Say Goodbye AZ, The Yotes Are Heading To Salt Lake City

TEMPE, Ariz. — To local fans dismay, the Yotes are headed to Salt Lake City, it’s official.

On Thursday, the NHL Board of Governors unanimously approved a $1.2 billion sale from Alex Meruelo to Ryan and Ashley Smith, the owners of the Utah Jazz.

This decision paves the way for the team to relocate to Utah next season. As part of the deal, Arizona could receive an expansion team if a new arena is constructed within the next five years. The NHL will oversee the transaction, with a $200 million relocation fee paid to league.

“We expressed our interest publicly with the NHL,” Ryan Smith told The Associated Press. “It’s probably been two years where we’ve said, ‘Hey, look, we really believe Utah can be an incredible hockey town.’ You look at all the demographics, we were just talking about the Olympics and you think about the Olympics coming back. It all kind of made sense.”

“The NHL’s belief in Arizona has never wavered,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “We thank Alex Meruelo for his commitment to the franchise and Arizona, and we fully support his ongoing efforts to secure a new home in the desert for the Coyotes. We also want to acknowledge the loyal hockey fans of Arizona, who have supported their team with dedication for nearly three decades while growing the game.”

Smith is set to assume responsibility for the hockey operations of the franchise, while Meruelo will continue overseeing business operations in Arizona. They aim to acquire and enhance a piece of land in north Phoenix for a new arena.

Meruelo will maintain ownership of the Tucson Roadrunners, the franchise’s AHL affiliate, and aims to relocate them to Mullett Arena, the temporary home of the Coyotes shared with Arizona State University in the previous two seasons. He intends to repay the $1 billion once an expansion team is sanctioned.

Meruelo will retain trademark and ownership rights to the Coyotes name, so Smith will pick a new team name to start in Utah.

By Vincent Quezada

Photos courtesy of AP