Editing Arizona Coyotes (section)

====Asset transfer to Utah and suspension of operations====
{{see also|Utah Mammoth}}
A proposal by the Coyotes to build a [[New Tempe Arena|new arena in Tempe]] was rejected by residents of the city on May 16, 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wyshynski |first1=Greg |title=Coyotes' arena plan in Tempe rejected by voters; future cloudy |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/37666891/coyotes-arena-plan-tempe-rejected-voters-future-cloudy |work=ESPN |access-date=May 17, 2023 |date=May 16, 2023}}</ref> The arena was estimated to cost $2.1 billion, with $1.9 billion of the cost privately funded. Despite speculation on immediate relocation, the team remained in Arizona, playing at Mullett Arena during the [[2023–24 NHL season]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wyshynski |first1=Greg |title=NHL: Coyotes to play at ASU despite no vote |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/37671200/nhl-coyotes-play-asu-no-vote |work=ESPN |access-date=May 17, 2023 |date=May 17, 2023}}</ref> The Coyotes spoke with the city of [[Mesa, Arizona|Mesa]] about a potential arena at the [[Fiesta Mall]] site, but that plan was ultimately rejected for unknown reasons.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Welch |first1=Dennis |title=Sources: Arizona Coyotes consider former site of Fiesta Mall in Mesa for sports arena |url=https://www.azfamily.com/2023/05/18/sources-arizona-coyotes-consider-former-site-fiesta-mall-mesa-sports-arena/ |website=azfamily.com |access-date=May 18, 2023 |date=May 18, 2023}}</ref> In January 2024, Scottsdale mayor David Ortega announced his opposition to a Coyotes' proposal, which planned an arena in northern Phoenix near the border of Scottsdale.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bradley |first=Ben |title=Scottsdale mayor opposes Arizona Coyotes' 'fantasy' arena location in north Phoenix |url=https://www.azfamily.com/2024/04/08/scottsdale-mayor-opposes-arizona-coyotes-fantasy-arena-location-north-phoenix/ |access-date=April 10, 2024 |website=azfamily.com |date=March 29, 2024}}</ref> Following this, the Coyotes initially stated on social media their commitment to keeping the team in Arizona.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=ArizonaCoyotes |number=1778141750311436348 |date=April 10, 2024 |title=Committed to keeping Coyotes Hockey in the desert & building an arena in Phoenix. |access-date=April 13, 2024}}</ref> They announced that the ownership was intent on winning a land auction for {{convert|110|acre}} of state-owned land between [[Scottsdale Road]] and [[Loop 101]] in Phoenix to build an arena.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/coyotes/news/coyotes-state-land-auction-privately-funded-arena-2024|title=Coyotes Announce Commitment to Win State Land Auction & Build Privately Funded Arena & Entertainment District|access-date=March 23, 2025|publisher=Arizona Coyotes|date=April 4, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240408195336/https://www.nhl.com/coyotes/news/coyotes-state-land-auction-privately-funded-arena-2024|archive-date=April 8, 2024}}</ref> However, the auction had been delayed from January to June 2024, which likely played a part into the ownership's final decision with the franchise near the end of the 2023–24 season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Timeline for potential Coyotes land deal raising concern amid already drawn-out process|url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/02/08/arizona-coyotes-hunt-for-new-arena|access-date=March 23, 2025|publisher=Sports Business Journal|date=February 8, 2024}}</ref>

