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Arizona Coyotes
Arizona Coyotes
Information
Conference Western
Division Pacific
Founded 1972
History Winnipeg Jets
1972–1979 (WHA)
1979–1996 (NHL)
Phoenix Coyotes
1996–2014
Arizona Coyotes
2014–2024
Arena Gila River Arena
City Glendale, Arizona
Team Colors Brick Red, Desert Sand, Black
              
Media Bally Sports Arizona
Arizona Sports (620 AM)
FOX Sports 910
Owner(s) Alex Meruelo (Majority)
Andrew Barroway (Minority)
General Manager Flag of Canada Bill Armstrong (ice hockey, born 1970)
Head Coach Vacant
Captain Flag of Sweden Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Minor League affiliates Tucson Roadrunners (AHL)
Rapid City Rush (ECHL)
Championships
Stanley Cups 0
Presidents' Trophies 0
Conferences 0
Divisions 1 (2011–12)
Other
Official Website coyotes.nhl.com
Uniforms
Az coyotes home 2018 Az coyotes away 2018 Az coyotes alternate 2018
Home ice
Phoenix Coyotes ice rink logo

The Arizona Coyotes were a professional ice hockey team that is based in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). Since December 2003, the Coyotes have played their home games at Gila River Arena after having spent the previous 7½ seasons at America West Arena (now Talking Stick Resort Arena) in downtown Phoenix.

The Coyotes were founded in 1972 as the original Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association (WHA) and were one of four franchises absorbed into the NHL when the WHA folded in 1979. The team moved to Phoenix on July 1, 1996.

The NHL took over ownership of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise in 2009 after previous owner Jerry Moyes (who had incurred massive financial losses since his purchase of the team in 2005) turned it over to the league after declaring bankruptcy. Prior to that, Moyes had previously attempted to privately sell the team to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, who wanted to relocate the team to Hamilton, Ontario.[1] but the NHL protested that the attempted sale was a violation of league policy and a court agreed.[2] In the years that followed, the league resisted selling the team to interests that would have moved the team out of the Phoenix area, and on July 3, 2013, reached an agreement that will keep the team in Glendale for the near future. The sale to IceArizona Acquisition Co., LLC. was completed on August 5, 2013.[3]

The new ownership group has announced that starting in the 2014–15 season, the team will change its name to the Arizona Coyotes.[4]

History[]

Winnipeg (1972–1996)[]

The team began play as the Winnipeg Jets, one of the founding franchises in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Jets were the most successful team in the short-lived WHA, winning the Avco World Trophy, the league's championship trophy, three times and making the finals five out of the WHA's seven seasons. It then became one of the four teams admitted to the NHL as part of a merger that saw the financially struggling WHA fold in 1979.

However, the club was never able to translate its WHA success into the NHL after the merger. The merger's terms allowed the established NHL teams to reclaim most of the players that had jumped to the upstart league, and the Jets lost most of their best players in the ensuing reclamation draft. As a result, they finished last in the NHL during their first two seasons, including a nine-win season in 1980–81 that is still the worst in franchise history. They recovered fairly quickly, however, making the playoffs 11 times in the next 15 seasons. However, the Jets only won two playoff series, largely due to being in the same division as the powerful Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. Because of the way the playoffs were structured for much of their Winnipeg run, the team was all but assured of having to defeat either the Oilers or the Flames (or both) to reach the Conference Finals. In 1984–85, for instance, they finished with the fifth-best record in the league, only to be bounced by the Oilers in the division finals. Two years later, they dispatched the Flames in the first round, only to be eliminated again by the Oilers in the division finals. The franchise would not win another playoff series for 25 years.

The Jets ran into financial trouble when player salaries began spiraling up in the 1990s; this hit the Canadian teams particularly hard. Winnipeg was the second-smallest market in the NHL for most of the Jets' existence, and after the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995 to become the Colorado Avalanche, it became the smallest market. In addition, the club's home arena, Winnipeg Arena, was one of the smallest in the league. Despite strong fan support, several attempts to keep the team in Winnipeg ultimately fell through. In December 1995, Jerry Colangelo, owner of the NBA's Phoenix Suns, along with Phoenix businessmen Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke and a local investor group, bought the team with plans to move it to Phoenix for the 1996–97 season. After the franchise considered "Mustangs", "Outlaws", "Wranglers", and "Freeze", a name-the-team contest yielded the nickname "Coyotes."

The early Phoenix years (1996–2005)[]

Original Phoenix Coyotes logo

Arizona's first logo, a kachina-style coyote, used from 1996 to 2003.

In the summer that the move took place, the franchise saw the exit of Jets star Alexei Zhamnov, while the team added established superstar Jeremy Roenick from the Chicago Blackhawks. Roenick teamed up with power wingers Keith Tkachuk and Rick Tocchet to form a dynamic 1–2–3 offensive punch that led the Coyotes through their first years in Arizona. Also impressive were young players like Shane Doan (as of the current season the last remaining Coyote dating to the team's days in Winnipeg), Oleg Tverdovsky, and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, whom the fans nicknamed the "Bulin Wall."

