Coyotes make official statement following relocation and sale of team

It is the end of an era. The Arizona Coyotes are officially defunct as the team was sold to Ryan Smith today. Following the transaction, the team released an official statement on their social media accounts, detailing the future of the team.

It was an emotional scene last night as the Coyotes played their last ever game in Arizona. The fans participated in the traditional whiteout as a send off to their favorite team. Following the game, many festivities took place on the ice as the players and staff gathered for one last time to honor the fans and celebrate their time together in the desert.





It was a heartbreaking scene as fans watched their favorite team on home ice for the last time. Luckily, the team was able to pull off an upset victory over the Edmonton Oilers, giving their fans one last proper good show in the desert.

Today, the transaction to sell the team to Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz, was finalized. As a result, it is now 100% official that the team will be playing in Salt Lake City next season under a new name and brand. However, many of the players will remain the same. The team made their last official statement on social media following the transaction.



At the end of the day, the Coyotes will likely be remembered as a failure after years of turmoil and mismanagement. Hopefully that legacy will not follow them to Utah. However, they did help grow the game in an unconventional market, helping the league discover superstar talents like Auston Matthews. Hopefully, that is how the team is remembered.