The NHL Board of Governors would make it official as the Coyotes will move from Arizona to Utah in a very unique deal.
NHL News and Notes Thursday, April 18th, 2024
News
- The National Hockey League’s Board of Governors today approved the establishment of a franchise beginning with the 2024-25 season in Utah.
- The new franchise will be owned and controlled by Smith Entertainment Group, which is led by Ryan and Ashley Smith.
- The Board also approved a plan that renders the Arizona Coyotes franchise inactive, with a right to reactivate if owner Alex Meruelo has fully constructed a new, state-of-the-art facility appropriate for an NHL team within five years.
- Meruelo negotiated the right to reactivate the team within the next five years, and has retained ownership of the beloved Coyotes name, brand and logo.
- Effective at closing, the approved transactions will result in the Coyotes’ franchise transferring the totality of its existing hockey assets – including its full Reserve List, roster of Players and draft picks and its Hockey Operations Department – to the Utah franchise.
Board approves establishment of new franchise in Utah, future reactivation of Arizona franchise should conditions be met.
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) April 18, 2024
Full Details: https://t.co/N1XUqwYir1 pic.twitter.com/epZkIv5GZP
Alex Meruelo is committed to buying the land on June 27th & keeping hockey in the desert. https://t.co/N2TIHjmeA1 pic.twitter.com/jTVPcWAYUD
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) April 18, 2024
The stage is set for #NHLinUtah! pic.twitter.com/bPBdSyW7q9
— NHL (@NHL) April 18, 2024
Game Recaps
Seattle Kraken v. Minnesota Wild – 7p ET
- In Minnesota, the Wild hosted the Kraken and in the first Minnesota got on the board with a power play goal from Kirill Kaprizov. In the second, Matty Beniers got Seattle on the board with a power play goal of his own to even the score. In the third, Seattle tooko the lead with a shorthanded goal from Yanni Gourde but then Mats Zuccarello’s 12th of the year made this a 2-2 game. Tye Kartye then struck with his 11th of the year to give the Kraken the 3-2 lead and then Yanni Gourde scored his second of the night to give Seattle the 4-2 lead. Then, Brock Faber scored a goal late for Minnesota but the Kraken held on to get the 4-3 win over the Wild.
Vancouver Canucks v. Winnipeg Jets – 8p ET
- In Winnipeg, the Jets hosted the Canucks and in the first Vancouver took the 1-0 lead with Conor Garland’s 20th of the year but then Gabriel Vilardi scored his 22nd to put Winnipeg on the board. In the second, Cole Perfetti’s 18th put Winnipeg up 2-1 but then a power play goal from Elias Lindholm tied the contest for the Canucks. In the third, Nikita Chibrikov got his first career NHL goal in his first NHL game and then Cole Perfetti got the empty net goal as the Jets doubled up the Canucks 4-2.
Late Games
- San Jose Sharks v. Calgary Flames – 9p ET
- Edmonton Oilers v. Colorado Avalanche – 9:30p ET
- Anaheim Ducks v. Vegas Golden Knights – 10p ET
- Chicago Blackhawks v. Los Angeles Kings – 10:30p ET
Today’s Games
- No Games Scheduled
Noteworthy in Hockey
- Charlie Lindgren & His Brother, Ryan, Setting Boundaries Ahead Of Capitals-Rangers Playoff Series: ‘Talk To You After Round 1’ (The Hockey News)
- How the NHL moved the Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City (SportsNet)
- Insider Trading: Governors unanimously vote through ‘hybrid’ Coyotes sale to Utah (TSN)
- Everything we know about the Coyotes’ move to Utah: What went wrong? Will team name change? (The Athletic – $)
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