Nick Dasilva
The Arizona Coyotes seem to be the NHL franchise that nobody wants. Originally started in 1972 as the Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association, it wasn’t until 1979 when the WHA closed down that they came to the NHL. The team still played in Winnipeg until 1992, when they would move to Phoenix and share a stadium with the Phoenix Suns, with plans to build a new stadium in motion in Glendale.
In 2009 however, the Coyotes filed for bankruptcy and the NHL had to take over and manage operations until they could find a new owner. In 2011, the city voted for the NHL to continue operations due to not finding a willing long term owner. In 2013, the team was bought by a group of Canadian investors who then, in 2014 sold it to Philadelphia based hedge fund manager Andrew Barroway, who tried to buy the New York Islanders earlier that year.
Feeling cheated by the deal, the city agreed to terminate their long term deal and instead go with a short two year deal for the time being. In November 2016 the Coyotes attempted to join together with Arizona State University to build a stadium for both them and the Sun Devils Hockey Team, However ASU pulled out of the deal after just four months.
In 2019 Barroway sold his controlling shares, becoming a minority owner while Alex Meruelo took control of the team and in 2021, they were moved to the central division of the NHL, due to the Seattle Kraken taking their spot in the Pacific Division. The team was also informed that their lease would not be renewed beyond the 2021-2022 season. They were also required to pay 1.3 million in taxes, including a quarter of a million dollars to the city of Glendale or they would be locked out of their stadium. The very next year the Coyotes entered an agreement with ASU to play at their stadium for the next three years.
Mullet Arena, where the Coyotes played from starting in 2022
But it wouldn’t matter as in April of 2024, with the NHL’s permission, the Coyotes were looking to sell their spot to Salt Lake City and on the 12th of that month, the General Manager informed everyone on the that the team was shutting down and just six days later the sale and transfer was complete and the team was deactivated.
The Coyotes were not a very good team, as they had zero presidents trophy’s, Conference championships or Stanley cups, with the one achievement being a division championship. The Arizona Coyotes story doesn’t end with a howl, but with a whimper.
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