Another key addition to the squad was veteran forward Mike Gartner, who had come over from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite his experience and scoring his 700th career goal on December 15, 1997, Gartner battled injuries in the latter half of the 1997–98 season. The Coyotes did not renew his contract, and he retired at the end of the season.

After arriving in Phoenix, the team posted six consecutive .500 or better seasons, making the playoffs in every year but one. The one time they didn't make the playoffs, in 2000–01, they became the first team to earn 90 points and miss the playoffs.

However, the Coyotes' home during their first seven years in Phoenix, America West Arena, was completely inadequate for hockey. Although considered a state-of-the-art arena when it was built for the Phoenix Suns basketball team, unlike most modern arenas it was not designed with a hockey rink in mind. The floor was just barely large enough to fit a standard NHL rink, forcing the Coyotes to hastily re-engineer it to accommodate the 200 foot rink. The configuration left a portion of one end of the upper deck hanging over the boards and ice, obscuring almost a third of the rink and one goal from several sections. As a result, listed capacity had to be cut down from over 18,000 seats to just over 16,000 — the second-smallest in the league at the time — after the first season.

Burke bought out Gluckstern in 1998, but was unable to attract more investors to alleviate the team's financial woes (see below). Finally, in 2001, Burke sold the team to Phoenix-area developer Steve Ellman, with Wayne Gretzky as a part-owner and head of hockey operations.

The closest that they came to advancing past the first round during their first decade in Arizona was during the 1999 playoffs. After building a 3–1 series lead, The Coyotes would fall in overtime of game 7 on a goal by Pierre Turgeon of the St. Louis Blues. In 2002, the Coyotes posted 95 points, one point behind their best total as an NHL team while in Winnipeg, but went down rather meekly to the San Jose Sharks in five games.

From then until the 2007–08 season, the Coyotes were barely competitive and managed to break the 80-point barrier only once during that time. Attendance levels dropped considerably, worrying many league executives. In addition, an unfavorable lease with the city of Phoenix (owner of America West Arena) had the team suffering massive losses[5] (as much as $40 million a year at one point[6]); the Coyotes have never really recovered from the resulting financial problems.

In 2003, the team opened Glendale Arena, now known as Jobing.com Arena, and moved there in 2003. Ellman put forward numerous proposals to improve the hockey sight lines in America West Arena in hopes of boosting capacity back over the 17,000 mark. However, neither of these got beyond the planning stages, leading Ellman to commit to building a new arena. Simultaneously, the team changed its logo and uniforms, moving from the previous multi-colored kit to a more streamlined look.

In 2005, Ellman sold the Coyotes, the National Lacrosse League's Arizona Sting and the lease to Jobing.com Arena to trucking magnate Jerry Moyes, who is also a part-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Gretzky era (2005–2009)[]

PhoenixCoyotesAlternate

The Coyotes' shoulder patch 2003–2014.

On August 6, 2005, Brett Hull, son of former Jet Bobby Hull, was signed and promptly assigned the elder Hull's #9 retired. Two days later, Gretzky named himself head coach, replacing Rick Bowness, despite the fact that he had never coached at any level of hockey. The Coyotes 'Ring of Honor' was unveiled on October 8, inducting Gretzky (who had never played for the organization) and Bobby Hull. Only a week later, Brett Hull announced his retirement. On January 21, 2006, Jets great Thomas Steen was the third inductee to the 'Ring of Honor.'

Another moment in a series of bad luck: The Coyotes were planning to host the 2006 NHL All-Star Game, but the event was canceled because of the 2006 Winter Olympics.

The team returned to Winnipeg on September 17, 2006, to play a pre-season game against the Edmonton Oilers, but were shut-out 5–0 before a sellout crowd of 15,015.

On April 11, 2007, CEO Jeff Shumway announced that general manager Michael Barnett (Gretzky's agent for over 20 years), senior executive vice president of hockey operations Cliff Fletcher, and San Antonio Rampage's general manager and Coyotes' assistant general manager Laurence Gilman "have been relieved of their duties." The Coyotes finished the 2006–2007 season 31–46–5, its worst record since relocating to Phoenix.[7]

On May 29, 2007, Jeff Shumway announced that Don Maloney had agreed to a multi-year contract to become General Manager of the Coyotes. As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.[8] However, as has been the case with all general managers since 2001, Maloney serves in an advisory role to Gretzky.

