Utah — Home of the ‘Newest’ NHL Team
Whether you like it or not, it is officially official. The Arizona Coyotes have finalized the move of their franchise to Salt Lake City, Utah. The team will share a home with NBA’s franchise, Utah Jazz, in Delta Center after Coyotes’ owner Alex Murelo’s numerous attempts to secure a long-term arena deal across the state of Arizona has failed.
The Approval
The NHL Board of Governors declared by a unanimous vote to relocate the Arizona Coyotes to Utah on April 18, 2024, after an undeniable offer came across the table from the Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) that is led by Utah Jazz Owners, Ryan and Ashley Smith. Although the whole world knew prior to this date that declared the Coyotes’ destiny, the team played their last home game on the 17th of April at Mullett Arena. It was an emotional night for those who grew up following the franchise to the end. The Coyotes put on an absolute clinic against the Edmonton Oilers, resulting in a 5–2 win. It was a memorable night for all those who attended Mullett Arena and for us at home watching live being able to see the raw emotion and passion from the crowd. To everyone on the Coyotes’ panel that shared their feelings and love for this team was incredible to witness — hockey belongs in the desert.
Potential Names
Utah ownership has cut down the search down to six possibilities for the franchise moving forward after taking a poll consisting of over 500,000 fans’ entries. The top vote-getters that remain in contention include the Utah Yeti, Utah Blizzard, Utah Outlaws, Utah Venom, Utah Mammoths, and my least favorite of the bunch — the Utah Hockey Club (HC).
Although it is news that the team will enter the 2024–2025 season without a designated name, logo, or even a mascot…(what?), the next round of voting to determine the winning name is currently in progress until the end of June of 2024. Here is current emblem that is being tied to the ‘newcomer’ of the league:
With Utah Yeti and Utah Blizzard both in the final six possibilities, I believe that you get an instant rivalry in the Central Division tied between the newly-faced Utah team and the Colorado Avalanche. As most of us avid fans realize, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is all-for rivalries where he had made the decision to adjust the playoff format to include wild-card positioning after the 2012–2013 season. In 2022, Bettman added to his take by stating that the competition committee is part of the discussion when it comes to re-formatting and that it is not as easy as it sounds. He believes that it adds value to the competition and the importance of games throughout the regular season. Will we see a change in format in the coming future? I sure hope so.
