Arizona Coyotes officially headed to Utah as sale gets final NHL approval

The Arizona Coyotes are officially headed to Salt Lake City.

The NHL board of governors voted unanimously Thursday to approve a $1.2 billion US sale from Alex Meruelo to Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith, clearing the way for the franchise's move to Utah next season.

The deal includes a provision for Arizona to get an expansion team if a new arena is built within the next five years. The deal will be facilitated through the NHL, with $200 million going to league owners as a relocation fee.

Smith will take over the franchise's hockey operations and Meruelo will maintain his business operations in Arizona in an effort to secure and develop a tract of land for a new arena in north Phoenix.

Meruelo also retains ownership of the Tucson Roadrunners, the franchise's AHL affiliate, and hopes to move them to Mullett Arena, the Coyotes' temporary home shared with Arizona State University the past two seasons. He plans to pay back the $1 billion once an expansion team is approved.

"The NHL's belief in Arizona has never wavered," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "We thank Alex Meruelo for his commitment to the franchise and Arizona, and we fully support his ongoing efforts to secure a new home in the desert for the Coyotes. We also want to acknowledge the loyal hockey fans of Arizona, who have supported their team with dedication for nearly three decades while growing the game."

Meruelo will retain the Coyotes' name, logo and trademark, so Smith's group will have to rename the team.

"We'll start with Utah on the jersey and we'll figure out the logo and everything else, and what it is that we are, but that's a one-way door," Smith said. "You've got to do it once. And with this timeline, I think both the league