Utah officially launches their NHL website
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The NHL Board of Governors has officially approved the sale and relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City, Utah. The team will now be known as Utah, although the exact nickname is still up in the air as new owner Ryan Smith takes his time to decide. The team even announced their new website and are taking deposits for season tickets.
Despite the developments, Smith expressed surprise at the rapid progress, saying,
If you would've told me at the beginning of the year that this is where we'd be, I'd say you were crazy.
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Smith, who purchased the team from Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo for a whopping $1 billion, had to pay an additional $200 million as a relocation fee to the NHL. It was split evenly ($6.6 million) among all owners except Vegas and Seattle who are still considered new.
However, Meruelo remains optimistic about the future of hockey in Arizona, stating,
But this is not the end for NHL hockey in Arizona. I have negotiated the right to reactivate the team within the next five years, and have retained ownership of the beloved Coyotes name, brand and logo. I remain committed to this community and to building a first-class sports arena and entertainment district without seeking financial support from the public.
The Yotes played their final game in the dessert last night, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2.
The new Utah team will call the Delta Center home, sharing the arena with the NBA's Jazz. With 12,000 unobstructed seats initially, plans are in place to expand to accommodate over 17,000 fans. It's a whirlwind of changes, but one thing is for sure � hockey in Utah is about to take center stage.
Utah NHL team names leak:
| POLL | ||
18 AVRIL | 1003 ANSWERS Utah officially launches their NHL website What are your thoughts on the Arizona Coyotes relocating to Salt Lake City, Utah? | ||
| Excited | 507 | 50.5 % |
| Disappointed | 496 | 49.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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