Coyotes express thanks for Arizona, look forward to support of Utah
Apr 18, 2024, 6:32 AM
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MARCH 14: Connor Ingram #39 of the Arizona Coyotes celebrates a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on March 14, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – For the Arizona Coyotes, the 2023-24 season came to an end and with it an era of hockey in the Grand Canyon State.
Coyotes end era in Arizona
On Wednesday, April 17, the Yotes fought through the noise surrounding the franchise and soundly defeated the Edmonton Oilers, 5-2.
After calling Winnipeg home, the Coyotes have been Arizona’s NHL team since 1996.
Wednesday’s win was the penultimate game for the franchise that will reportedly relocate to Utah on April 18. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the team will call the Beehive State its home after a vote by the league’s Board of Governors less than 24 hours after the Coyotes’ win over the Oilers.
During Arizona’s final victory as the Coyotes, fans expressed a range of emotions from gratitude to sadness to anger.
However, after the game, multiple Coyotes shared thanks for their time in Arizona and looked forward to the move to Utah with optimism.
Players on Utah and impacting community
Josh Doan, a right wing for the Yotes, watched his father play almost his entire NHL career in Arizona. Like his dad, Doan fell in love with the game and eventually landed on the Coyotes a few years ago.
Despite deep ties to hockey in Arizona, Doan spoke to the media after the game and said “there’s not hate toward Salt Lake City” ahead of the team’s move.
“They’re welcoming us with open arms and we don’t want there to be hate across the board from fans here towards them cause the people there had nothing really to do with it. Doan said. “They’ve been welcoming and supportive of us too.”
#Yotes 22 year old Josh Doan is as home grown as it gets. His dad Shane had his jersey retired after 20 seasons with the Coyotes. Josh grew up in AZ, played at ASU and was a Coyotes draft pick in ’21. Yet on Wednesday night, Josh expressed gratitude for SLC.@KSLSports pic.twitter.com/yX7CZw9nP3
— Sam Farnsworth (@Samsworth_TV) April 18, 2024
