Photo credit: Hotels.ca
The NHL Board of Governors has given the green light for the sale and relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City, Utah. While the team's new nickname is still undecided, owner Ryan Smith is taking his time to choose. The team has launched its new website and is already accepting deposits for season tickets.
Despite the swift progress, Smith admitted surprise:
If you would've told me at the beginning of the year that this is where we'd be, I'd say you were crazy.
Smith purchased the team from Alex Meruelo for $1 billion, with an additional $200 million paid as a relocation fee to the NHL. Meruelo remains optimistic about hockey's future in Arizona, retaining the option to reactivate the team within five years and retaining ownership of the Coyotes name, brand, and logo.
The Coyotes bid farewell to Arizona with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in their final game.
The new Utah team will play at the Delta Center, sharing the arena with the NBA's Jazz. Plans are underway to expand seating to accommodate over 17,000 fans. Amidst these changes, hockey in Utah is poised to shine.
Utah NHL team names leak:
As seen on hockeypatrol
Utah officially launches their NHL website
Utah officially launches their NHL website
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