On April 10, 2024, it was reported that, with the NHL's permission, the Coyotes were making efforts to relocate to [[Salt Lake City|Salt Lake City, Utah]], following concerns about an indefinite timeframe for finding a new arena and the effects of continued play at Mullett Arena, in the interim.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39966564/coyotes-bid-arizona-farewell-bittersweet-win-oilers|title=Coyotes bid Arizona farewell with bittersweet win over Oilers|date=April 17, 2024|access-date=April 18, 2024|website=ESPN.com |quote=There could be a new arena – eventually. Meruelo had been pursuing a tract of land in north Phoenix to build it. When delays pushed the land auction until June, the NHL and the players' association got cold feet about continuing to play at Mullett Arena, the loud-but-bandbox-sized venue shared with Arizona State University. Meruelo was adamant about not selling the team despite constant offers since he bought it in 2019, but he also didn't want the players stuck playing in a 5,000-seat arena – by far the NHL's smallest – that wasn't up to league standards in the long-term period. With no guarantee that he would have an arena in the state of Arizona and with no other options, Meruelo agreed to sell the franchise.|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418113538/https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39966564/coyotes-bid-arizona-farewell-bittersweet-win-oilers |archive-date=April 18, 2024}}</ref> This led to the NHL buying the franchise then reselling it to [[Ryan Smith (businessman)|Ryan Smith]], owner of the [[Utah Jazz]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA), for a reported $1.2 billion.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Friedman |first1=Elliotte |title=NHL, Arizona Coyotes preparing for possible relocation to Utah |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/nhl-arizona-coyotes-preparing-for-possible-relocation-to-utah/ |website=Sportsnet.ca |access-date=April 13, 2024 |date=April 10, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Report: NHL, Coyotes make progress on framework for Utah relocation |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/report-nhl-preparing-two-scenarios-for-coyotes-future-including-utah-move/ |website=Sportsnet.ca |access-date=April 13, 2024 |date=April 10, 2024}}</ref> Of that payment, $1 billion went to Coyotes owner [[Alex Meruelo]] for the sale (with Meruelo agreeing to refund the money to the NHL as an expansion fee should his efforts to locate a new home for the franchise succeed) and $200 million went to the NHL's other 31 owners, as the equivalent of a relocation fee. The Utah team will play its home games at the Jazz's home arena, the [[Delta Center]]. Renovations will be required to make it the team's permanent home, similar to the renovations made to [[Climate Pledge Arena]] before the Kraken began play in the NHL two seasons prior.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kaplan |first1=Emily |last2=Wyshynski|first2=Greg|title=Coyotes could relocate to Salt Lake City as part of NHL plan |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39915208/coyotes-relocate-salt-lake-city-part-nhl-plan |website=ESPN.com |access-date=April 15, 2024 |date=April 10, 2024}}</ref>

On April 12, 2024, ahead of a 3–2 overtime win against the [[Edmonton Oilers]] at [[Rogers Place]], general manager Bill Armstrong officially disclosed the news of the team's impending sale and relocation to Coyotes players and staff. Five days later, on April 17, the Coyotes played their final game at Mullett Arena, and ultimately their last game before deactivation, against the same Oilers team. With the fans engaging in one last Whiteout (and audibly heard chanting phrases such as "Salt Lake sucks" and "we love you Coyotes" throughout the game), the Coyotes won 5–2, with [[Sean Durzi]] scoring the final goal of the team's first incarnation, into an [[Empty net goal|empty net]]. Amongst the events of the game, Shane Doan was given his retirement banner (which had been lost by the team in the move to Mullett Arena but had been rediscovered by a local fan), and following the end of the game the fans gave the outgoing team a standing ovation, and the players, in turn, spent over an hour afterward on the ice giving away team apparel and equipment (also signing a majority of the fan gifts), as well as taking a final team picture on the ice and taking turns hugging and thanking longtime equipment manager Stan Wilson, who had moved with the team from Winnipeg in 1996.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coyotes give fans a win in final Arizona game, fans show plenty of love |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nhl/coyotes/2024/04/17/coyotes-fans-create-unique-atmosphere-in-last-game-at-mullett-arena/73253893007/|access-date=April 18, 2024 |date=April 17, 2024 |website=azcentral.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Robinson |first=Alan |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/edmonton-oilers-arizona-coyotes-game-recap-april-17 |title=Guenther's 2 points help Coyotes defeat Oilers |website=NHL.com |date=April 18, 2024 |access-date=April 18, 2024}}</ref> The following day, the sale and relocation was officially approved, and the team was officially deactivated until further notice.