The 2007–08 season was something of a resurgence for the Coyotes. After their disastrous 2006–07 campaign, the Coyotes looked to rebuild the team by relying on their drafted talent such as Peter Mueller and Martin Hanzal to make the team successful as opposed to using free agency. The Coyotes also acquired Radim Vrbata from the Chicago Blackhawks for Kevyn Adams in an effort to provide the team with more offense. The team signed both Alex Auld and David Aebischer to compete for the starting goaltender position with Mikael Tellqvist acting as the backup goaltender. Neither Auld or Aebischer were able to hold on to the starting position, leaving the Coyotes to turn to the waiver wire for assistance. On November 17, 2007, the Coyotes were able to claim Ilya Bryzgalov off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks. Bryzgalov responded by not only starting in goal the day he was acquired, but posting a shutout in his Coyotes debut against the Los Angeles Kings. Bryzgalov was soon given a 3-year contract extension because of his high level of play. Despite predictions of another disastrous season, the Coyotes played competitive hockey for most of the season. However, they finished eight points short of the last playoff spot, with 83 points.

2009 Bankruptcy and attempts to sell the team[]

In December 2008, the media became aware that the Coyotes were suffering massive losses, and the NHL was paying the team's bills. The media reports were minimized by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and vice-president Bill Daly. However, Moyes had secretly given operational control of the team to the league. In May 2009, Moyes put the team into bankruptcy hours before Bettman was to present him an offer to sell the team to Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Moyes intended to sell the team to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie who intended to purchase the team out of bankruptcy and move it to Hamilton, Ontario. The NHL responded by stripping Moyes of his remaining ownership authority.

From May until September 2009, hearings were held in Phoenix bankruptcy court to determine the fate of the Coyotes and the holding company. Two potential bidders for the team surfaced, Reinsdorf and Ice Edge Holdings. but they did not submit a bid for the team at the bankruptcy hearing. Instead, the NHL put in the only rival bid to Balsillie for the team, while it contended the Moyes-Balsillie deal violated NHL rules. Ultimately, the bankruptcy court voided the planned sale to Balsillie, accepting the league's argument that bankruptcy could not be used to circumvent league rules. The NHL's initial bid was also declared insufficient, but the judge left the window open to an improved bid. Moyes and the NHL settled, with the NHL buying the team and assuming all debts. The NHL negotiated a temporary lease with the city of Glendale, which owns Jobing.com Arena.

The NHL then proceeded to work with the Reinsdorf and Ice Edge to work out a deal with Glendale. Ice Edge signed a letter of intent to buy the team from the NHL, while Reinsdorf has won the approval of the City of Glendale. The NHL has yet to deal with the purchase. On Friday, May 7, 2010, ESPN.com reported that Reinsdorf bid had fallen apart, and the City of Glendale was working with Ice Edge to buy the team in a last-ditch effort to keep them in Arizona. The National Post criticized both bids, as both were conditional on municipal taxpayers to cover any losses that the Coyotes might incur, and suggested that keeping the team in Phoenix was never economically viable.

In July 2010, the Ice Edge bid collapsed, as it did not satisfy Glendale's financial conditions. Ice Edge decided to concentrate on an effort to buy a minor league team. The City of Glendale had to step in and guarantee the team's losses for 2010–11 as a precondition of the NHL not transferring the franchise. A consortium of investors led by Chicago investor Matt Hulsizer then reached a deal to purchase the Coyotes from the NHL along with a lease agreement with Glendale. However, the Hulsizer deal collapsed in late June 2011 at least in part due to a threatened suit by the Goldwater Institute over the legality of payments Glendale would make to Hulsizer prior to the consortium buying the team. The threat of the suit may have prevented the sale of bonds to finance the payments. The team only stayed in Phoenix for the 2011–12 season after another $25 million payment by the city of Glendale.

A deal to former San Jose Sharks owner Greg Jamison had been drafted but failed to be finalized and fulfilled by January 31, 2013. The deal would have seen the Coyotes stay in Phoenix for the next 20 years relying on a tax payer subsidy, according to the agreement. It would also have had 'Phoenix' dropped from the name and instead use the more inclusive term 'Arizona'."[9]

California investment executive Darin Pastor also submitted a bid to buy the Coyotes. His bid proposed to keep the team in the Glendale area while engaging young hockey players in the region through school partnerships and scholarship efforts.[10] The NHL ultimately rejected Pastor's bid on May 13, 2013, citing the bid was "inconsistent with what we had previously indicated were the minimum prerequisites" of a bid.[11]

Return to the Playoffs and Division Title (2009–2012)[]

On September 24, 2009, Dave Tippett took over coaching duties of the Phoenix Coyotes after Wayne Gretzky stepped down hours before. In just 61 games, Tippett led the Coyotes to more wins in their 2009–10 regular season (37) than their previous season (36), en route to the first 50-win season in the franchise's NHL history.

On March 27, 2010, the Coyotes clinched a playoff spot, their first playoff spot since the 2001–02 season, and in the process, reached the 100 point mark for the first time ever as an NHL team, and the first time overall since the 1977–78 (WHA) Jets notched 102 points.[12] They ultimately finished with 107 points, the highest point total in the franchise's 38-year history. This was good enough for fourth overall in the league, tying the 1984–85 Jets for the franchise's highest finish as an NHL team. They also notched the fourth seed in the Western Conference, giving them home-ice advantage in the first round for the first time since 1985.

