Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Why former Coyotes CEO believes the NHL can return to Phoenix

deseret.com · 4hShare

The National Hockey League departed Arizona more than two years ago, but the idea of professional hockey returning to the Grand Canyon State has hardly vanished. For nearly three decades, the NHL tried to make hockey work in the Phoenix area. There were different owners. Different arenas. Different plans for a permanent home. Eventually, the NHL’s experiment in the desert ended when the Arizona Coyotes’ hockey ops were transferred to Salt Lake City in 2024 by the hands of Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, creating the Utah Mammoth. But former Coyotes President and CEO Xavier Gutierrez, who led the organization from 2020 until its departure, doesn’t believe the league’s relationship with Phoenix is over. Gutierrez, while appearing on Sportico’s “Sporticast” podcast Tuesday, laid out his case for why the Phoenix market remains viable for the NHL and why he believes the league can eventually return as it slowly approaches expansion. “Arizona is a hockey market without a doubt,” Gutierrez said.

First report: Sporticast: Could the NHL Return to Arizona in the Future? — sportico.com, 2d