ARIZONA COYOTES

Maricopa County Board to form committee dedicated to bringing back NHL

Jan 6, 2025, 12:22 PM | Updated: 1:04 pm

Arizona Coyotes , NHL...

Clayton Keller #9 of the Arizona Coyotes throws a puck to fans before the NHL game against the Edmonton Oilers at Mullett Arena on April 17, 2024 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors held its first meeting of 2024 on Monday, and newly elected chairman Thomas Galvin laid out his strategy for returning NHL hockey to the Valley.

The Arizona Coyotes’ hockey operations and players relocated to Salt Lake City after the 2023-24 season and are in the midst of their first campaigns as the Utah Hockey Club.

Galvin called losing a professional sports team a low point.

“I think of Wayne Gretzky’s quote, ‘You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,'” Galvin said. “So, I’m forming an advisory committee of visionary leaders dedicated to bringing NHL hockey back to the Valley. I’ve had several meetings with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, and he looks forward to working with us to identify an owner and best location for a world-class building.”

The Coyotes played in the Valley for 27 seasons, but multiple missteps when it came to finding a permanent arena resulted in their unceremonious exit.

The team’s previous relationship with Glendale deteriorated, and after 18 seasons the city and Gila River Arena (now Diamond Desert Arena) terminated the Coyotes’ lease.

The team played the past two seasons at Mullett Arena at Arizona State, during which time a public vote by Tempe voters to approve a new arena and entertainment district near Sky Harbor International Airport failed.

Without a clear path to finding a more permanent home for the Coyotes than the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena, the NHL looked elsewhere and found a suitor in Utah.

Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith bought the team for $1.2 billion last April.

The Coyotes were deactivated, and Bettman said the team could be reactivated if former owner Alex Meruelo Sr. could construct a new arena “appropriate” for an NHL team within five years.

Meruelo stepped away after a land auction he expected to win for a new arena last summer was canceled, as the Arizona State Land Department said a new arena would require a Special Use Permit. The brand rights of the franchise were relinquished back to the NHL.

In a press conference after the sale, Bettman said, “This is a place where we think hockey works” and “We’re still standing by this market and believe a team belongs here and we need a new arena.”

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors chairman comments on Diamondbacks

Speaking of Valley sports teams and stadium issues, the Diamondbacks came up in Galvin’s comments with the club’s lease on Chase Field set to expire in rapidly-approaching 2027.

Maricopa County owns Chase Field, although the D-backs are responsible for the operation, management and maintenance of the ballpark. The Diamondbacks and Maricopa County have expressed their frustrations with the lease negotiations publicly, with D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall calling a counterproposal “ridiculous” on Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta in September.

Discussions with the county enter a new phase with a different board of directors taking over.

“I can assure you the Board will work very hard with the Diamondbacks on addressing the future of Chase Field,” Galvin said. “I see my role in this as looking out for the tax payers’ best interest, and that’s my line in the sand.

Arizona Coyotes

The Utah Hockey Club logo is seen on the helmet of center Nick Schmaltz (8) during the third period...

Brandon Cadiz

Former Arizona Coyotes franchise has fans vote on team name

The former Arizona Coyotes franchise, now the Utah Hockey Club, has chosen three names for fans to vote on for their permanent team name.

8 days ago

Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill speaks at a press conference...

Kevin Zimmerman

Arizona Sports Hall of Fame class includes Michael Bidwill, Mike Bibby and Julie Ertz

Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill, Wildcats product Mike Bibby and soccer star Julie Ertz are part of the 2025 Arizona Sports Hall of Fame class.

8 days ago

Utah Hockey Club...

Associated Press

Utah Hockey Club’s request to trademark ‘Utah Yetis’ gets denied

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has refused a request by the NHL’s Utah Hockey Club to trademark the name Utah Yetis.

14 days ago

Arizona Coyotes , NHL...

Alex Weiner

Maricopa County Board to form committee dedicated to bringing back NHL

The Maricopa County Board held its first meeting of 2024, and chairman Thomas Galvin brought up his strategy for returning hockey to the Valley.

1 month ago

Head coach Kenny Dillingham of ASU celebrates with the trophy after defeating the Iowa State Cyclon...

Kevin Zimmerman

Top Arizona Sports storylines of 2024: How can we not start with ASU’s CFP run?

ASU football making the College Football Playoff, the Arizona Coyotes moving to Utah and Al McCoy's death led the sports headlines of 2024.

1 month ago

Sean M. Daley mugshot from Scottsdale Police Department. Daley was charged with assaulting former C...

Kevin Zimmerman

Paul Bissonnette attacker indicted for assaulting former Coyotes player

A man accused of attacking former Coyotes player and NHL analyst Paul Bissonnette was indicted last Tuesday

2 months ago

Maricopa County Board to form committee dedicated to bringing back NHL