The Arizona Coyotes have dealt with countless issues during their time in Arizona. First and foremost is their on-ice success, which has evidently been lacking. They’ve only made the playoffs a handful of times, their longest run coming in 2012, which saw them lose to the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Final, who eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup. More recently, they made it during the 2020 COVID-19 bubble in Edmonton. Still, after defeating the Nashville Predators in the play-in round, they were taken care of in five games by the Colorado Avalanche in Round 1.
Related: Reasons for the Arizona Coyotes’ Relocation to Salt Lake City
Another issue has also, of course, been their struggle to find a permanent home in Arizona. This issue is likely the main reason the team is relocating to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the 2024-25 season, as Mullett Arena is obviously not an NHL arena. Understanding that, since relocation is quite a severe measure of resolving multitudes of problems, where will the Coyotes be playing next season? They’ll be playing at Delta Center, which currently is the home of the Utah Jazz.
It’s not by any means an ideal start for the franchise in Utah, but there are plenty of pros and cons.
Coyotes Leave Multiple Arizona Arenas in Rearview Mirror
It’s no secret that the Coyotes have had plenty of woes when navigating arena issues during their tenure in Arizona. After relocating from Winnipeg, they played at America West Arena (now named Footprint Center) from 1997-2003. This was the era when they were called the Phoenix Coyotes and had a roster filled with Keith Tkachuk, Shane Doan, and Teppo Numminen. However, America West Arena was primarily designed for basketball, alongside plentiful attendance issues.
Thus, the team decided to head to Glendale to play at Gila River Arena. This is where most iconic memories were made, including their 2012 playoff run. Similar to the situation in downtown Phoenix, attendance issues and Alex Meruelo not paying bills on time, among plenty of other issues, burned that bridge with the City of Glendale. After failing to reach a long-term lease, the team moved to Mullett Arena, a 4,600-capacity arena.
Of course, being in Mullett Arena was a temporary solution. After the Tempe Entertainment District (TED) vote was rejected by the city, they had to pivot. This was clearly the breaking point for the NHL, and the team was then relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah. Now, they’ll be playing at Delta Center, which has seen hockey before but has several pros and cons.
Delta Center History Has Pros & Cons
Delta Center has undergone numerous name changes throughout the years. Some include EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake Ice Center, and Vivint Arena. Delta Center is home to the Jazz in the National Basketball Association (NBA). While Salt Lake City is nowhere near the size of the City of Phoenix, it is a vibrant city and one of North America’s fastest-growing cities. However, relocation in any major sport is a big deal, so what are the pros and cons of Delta Center?
When any sports team relocates, there are often plenty of negatives. That’s just the nature of the game, especially when fans in this world want answers now and quickly. However, there are, of course, plenty of positives when it comes to Delta Center. First and foremost, this is different from Mullett Arena. This arena does not have a capacity that sits beneath 5,000 people and will give an environment as the NHL intended. It also sits directly in the middle of Salt Lake City, another pro in the grand scheme of things.
The NHL has been to Delta Center before, believe it or not. The Kings and Vegas Golden Knights played an exhibition game before this season, and the arena saw its flaws. The first is the age of the arena, which was built in 1991 and, for the most part, is nowhere near some of the NHL arenas today. It also isn’t built for hockey; therefore, it has plenty of obstructed seats, but renovations are expected to ensure this isn’t a significant issue for the 2024-25 season. It should be said, though, that Salt Lake City is likely to get the 2034 Winter Olympics, which will see a new arena built, presumably the Coyotes’ new arena, in the distant future.
Needless to say, it’ll be an experience in Salt Lake City and one of the biggest storylines throughout the offseason.
Coyotes Have New Home For 2024-25 Season
Of course, Delta Center isn’t the ideal arena for the Coyotes to play in for the foreseeable future. However, it’s undeniably better than their current situation at Mullett Arena and should give the players and fans a more NHL-like experience. As mentioned, they should be getting a new arena soon, with the 2034 Winter Olympics likely being held in Salt Lake City, which would allow the Coyotes to play in a new state-of-the-art arena. Until then, however, they’ll play their home games at Delta Center, which will be interesting to see how everything plays out, but only time will tell.