Their first round opponent in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs was the Detroit Red Wings. Game one of the series was the first NHL playoff game to be played in Jobing.com Arena. However, an injury to Doan sidelined him for most of the series, and the veteran Red Wings ultimately defeated the Coyotes in seven games.

Mike Nealy would be named team president prior to the 2010-11 season and would also serve as alternate governor until the team would be sold in 2013.

In the following year, the Coyotes played the Detroit Red Wings for the second straight postseason, in the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Coyotes were swept in four games.

On April 7, 2012, the Coyotes defeated the Minnesota Wild with a score of 4–1 to win the Pacific Division title—their first division title as an NHL team (in Winnipeg or Phoenix).[13] This gave them the third seed in the West, and with it home ice advantage in a playoff series for only the third time in franchise history. In the first round, they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in six games, notching the franchise's first playoff series win since 1987. The first 5 games went to overtime, tying a record when the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs did it in the 1951 Stanley Cup Final. They faced the Nashville Predators in the second round, winning the first two games and the series 4–1. However, the Coyotes fell to the Los Angeles Kings in game five of a 4–1 series.

New ownership, Arena leases, and Departure (2013–present)[]

Due to the team's bankruptcy status since 2009 and the annual revenue lost each year, the NHL planned to move the Coyotes should a deal with the city for a new lease and new ownership not be decided by July 2, 2013. The plan was to move the franchise to a new city, likely Seattle.[14] On July 2, 2013, by a vote of 4-3, the Glendale City Council approved a 15-year lease agreement with Renaissance Sports and Entertainment (RSE) who will officially purchase the team from the NHL for $225 million US by August 5, 2013. [15] The members of the Canadian group are Executive Chairman & Governor George Gosbee, President, CEO & Alternate Governor, Anthony LeBlanc, Alternate Governor Craig Stewart, Directors; Gary J Drummond, W David Duckett, William "Bill" Dutton, Robert Gwin, Scott Saxberg, and Richard Walter. RSE will be partnering with Global Spectrum (owners of the Philadelphia Flyers) for help in managing Jobing.com Arena. The agreement has the city of Glendale giving RSE $15 million US a year for management fees. There is an agreement that RSE can move the team after 5 years, if it accrues $50 million US in losses.[15]

On January 29, 2014, the new ownership group announced that the team would change its name to the "Arizona Coyotes" for the 2014-15 season. According to Coyotes president Anthony LeBlanc, the change is being made to reflect that the team is no longer based in Phoenix and to include all hockey fans in the state of Arizona. Aside from a new shoulder patch, the team's uniform design will not change.[4] Arizona State University and the Coyotes announced plans in November of 2016 to build a new arena near the campus of the university in Tempe, Arizona to become home for both hockey teams.  However, on February 3, 2017 the university backed out of the deal with the NHL team stating it had not intention of working on a development agreement, an option to lease or any other agreement with the NHL;[16][17]

Asset relocation to Utah and suspension of operations[]

See also: Utah Hockey Club

A proposal by the Coyotes to build a new arena in Tempe was rejected by residents of the city on May 16, 2023.[18] The arena was estimated to cost $2.1 billion, with $1.9 billion of the cost privately funded. Despite speculation on immediate relocation, the team remained in Arizona, playing at Mullett Arena during the 2023–24 NHL season.[19] The Coyotes spoke with the city of Mesa about a potential arena at the Fiesta Mall site, but that plan was ultimately rejected for unknown reasons.[20] In January 2024, Scottsdale mayor David Ortega announced his opposition to a Coyotes' proposal, which planned an arena in northern Phoenix near the border of Scottsdale.[21] Following this, the Coyotes initially stated on social media their commitment to keeping the team in Arizona.[22] They announced that the ownership was intent on winning a land auction for 110 acres (45 ha) of state-owned land between Scottsdale Road and Loop 101 in Phoenix to build an arena.[23] The auction had been delayed from January to June 2024.

On April 13, 2024, it was reported that, with the NHL's permission, the Coyotes were making efforts to relocate to Salt Lake City, Utah, following concerns about an indefinite timeframe on finding a new arena and the effects of continued play at Mullett Arena, in the interim.[24] This led to the NHL buying the franchise then reselling it to Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA), for a reported $1.2 billion.[25][26] Of that payment, $1 billion went to Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo for the sale (with Meruelo agreeing to refund the money to the NHL as an expansion fee should his efforts to locate a new home for the franchise succeed) and $200 million would go to the NHL's other 31 owners, as a relocation fee. The Utah team will play its home games at the Jazz's home arena, the Delta Center. Renovations will be required to make it the team's permanent home, similar to the renovations made to Climate Pledge Arena before the Kraken began play in the NHL two seasons prior.[27]

