Insider reveals the potential relocation city for the Arizona Coyotes
Relocation rumours have followed the Arizona Coyotes for several years now and those have picked up again in 2023 after a vote to build an arena and entertainment district in Tempe was struck down by the city's residents.
Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo remains committed to keeping the team in Arizona and has already begun searching for land to purchase in order to build a new arena, Mesa being mentioned as an option back in August.
But if things continue to go south, relocation has to be on the table. Houston has been floated around as a potential spot for the Coyotes, but another location has emerged in the last couple of months - Salt Lake City.
On Friday's edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman weighed in on topic and nearing the 30-minute mark said the following:
Salt Lake City is no stranger to hockey, having hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics where Canada won the gold medal in both the men's and women's tournaments. Meanwhile, the Utah Grizzlies in the ECHL play in the suburbs, 20 minutes outside of Salt Lake City.
This summer, Ryan Smith, the owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz confirmed that he is pushing for a National Hockey League franchise in his city and has reportedly met with Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Obviously, as they've done in the past, the NHL will ensure every step is taken to keep the Coyotes in Arizona before even considering relocation.
Do you think Salt Lake City, Utah would be a good spot for an NHL franchise in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the poll below!
Friday 32 Thoughts: 30-35 minutes of news & interview podcast. Featuring: Aleksander Barkov, Pierre Engvall, Tim Stutzle and JJ Peterka. Enjoy!https://t.co/wJGUkV3wgs� Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 8, 2023
| POLL | ||
Would Salt Lake City be a good spot for an NHL franchise? | ||
| Yes | 47 | 51.6 % |
| No | 44 | 48.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