It subsequently emerged that the Utah club was considered an expansion team, not a relocated Coyotes team. In a deal that effectively split the Coyotes franchise in half, Smith acquired the Coyotes' player contracts, hockey operations staff, and draft picks while the Coyotes went "dormant" pending a permanent arena. This move was similar to the [[Cleveland Browns relocation controversy|Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL), with the Coyotes continuing minor business operations, mostly focused on finding a new arena. Meruelo remained on the NHL Board of Governors as an observer, retaining the rights to the Coyotes brand and history (including the history and records of the 1972–1996 Winnipeg Jets), with a five-year window to build or otherwise locate a new arena for his team, before "reactivating" the Coyotes through an expansion draft. Conversely, if Meruelo were to fail to come up with a suitable arena by end of that five-year window, he would be required to permanently halt franchise operations and cede the franchise back to the NHL.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wyshynski |first=Greg |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39940303/nhl-arizona-coyotes-move-utah-new-name-schedule-players-coaches |title=Everything we know about the Arizona Coyotes moving to Utah – How is the transaction going to work? |website=ESPN.com |date=April 15, 2024 |access-date=April 15, 2024 |quote=It's expected that the final transaction will include a clause that allows Meruelo to "reactivate" the franchise as an expansion team—paying what's expected to be a $1 billion expansion fee if that happens—between now and 2029 if his arena project is completed. All of the team's intellectual property—including those iconic Kachina jerseys—would remain with Meruelo. It's an agreement that evokes the deal made with the city of Cleveland when the Browns moved to Baltimore in 1995.}}</ref> The sale was finalized on April 18, after the NHL Board of Governors voted to grant a new Utah franchise to Smith, effectively expanding the NHL to a total of 33 clubs, if the Coyotes succeeded in building a new team arena.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cotsonika |first1=Nicholas |title='Utah's ready for a team,' new owner says |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/utah-is-ready-for-an-nhl-hockey-team-jazz-owner-ryan-smith-says |website=NHL.com |access-date=April 18, 2024}}</ref>

On June 21, 2024, the Arizona State Land Department canceled a land auction for a 110-acre parcel of land in north Phoenix which Meruelo intended to purchase as a site for a new arena.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/40403806/coyotes-slam-cancellation-june-27-arizona-land-auction |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=June 25, 2024 |access-date=June 25, 2024 |title=Coyotes slam cancellation of June 27 Arizona land auction |first=Greg |last=Wyshynski |department=NHL}}</ref> Three days later, it was reported that Meruelo had told staff he had no plans to pursue further arena options for the team.<ref>{{Cite news |newspaper=[[Arizona Republic]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/coyotes/2024/06/24/arizona-coyotes-owner-alex-meruelo-giving-up-pursuit-of-nhl-arena-report-says/74201793007/ |title=Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo giving up pursuit of NHL arena, report says |via=[[USA Today]] |publisher=[[Gannett]] |date=June 25, 2024 |access-date=June 25, 2024 |department=Coyotes}}</ref> At the Board of Governors meeting on June 26, Meruelo informed Bettman that he was not pursuing the franchise reactivation.<ref name="defunct?">{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/bettman-confirms-meruelo-will-not-be-re-activating-coyotes-franchise/ |title=Bettman confirms Meruelo will not be re-activating Coyotes franchise |website=Sportsnet.ca |date=June 25, 2024 |access-date=June 25, 2024}}</ref> Meruelo formally relinquished his rights to the franchise as well as its intellectual property on July 10.<ref name="relinquish">{{Cite web |date=July 10, 2024 |title=Report: Alex Meruelo officially relinquishes rights to Coyotes |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/report-alex-meruelo-officially-relinquishes-rights-to-coyotes/ |access-date=July 12, 2024 |website=[[Sportsnet.ca]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/future-of-nhl-hockey-in-arizona-unclear-without-new-arena-development/ | title = Future of NHL hockey in Arizona unclear without new arena development | last = Engels | first = Eric | date = June 27, 2024 | publisher = Rogers Media | access-date = March 16, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Embattled Meruelo leaving Coyotes ownership after failed land auction |url=https://apnews.com/article/arizona-coyotes-utah-nhl-8fe43ee05915109c35d2c1ca4136af7c |website=Associated Press |date=June 25, 2024 |access-date=June 25, 2024}}</ref><ref name="defunct?" />