On April 12, 2024, ahead of a 3–2 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place, general manager Bill Armstrong officially disclosed the news of the team's impending sale and relocation to Coyotes players and staff. Five days later, on April 17, the Coyotes played their final game at Mullett Arena, and ultimately their last game before deactivation, against the same Oilers team. With the fans engaging in one last Whiteout (and audibly heard chanting phrases such as "fuck Salt Lake" and "we love you Coyotes" throughout the game), the moribund Coyotes won 5–2, with Sean Durzi scoring the final goal of the team's first incarnation, into an empty net. Amongst the events of the game, Shane Doan was given his retirement banner (which had been lost by the team in the move to Mullett Arena, but had been refound by a local fan), and following the end of the game the fans gave the outgoing team a standing ovation, and the players, in turn, spent over an hour afterwards on the ice giving away team apparel and equipment (also signing a majority of the fan gifts), as well as taking a final team picture on the ice and taking turns hugging and thanking longtime equipment manager Stan Wilson.[28][29] The following day, the sale and relocation was officially approved, and the team was officially deactivated.

Rather than formally relocating, the Coyotes franchise was declared "dormant", with the Utah club being considered an expansion team, similar to the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL), with the Coyotes continuing minor business operations, mostly focused on finding a new arena. Meruelo remains on the NHL Board of Governors as an observer, retaining the rights to the Coyotes brand, with a five-year window to build or otherwise locate a new arena for his team, before "reactivating" the Coyotes through an expansion draft. Conversely, if Meruelo should fail to come up with a suitable arena by end of that five-year window, he will be required to cede the franchise back to the NHL. This would result in the franchise ceasing operations permanently, at that time.[30] The sale was finalized on April 18, after the NHL Board of Governors voted to establish a team in Utah, effectively expanding the NHL to a total of 33 clubs.[31] The business assets were ultimately transferred to the new Utah-based team.

On June 21, 2024, the Arizona State Land Department canceled a land auction for a 110-acre parcel of land in north Phoenix which Meruelo intended to purchase as a site for a new arena.[32] Three days later, on June 24, 2024, it was reported that Meruelo had told staff he had no plans to pursue further arena options for the team,[33] and on the Board of Governors’ meeting on June 26, Meruelo announced to Gary Bettman that he was not pursuing the franchise reactivation, with the Coyotes effectively folding as a result.[34] Not long afterward, Meruelo also sold the Coyotes' business assets into an Arkansas-based group, which promised an NHL team within the state.

Jerseys[]

Upon their arrival in Phoenix in 1996, the team adopted a look with a strong Southwestern flavor. The primary logo was a stylized hockey stick-wielding coyote in a kachina-inspired style. The jerseys featured pointed green shoulders with brick red trim over a white (home) or black (road) body, and non-traditional striping patterns. These uniforms remained in place until 2003. A third jersey, primarily green with a nighttime desert landscape wrapped around the bottom and the cuffs of the sleeves, was introduced in 1998, and retired in 2003.

As the NHL switched home and road jerseys beginning in the 2003–04 season, and coinciding with the team's move from America West to the newly completed Glendale Arena, the Coyotes redesigned their look completely, adopting the current howling coyote head logo, while dropping several colors from the team's palette. Sedona red and white became the primary colors, with desert sand and black remaining as logo trim colors. The uniform's simplified two-color scheme with three stripes on each sleeve and the tail bears some resemblance to later versions of the Montreal Maroons jerseys. The team also changed its shoulder patch, taking the form of the outline of the state of Arizona, with an homage to the state flag and the abbreviation "PHX". This logo was worn on the right shoulder only, with the left shoulder now bare.

The Coyotes updated their jerseys for the 2007–08 season, along with all NHL teams, as part of the switchover to Rbk Edge jerseys. The changes made were adding an NHL crest just below the neck opening, removing the stripes that were previously just above the lower hem, and moving the "PHX" patch from the right to the left shoulder. The white jersey also gained red shoulder coloring and laces at the collar. The three-stripe pattern is applied to the side of the pants.

The Coyotes also added a third jersey for the 2008–2009 season. It is primarily black and features a new alternate coyote logo on the front, with the primary logo (coyote head) patch on the right shoulder, and the "Official Seal" on the left.[35] Since white does not appear on the alternate, solid red pant shells are worn with this jersey.

Mascot[]

Howler is the coyote-suited mascot of the Phoenix Coyotes. He was introduced on October 15, 2005. Howler has his own website dedicated to his Kids Club – [1]. Howler wears number 96 on his jersey, because the Coyotes moved from Winnipeg in 1996.

