Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
Need to set up your free e-Newspaper all-access account? click here.
Non-subscribers
Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.
Register to comment
Click here create a free account for posting comments.
Note that free accounts do not include access to premium content on this site.
I am anchor
Sports
Coyotes sold, will move to Salt Lake City
Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka looks down during the third period of the team’s game against the Seattle Kraken, Tuesday in Seattle. (The Associated Press/Lindsey Wasson)
Posted
Independent Newsmedia
The Arizona Coyotes are moving to Salt Lake City.
The National Hockey League announced early Thursday afternoon that the team had been sold to the Smith Entertainment Group, led by Ryan and Ashley Smith, and would be leaving the Valley.
"As everyone knows, Utah is a vibrant and thriving state, and we are thrilled to be part of it," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a press release from the league. "We are also delighted to welcome Ashley and Ryan Smith to the NHL family and know they will be great stewards of the game in Utah."
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Now former Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo was approved by the NHL Board of Governors to reactivate the franchise in Arizona if he could get a new, state-of-the-art arena built within the next five years.
Meruelo had been looking at state land in north Phoenix for the project, but the land sale could not be completed until late June at the earliest.
The Coyotes had been playing at Arizona State University's Mullett Arena for the past two years after leaving Glendale. The arena, however, is significantly smaller than many NHL arenas and lacked amenities.
The team had tried to move forward with a Tempe arena, but the plans were rejected by that city's voters.
