- The NHL Arizona Coyotes could be on the move after their latest effort to secure long term stability in the Phoenix area appears to have failed.
- Although there’s an outside chance they could stay in Arizona, relocation appears more likely.
- At least a half dozen cities are already receiving speculation as potential relocation destinations.
The National Hockey League (NHL) Arizona Coyotes are nothing if not tenacious. Against all odds, the team is still located in Arizona after moving from Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1996. This is due in large part to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman’s desire to keep the team in the 11th largest TV market in the United States. Since moving to the Southwest, the Coyotes have changed ownership several times and gone bankrupt and were technically owned by the league for awhile. They’ve come close to moving several time to Hamilton, Ontario and Seattle along with some other less realistic destinations. Most recently, an acrimonious split with their former home in Glendale (now called the Desert Diamond Arena) forced a temporary relocation into the Mullett Arena at Arizona State University in Tempe. That’s the home of the Sun Devils’ hockey team and by far the smallest venue in the NHL with a seating capacity of 4,600.
The plan was to play at Mullett Arena while a new home in Tempe was being constructed. What they didn’t plan on was Tempe voters rejecting a ballot initiative for a $2.1 billion entertainment district that would have included a new home for the Coyotes. For now, the team is publicly committed to playing next year at the Mullett Arena but clearly that’s not a viable solution longterm. The most realistic scenario at this point has the team relocating to another North American city.
Here’s the betting odds for the Coyotes’ relocation destination. In a subsequent article, we’ll provide a bit of context to these numbers:
ARIZONA COYOTES RELOCATION BETTING ODDS
WHERE WILL THE ARIZONA COYOTES RELOCATE TO BY DECEMBER 31, 2023?
Houston, Texas +150 Salt Lake City, Utah +300 Portland, Oregon +450 Quebec City, Quebec +700 Hartford, Connecticut +1000 Kansas City, Missouri +1500 Sacramento, California +2500 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan +5000 Halifax, Nova Scotia +5000 Toronto Metro Area, Ontario +5000 Hamilton, Ontario +5000 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma +10000 Atlanta, Georgia +10000 Milwaukee, Wisconsin +10000 Any other destination +25000
No relocation by 12/31/23 = no action
WHERE WILL THE ARIZONA COYOTES RELOCATE TO BY DECEMBER 31, 2023?
A US city -500 A Canadian city +250 Any other location +10000
No relocation by 12/31/23 = no action