Season-by-season record[]

Stanley Cup Champions Conference Champions Division Champions Playoff berth President's Trophy

Note: GP = Games played, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season Team League Conference Finish Division Finish GP Wins Losses Ties OTL Points GF GA Playoff Results
Relocated from Winnipeg
Phoenix Coyotes
1996–97 1996–97 NHL Western 5th Central 3rd 82 38 37 7 83 240 243 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (Mighty Ducks) 3–4
1997–98 1997–98 NHL Western 7th Central 4th 82 35 35 12 82 224 227 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (Red Wings) 2–4
1998–99 1998–99 NHL Western 4th Pacific 2nd 82 39 31 12 90 205 197 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (Blues) 3–4
1999–00 1999–00 NHL Western 6th Pacific 3rd 82 39 31 8 4 90 232 228 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (Avalanche) 1–4
2000–01 2000–01 NHL Western 9th Pacific 4th 82 35 27 17 3 90 214 212 Did not qualify
2001–02 2001–02 NHL Western 6th Pacific 2nd 82 40 27 9 6 95 228 210 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (Sharks) 1–4
2002–03 2002–03 NHL Western 11th Pacific 4th 82 31 35 11 5 78 204 230 Did not qualify
2003–04 2003–04 NHL Western 13th Pacific 5th 82 22 36 18 6 68 188 245 Did not qualify
2004–05 2004–05 Season cancelled due to 2004–05 NHL lockout
2005–06 2005–06 1 NHL Western 12th Pacific 5th 82 38 39 5 81 246 271 Did not qualify
2006–07 2006–07 NHL Western 15th Pacific 5th 82 31 46 5 67 216 284 Did not qualify
2007–08 2007–08 NHL Western 12th Pacific 4th 82 38 37 7 83 214 231 Did not qualify
2008–09 2008–09 NHL Western 13th Pacific 4th 82 36 39 7 79 208 252 Did not qualify
2009–10 2009–10 NHL Western 4th Pacific 2nd 82 50 25 7 107 225 202 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (Red Wings) 3–4
2010–11 2010–11 NHL Western 6th Pacific 3rd 82 43 26 13 99 231 226 Lost Conference Quarterfinals (Red Wings) 0–4
2011–12 2011–12 NHL Western 3rd Pacific 1st 82 42 27 13 97 216 204

Won Conference Quarterfinals (Blackhawks) 4–2
Won Conference Semifinals (Predators) 4–1
Lost Conference Finals (Kings) 1–4

2012–13 2012–13 NHL Western 10th Pacific 4th 48 21 18 9 51 125 131 Did not qualify
2013–14 2013–14 NHL Western 9th Pacific 4th 82 37 30 15 89 216 231 Did not qualify
Arizona Coyotes
2014–15 2014–15 NHL Western 14th Pacific 7th 82 24 50 8 56 170 272 Did not qualify
2015–16 2015–16 NHL Western 10th Pacific 4th 82 35 39 8 78 209 245 Did not qualify
2016–17 2016–17 NHL Western 12th Pacific 6th 82 30 42 10 70 197 260 Did not qualify
2017–18 2017–18 NHL Western 15th Pacific 8th 82 29 41 12 70 208 256 Did not qualify
2018–19 2018–19 NHL Western 9th Pacific 4th 82 39 35 8 86 213 223 Did not qualify
Regular Season Record2 1,770 772 753 94 151 1,789 4,629 5,080
Postseason Record 57 22 35 Postseason Series Record: 2–8
1 As of the 2005–06 NHL season, all games will have a winner; the OTL column includes SOL (Shootout losses).
2 Totals through the 2018–19 season.

Players[]

Current roster[]

Updated May 9, 2021[36][37]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
16 Flag of Canada Brassard, DerickDerick Brassard

 (A)

C L 37 2020 Hull, Quebec
58 Flag of Canada Bunting, MichaelMichael Bunting

LW L 29 2014 Scarborough, Ontario
26 Flag of Canada Chaput, MichaelMichael Chaput

C L 32 2019 Ile Bizard, Quebec
6 Flag of Canada Chychrun, JakobJakob Chychrun

D L 26 2016 Boca Raton, Florida
67 Flag of Canada Crouse, LawsonLawson Crouse

LW L 27 2016 Mount Brydges, Ontario
55 Flag of Canada Demers, JasonJason Demers

D R 36 2017 Dorval, Quebec
18 Flag of the United States Dvorak, ChristianChristian Dvorak

C L 28 2014 Frankfort, Illinois
23 Flag of Sweden Ekman-Larsson, OliverOliver Ekman-Larsson

 (C)

D L 33 2009 Karlskrona, Sweden
24 Flag of the United States Fasching, HudsonHudson Fasching

RW R 29 2018 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
36 Flag of the United States Fischer, ChristianChristian Fischer

RW R 27 2015 Chicago, Illinois
83 Flag of the United States Garland, ConorConor Garland

RW R 28 2015 Scituate, Massachusetts
33 Flag of the United States Goligoski, AlexAlex Goligoski

D L 39 2016 Grand Rapids, Minnesota
79 Flag of the United States Gross, JordanJordan Gross

 Injured Reserve

D R 29 2018 Maple Grove, Minnesota
15 Flag of the United States Hayden, JohnJohn Hayden

C R 29 2020 Chicago, Illinois
31 Flag of Canada Hill, AdinAdin Hill

G L 28 2016 Comox, British Columbia
4 Flag of Sweden Hjalmarsson, NiklasNiklas Hjalmarsson

