing right there. Bought the club in 2019 for $300 million, failed spectacularly as owner, sell it 5 years later for $1.2 billion.

 

[MC74]

NHL OK's Coyotes sale, move to Salt Lake City

The NHL, having lost patience in Arizona's ability to find a long-term home for the Coyotes, has approved the sale of the team and a move to Salt Lake City.

www.espn.com

What a great thing right there. Bought the club in 2019 for $300 million, failed spectacularly as owner, sell it 5 years later for $1.2 billion.

Reminds me a bit of when Frank McCourt sold off the Dodgers and walked off with a fortune despite running them into bankruptcy.

 

[Dead2009]

 

[MC74]

 

[Dead2009]

So the Coyotes name is staying in Arizona if the new team comes about? So essentially Utah would be the expansion team then.

 

[MC74]

Also, should the NHL undergo expansion, there's a possibility of another 3 teams joining in to even out the divisions.

 

[Dead2009]

Also, should the NHL undergo expansion, there's a possibility of another 3 teams joining in to even out the divisions.

If that's the case, Arizona, Quebec and give one to Baltimore damnit. I don't care about the Caps.

 

[A Maybe Baker]

So the Coyotes name is staying in Arizona if the new team comes about? So essentially Utah would be the expansion team then.

It would probably be similar to how it worked with the Browns in the 90s. The team moved to Baltimore and changed their name. The history stayed with Cleveland and they got the Browns back a few years later, but they were essentially treated as an expansion who had a history.

 

[MC74]

If that's the case, Arizona, Quebec and give one to Baltimore damnit. I don't care about the Caps.

Houston & Atlanta are on top of the list AFAIK. That would make 2 of them, but one more would have to go in the East to even it out.

 

[A Maybe Baker]

Houston & Atlanta are on top of the list AFAIK. That would make 2 of them, but one more would have to go in the East to even it out.

Absolutely not to Atlanta. They've failed twice now.

 

[Dead2009]

Houston & Atlanta are on top of the list AFAIK. That would make 2 of them, but one more would have to go in the East to even it out.

But if the owner can get his arena done in time, that would make Arizona one of the 3 in that proposed scenario. So someone's getting bounced.

 

[MC74]

Absolutely not to Atlanta. They've failed twice now.

Wholeheartedly agree, I'd much prefer Quebec City being given another chance. I'm extremely skeptical to give Arizona another chance as is.

 

[A Maybe Baker]

But if the owner can get his arena done in time, that would make Arizona one of the 3 in that proposed scenario. So someone's getting bounced.

If Arizona gets a new team there's now an odd number of teams. Expansion would either be 1 additional team or 3 beyond them to make the conferences have the same number of teams.

The divisions would need to be redone if it's only 1 team tough.

 

[Dead2009]

So I assumed correctly it seems

 

[MC74]

If Arizona gets a new team there's now an odd number of teams. Expansion would either be 1 additional team or 3 beyond them to make the conferences have the same number of teams.

The divisions would need to be redone if it's only 1 team tough.

I think it's very likely we end up with 3 additional teams. I would imagine the NHL wanting to round it out to 9 teams in each division. Someone also mentioned the possibility of them going the play-in route like the NBA did.

Oh fuck no, don't want that.

 

[Crystal]

Come on Utah Phoenix. Make it happen

 

[A Maybe Baker]

Right now the two names I've heard of leading the pack (there are 8 in all) are:

Utah Yeti (or Yetis, yet to determine if it'll be singular or plural)
Utah Outlaws


The others are (in no particular order):
Utah Hockey Club
Utah Ice
Utah Blizzard
Utah Mammoth(s) (same as with Yeti/Yetis above)
Utah Venom
Utah Fury


Other names could be added in, but as of right now it's likely to be one of the first two.

 

[TD]

Yetis?

Do they even have yetis in Utah?

 

[A Maybe Baker]

Yetis?

Do they even have yetis in Utah?

Do they have yeti anywhere?

It's a "this is a cool mythical creature associated with snowy mountains" thing and nothing else. I'd think it's better than Kraken at least... But I'd honestly still prefer the Hive.

 

[A Maybe Baker]

I mean look at this new state flag they have. It's cool as hell.

 

[TD]

Do they have yeti anywhere?

It's a "this is a cool mythical creature associated with snowy mountains" thing and nothing else. I'd think it's better than Kraken at least... But I'd honestly still prefer the Hive.

I mean I rode one through Algonquin Forest last Saturday so yes.

But also.
Ice? Blizzard?

Have I been grossly misinformed about Utah?

 

[A Maybe Baker]

I mean I rode one through Algonquin Forest last Saturday so yes.

But also.
Ice? Blizzard?

Have I been grossly misinformed about Utah?

I dunno, have you been informed that Utah has no mountains? They're in the Rockies just like Colorado, and in fact share a border with Colorado. While Salt Lake City isn't quite as high as Denver, it still has an elevation of over 4000 feet.

 

[TD]

I dunno, have you been informed that Utah has no mountains? They're in the Rockies just like Colorado, and in fact share a border with Colorado. While Salt Lake City isn't quite as high as Denver, it still has an elevation of over 4000 feet.

...well I thought Utah was a desert.

So uh.

Maybe they meant dessert.

 

[A Maybe Baker]

...well I thought Utah was a desert.

So uh.

Maybe they meant dessert.

lol, they're north of the desert (though southern Utah is very different than the SLC part of Utah, which is basically a Mormon version of Colorado).

 

[Crystal]

View attachment 13990

I mean look at this new state flag they have. It's cool as hell.

The Utah Boobs? Wait, in AZ we get Haboobs, do they get them in Utah, too?!

*searches*

Aww, they don't. Still, do it!

Utah Haboobs!

 

[TD]

YOU TA HA BOOBS!

Found my new team.

 

[MC74]

Might as well throw Shithawks in there. The Utah Shithawks.

 

[Jon]

Right now the two names I've heard of leading the pack (there are 8 in all) are:

Utah Yeti (or Yetis, yet to determine if it'll be singular or plural)
Utah Outlaws


The others are (in no particular order):
Utah Hockey Club
Utah Ice
Utah Blizzard
Utah Mammoth(s) (same as with Yeti/Yetis above)
Utah Venom
Utah Fury


Other names could be added in, but as of right now it's likely to be one of the first two.

They went with Seattle Kraken. Think of the stupidest name and go with that.