Wednesday night was a bittersweet one for the Arizona Coyotes and their fans. It was the last time that the franchise would be playing at Mullett Arena, as it was announced that the team will be moving to Salt Lake City next season.
The Coyotes spent the last two seasons calling Mullett Arena home. While they haven’t found a ton of success on the ice, missing the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season and 11th time in the last 12 seasons, they were able to send their fans home happy one last time.
Arizona was able to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in front of a raucous crowd. You would be hard-pressed to find a time that the arena buzzed over the last two years more so than it did on Wednesday night.
“It’s sad, it’s upsetting,” said Ryan Travis, a Coyotes season-ticket holder since 2001. “I can’t believe it’s finally come to an end. I can’t believe this is how it’s going to end.”
Relocation has been a swirling rumor for the Coyotes for a long time. They have had multiple ownership changes and called three different arenas home, but the fans and their loyalty never wavered.
This was something they were hoping would never come, but the harsh reality hit with the expected sale of the team to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith. The team is expected to be sold by current owner Alex Meruelo for $1.2 billion through the NHL. It could become official as soon as Thursday, less than 24 hours after the team’s victory.
The NHL could return to Arizona, as part of the deal in selling the franchise was that if Meruelo could secure a new stadium within five years, the next NHL expansion would be located there. While that provides a slight ray of hope, for now, it is only disappointment as the Coyotes will be on the move.
“It’s been a hard 20-25 years, not knowing where home is going to be,” said Coyotes rookie Josh Doan, who grew up in the Valley during his father Shane’s long tenure as Coyotes’ captain. “It’s one of those things where you want to send them off on the right note and get the win tonight for them.”
With a talented, young roster being built, brighter days are on the horizon for the Coyotes. The fan base in Arizona will certainly still be pulling for the team they consider theirs, at least until they can potentially get an expansion team back in their area.
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