 (A)

D L 37 2017 Eksjö, Sweden
28 Flag of Canada Hunt, DrydenDryden Hunt

LW L 29 2020 Nelson, British Columbia
9 Flag of the United States Keller, ClaytonClayton Keller

LW/C L 26 2017 Chesterfield, Missouri
81 Flag of the United States Kessel, PhilPhil Kessel

 (A)

RW R 36 2019 Madison, Wisconsin
35 Flag of Canada Kuemper, DarcyDarcy Kuemper

G L 34 2018 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
22 Flag of Sweden Larsson, JohanJohan Larsson

LW L 32 2020 Lau, Sweden
46 Flag of Russia Lyubushkin, IlyaIlya Lyubushkin

D R 30 2018 Moscow, Russia
42 Flag of the United States Ness, AaronAaron Ness

D L 34 2019 Bemidji, Minnesota
82 Flag of the United States Oesterle, JordanJordan Oesterle

D L 32 2018 Dearborn Heights, Michigan
93 Flag of Canada Pederson, LaneLane Pederson

C R 27 2017 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
17 Flag of the United States Pitlick, TylerTyler Pitlick

RW R 32 2020 Minneapolis, Minnesota
32 Flag of Finland Raanta, AnttiAntti Raanta

G L 35 2017 Rauma, Finland
8 Flag of the United States Schmaltz, NickNick Schmaltz

C R 28 2018 Madison, Wisconsin


Honored numbers[]

Phoenix Coyotes honored numbers
No. Player Position Career No. honored
7 Keith Tkachuk C 1992–2001 December 23, 2011
9 1, 2 Bobby Hull LW 1972–80 February 19, 1989
10 3 Dale Hawerchuk C 1981–90 April 5, 2007
25 2 Thomas Steen RW 1981–95 May 6, 1995
27 Teppo Numminen D 1988–2003 January 30, 2010
97 Jeremy Roenick C 1996–2001, 2006–07 February 9, 2012
99 4 Wayne Gretzky C February 6, 2000 [38]
Notes:
  • 1 Bobby Hull's #9 was unretired briefly upon his request at the beginning of the 2005–06 season for his son, Brett, before he retired five games into the season.
  • 2 Bobby Hull and Steen players played only for the original Winnipeg Jets, and had their numbers retired when the team played in Winnipeg. The Coyotes continue to honor these numbers in the Ring of Honor.
  • 3 Hawerchuk played only for the original Winnipeg Jets, but had his number honored after the relocation.
  • 4 Gretzky was the head coach for the franchise, but never played for it. His #99 was retired League-wide by the NHL.

Hall of Famers[]

First-round draft picks[]

Note: This list does not include selections of the Winnipeg Jets.

*The 1996 NHL Draft took place on June 22, and the Jets did not become the Coyotes until July 1, making Focht and Briere the two final first round selections of the Winnipeg Jets.

Team scoring leaders[]

Note: This list includes scoring of the original Winnipeg Jets, including WHA seasons.

  • These are the top-ten point-scorers in team history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season from stats at NHL.com, last updated 2011/12.

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Coyotes player

Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G
Dale Hawerchuk C 713 379 550 929 1.30
Thomas Steen RW 950 264 553 817 .86
Shane Doan * RW 1246 331 484 815 .65
Bobby Hull LW 429 307 341 648 1.51
Keith Tkachuk C 640 323 300 623 .97
Teppo Numminen D 1098 108 426 534 .49
Paul MacLean RW 527 248 270 518 .98
Ulf Nilsson C 300 140 344 484 1.61
Anders Hedberg RW 286 236 222 458 1.60
Willy Lindstrom RW 604 220 229 449 .74

NHL awards and trophies[]

Jack Adams Award

King Clancy Memorial Trophy

Mark Messier Leadership Award

Team records[]

Note: This list does not include seasons of the 1972–1996 Winnipeg Jets.

Team captains[]

In the NHL, each team may select a captain. Along with the two alternate captains, they have the "privilege of discussing with the referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game".[39][40] Captains are required to wear the letter "C" on their uniform for identification, which is 3 inches/7.62cm high.[39]

Note: This list does not include captains from the Winnipeg Jets (NHL & WHA).

See also[]

References[]

