A Coyotes comeback? Sports Illustrated, The Arizona Republic, Fox 10 Phoenix, 12News, Phoenix Business Journal, KTAR, along with other outlets across the state, the U.S., and the world have picked up the HUGE NEWS!
By Jacob Punturi | Sports Illustrated, Breakaway
It’s been less than one season since the Arizona Coyotes organization left town to become the Utah Hockey Club. NHL hockey in the desert is now left to just the Vegas Golden Knights as the Coyotes were relegated to obscurity.
Even after the team moved and Utah officially began operations, there remained hope that the Coyotes may return to the NHL one day. According a breaking news report from journalist Craig Morgan, there are steps already being taken to make that happen.
Sharing the news via his X account, Morgan reported that the new Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Tom Galvin announced the creation of a committee with the express purpose of bringing NHL hockey back to Arizona and has the support of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
“Newly elected Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Tom Galvin announces the formation of a committee of political & business leaders to bring the NHL back to Arizona,” he wrote. “NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed that he met with Galvin before Christmas via Zoom.”
'I've been talking to Bettman': With those words, new Maricopa County Board Chair Thomas Galvin rekindled hope that NHL hockey will return to Arizona someday. Galvin confirms Bettman statement to @CraigSMorgan that convo occurred before Xmas. pic.twitter.com/33jKb8SqGL
— Brahm Resnik (@brahmresnik) January 6, 2025
NHL returning to Phoenix? Maricopa County leader says he’s working on it
By Jessica Johnson | FOX10
The Brief
- Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair, Thomas Galvin, says he’s working with an advisory panel to bring the NHL back to Arizona.
- He says he’s spoken with the NHL Commissioner several times and that they look forward to finding an owner and location for an arena.
PHOENIX – The newly elected Chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is working to bring professional hockey back to Arizona.
Chairman Thomas Galvin, who represents District 2, announced that he’s forming an “advisory panel of local leaders who will explore ways of bringing NHL hockey back to the Valley.”
In 1996, the Phoenix Coyotes became Arizona’s first NHL team, eventually becoming the Arizona Coyotes in 2014. In 2024, the league announced the team would be leaving Arizona for Utah following troubled ownership by Alex Meruelo.
The Coyotes played at the former Gila River Arena in Glendale, but ended their year-to-year contract after the 2021-22 season. The team played the next two seasons at ASU’s Mullett Arena.
Tempe residents voted down an entertainment district in 2023 that would have included a brand-new hockey arena, housing, dining and shopping. In 2024, there was another option for the team to buy land and build an arena near Mayo Clinic in Phoenix near Scottsdale, but nothing ever came of the idea.
Will the NHL make a comeback in the desert?
— Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos on KTAR News 92.3 (@OutspokenKTAR) January 7, 2025
Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors @ThomasGalvin joined @GaydosKTAR & @TheBruceStJames and explained why he thinks hockey belongs in Arizona.
Check out the full interview: https://t.co/jXfoNVCvCU pic.twitter.com/Btdolqs50s
