Arizona Coyotes questioned over rumors of team relocating to Salt Lake City

The NHL community is discussing the potential relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City. Reports circulating suggest that the Coyotes may be considering a move to Utah for the 2024-25 season, prompting the league to prepare contingency plans for both scenarios.

When asked about the possible move to Utah, a spokesperson simply told ESPN, "No comment." However, the mere existence of contingency schedules for the upcoming season indicates that the league is taking the possibility seriously.

This speculation initially gained traction following a survey posted by Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, seeking suggestions for a team name in the event of an NHL franchise landing in Utah.

The potential move stems from Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo's pursuit of land to build a new hockey arena and entertainment district in the Phoenix area. Meruelo's bid for the necessary land faces uncertainty, with Scottsdale mayor David Ortega expressing initial skepticism but later indicating conditional support for the project.

Time appears to be of the essence for the Arizona Coyotes, as NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly acknowledged that the window for resolving the team's arena situation is closing rapidly. However, even if Meruelo's bid falls through, relocating the team to Utah in time for the next season may prove challenging.

If the relocation were to occur, it would entail significant financial transactions. This includes a reported payment north of $1.2 billion by Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, part of which would serve as a relocation fee distributed to other NHL owners.

Furthermore, the Utah Legislature has passed a bill earmarking $1 billion of taxpayer money for the construction of a new NHL arena. This move was lauded as "truly transformative" by Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and supported by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Seattle Kraken win 5-0 over Arizona Coyotes

The Seattle Kraken are out of playoff contention and are focusing on their young players for the future. Shane Wright, called up from the AHL, has been thriving, scoring his fourth goal in four games since joining the team in the 5-0 win over the Coyotes.

Wright himself emphasized his contributions, telling reporters:

"Just tried to get it on net there and a lucky bounce for sure but we’ll take it."

Other young players like Andre Burakovsky and Justin Schultz also contributed, with Burakovsky scoring his fifth power-play goal of the season and Schultz adding his seventh. Brandon Tanev and Will Borgen ended goal droughts in the third period. Goalie Philipp Grubauer earned his second shutout of the season, making 39 saves.

On the opposing side, the Arizona Coyotes struggled to generate offense, with coach Andre Tourigny acknowledging Grubauer's performance, telling the media:

"Grubauer was solid."

Seattle's focus on developing young talent has paid off in their recent successes, despite being out of playoff contention, while Arizona continues to face challenges in finding offensive momentum.