The Arizona Coyotes may be finishing their final season in the Grand Canyon State. On Wednesday, reports emerged that significant progress was made on a potential relocation to Salt Lake City, Utah. This would mark the first NHL relocation since 2011 when the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg.
This potential move inherently brings a ton of ramifications for the organization. And those ramifications aren't limited to the NHL team. The Coyotes AHL team, the Tucson Roadrunners, could also feel the impact of this move. And their involvement in this situation is quite ironic.
AHL insider Tony Androckitis wrote about Tucson's future in the event the Coyotes relocate. He notes that if the team is sold to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, the Roadrunners would be included in that sale. Furthermore, he reports the Roadrunners could wind up playing out of Mullett Arena, the current home of the Coyotes, for the 2024-25 season.
Why Coyotes AHL team would move
The working idea is for the Roadrunners to move to Tempe in the event of a Coyotes relocation. That said, there is no clear reason for the potential move at this time. After all, it's unknown whether this is a permanent move for the franchise or a temporary arrangement. However, Androckitis pointed out a relevant bit of information as it pertains to the Coyotes.
Currently, Arizona has a lease agreement with Mullett Arena that lasts through the 2024-25 NHL season, with an option to extend another year. The Coyotes moving to Salt Lake City would obviously break this lease. This could allow the new Coyotes owners to work out a deal to let the Roadrunners play in Mullett Arena for at least the 2024-25 season.
This could allow Ryan Smith to work out a few things. First, he can secure relocation for the Coyotes, which is undoubtedly the main priority. Then, he can get a relocation to Tempe or anywhere else approved for the Roadrunners. That relocation would need to be approved by the AHL Board of Governors once something is worked out.
The Coyotes and Mullett Arena
The Coyotes began play in Gila River Arena back in 2003. That arena became a long-time home for the desert franchise, which had relocated to Arizona from Winnipeg in 1996. However, issues with ownership arose. In fact, Arizona was once bought by the NHL in 2009. Questions about the future of the franchise ran rampant at this time, as well.
However, things didn't take another major turn until 2021. The city of Glendale threatened to evict the Coyotes over unpaid taxes and other fees. The team avoided that fate, but their days at Gila River Arena were numbered. The city of Glendale voted against renewing the team's lease agreement, leaving them without a permanent home.
This threw the team's future in Arizona into doubt all over again. The Coyotes avoided relocation at the time by striking an agreement with Arizona State University to play out of Mullett Arena. Mullett Arena has a hockey capacity of around 5000 seats, by far the smallest capacity in the NHL.
Originally, this was meant to be a temporary arrangement. However, the franchise has failed to secure a permanent home. There is an auction on land in North Phoenix that could allow the team to remain in the Grand Canyon State. That said, concerns have emerged over infrastructure for the arena. And it doesn't seem as if the NHL is excited about the prospect of a team playing second fiddle to a college squad any longer than it already has.
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