  1. Balsillie's bid to buy the Predators nixed: report
  2. Judge rejects sale of Phoenix Coyotes to Jim Balsillie, move to Canada – ESPN
  3. "Coyotes Finally have owner", ESPN. Retrieved on August 5, 2013. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 Phoenix Coyotes franchise to become Arizona Coyotes for 2014-15. National Hockey League (January 29, 2014). Retrieved on 29 January 2014.
  5. Duhatschek, Eric et al. (2001). Hockey Chronicles. New York City: Checkmark Books. ISBN 0-8160-4697-2. 
  6. Burnside, Scott. Balsillie again takes wrong approach. ESPN, 2009-05-06.
  7. General Manager Michael Barnett & Staff Relieved of Duties.
  8. Former Rangers’ Assistant GM Agrees To Multi-Year Contract.
  9. PROSPECTIVE COYOTES OWNER TO GET $15M/YEAR TO MANAGE ARENA. Retrieved on 2012-06-06.
  10. http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2013/05/10/darin-pastor-submits-bid-to-nhl-to-buy.html?page=all
  11. http://www.foxsportsarizona.com/nhl/phoenix-coyotes/story/NHL-rejects-Pastors-bid-to-purchase-Coyo?blockID=901921#.UZFffzWXdOs.twitter
  12. Jerry, Brown (2010-03-28). Coyotes reach the 100-point mark by routing avs. NHL.com. Retrieved on 2010-03-28.
  13. Myers, Dan (2012-04-07). Coyotes clinch Pacific with 4–1 win. NHL.com. Retrieved on 2012-04-07.
  14. http://mynorthwest.com/11/2299943/NHL-closer-to-Seattle-Deal-to-keep-Coyotes-in-Phoenix-hits-potential-snag
  15. 15.0 15.1 http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/9446934/glendale-ariz-city-council-ratifies-phoenix-coyotes-arena-lease-agreement
  16. http://www.uscho.com/2017/02/04/arizona-state-bails-on-proposed-new-arena-deal-leaves-coyotes-future-in-limbo/
  17. https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/coyotes-arena-deal-rejected-by-tempe-residents-future-of-team-up-in-air/
  18. Coyotes' arena plan in Tempe rejected by voters; future cloudy. ESPN (May 16, 2023).
  19. NHL: Coyotes to play at ASU despite no vote. ESPN (May 17, 2023).
  20. Sources: Arizona Coyotes consider former site of Fiesta Mall in Mesa for sports arena (May 18, 2023).
  21. Bradley, Ben (March 29, 2024). Scottsdale mayor opposes Arizona Coyotes' 'fantasy' arena location in north Phoenix.
  22. @ArizonaCoyotes (April 10, 2024). Committed to keeping Coyotes Hockey in the desert & building an arena in Phoenix..
  23. Coyotes Announce Commitment to Win State Land Auction & Build Privately Funded Arena & Entertainment District. Arizona Coyotes (April 4, 2024).
  24. Coyotes bid Arizona farewell with bittersweet win over Oilers (April 17, 2024). “There could be a new arena -- eventually. Meruelo had been pursuing a tract of land in north Phoenix to build it. When delays pushed the land auction until June, the NHL and the players' association got cold feet about continuing to play at Mullett Arena, the loud-but-bandbox-sized venue shared with Arizona State University. Meruelo was adamant about not selling the team despite constant offers since he bought in 2019, but he also didn't want the players stuck playing in a 5,000-seat arena -- by far the NHL's smallest -- that wasn't up to league standards. With no guarantee he would have an arena and with no other options, Meruelo agreed to sell the franchise.”
  25. NHL, Arizona Coyotes preparing for possible relocation to Utah (April 10, 2024).
  26. Report: NHL, Coyotes make progress on framework for Utah relocation (April 10, 2024).
  27. Coyotes could relocate to Salt Lake City as part of NHL plan (April 10, 2024).
  28. Coyotes give fans a win in final Arizona game, fans show plenty of love (April 17, 2024).
  29. Robinson, Alan (April 18, 2024). Guenther’s 2 points help Coyotes defeat Oilers.
  30. Wyshynski, Greg (April 15, 2024). Everything we know about the Arizona Coyotes moving to Utah - How is the transaction going to work?. “It's expected that the final transaction will include a clause that allows Meruelo to "reactivate" the franchise as an expansion team -- paying what's expected to be a $1 billion expansion fee if that happens -- between now and 2029 if his arena project is completed. All of the team's intellectual property -- including those iconic Kachina jerseys -- would remain with Meruelo. It's an agreement that evokes the deal made with the city of Cleveland when the Browns moved to Baltimore in 1995.”
  31. ‘Utah’s ready for a team,’ new owner says.
  32. Wyshynski, Greg (2024-06-25). Coyotes slam cancellation of June 27 Arizona land auction. ESPN. Retrieved on 2024-06-25.
  33. "Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo giving up pursuit of NHL arena, report says", Gannett, 2024-06-25. Retrieved on 2024-06-25. 
  34. Bettman confirms Meruelo will not be re-activating Coyotes franchise (June 25, 2024).
  35. Image of Team JerseyThe Game Worn Jersey Forum
  36. Arizona Coyotes Roster. National Hockey League.
  37. Arizona Coyotes Hockey Transactions. The Sports Network.
  38. "Gretzky's number retired before All-Star Game", Sports Illustrated, 7 February 2000
  39. 39.0 39.1 Rule 6 – Captain and Alternate Captains. NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P.. Retrieved on 2009-02-23.
  40. Rossi, Rob. "The A-B-Cs of the 'C' and 'A'", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2008-10-02. Retrieved on 2008-02-23. 

External links[]

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