453. The Fate of the Arizona Coyotes

On April 18, 2024, the National Hockey League announced that the Arizona Coyotes were being sold to the owners of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, and would begin play next season at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The Coyotes relocated to Arizona in 1996 after they were the original Winnipeg Jets franchise. They played in America West Arena (home of the Phoenix Suns) from 1996-2003 and Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona from 2003-2022. In 2022, the Coyotes played in Mullett Arena, a 5,000-seat structure on the campus of Arizona State University. Once a potential arena deal had been shut down, the Coyotes’ fate had been sealed. Notably, the NHL said that if the Phoenix Metro area could build an area, they would get an expansion team and the Arizona Coyotes’ colors and uniforms would return.

Luke Lepinski is a talk show host on 98.7 FM Arizona Sports. For 15 years, he was the pre/post/intermission host of the Coyotes on whatever radio station they were airing on, until the move to Utah. He joined the podcast to discuss what led to the Coyote’s relocation, and whether the Coyotes could get a team back with a new arena. He also discussed the many job losses in the Coyotes organization and weighed in on the Phoenix market as a sports town.