NHL working on contingency plan to potentially sell, relocate Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City: report

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The Coyotes' future in Arizona is in doubt. Last May, voters rejected the NHL franchise's plan for a multibillion-dollar entertainment district in Tempe.

The team continues to play home games at Mullett Arena on the campus of Arizona State University during the ongoing 2023-24 season. The facility can only seat 5,000 spectators. The team also played in the arena throughout the 2022-23 season.

Amid the uncertainly surrounding the team's future, the NHL appears to be working on a contingency plan that could result in the franchise's relocation to Salt Lake City by as early as next season, ESPN reported.

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View of an Arizona Coyotes logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during the third period at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Oct. 20, 2022. (David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports)

After prospective owner Ryan Smith solicited earlier this week suggestions for a team name, word emerged Wednesday that the league has been working on contingency plans in case the Coyotes move this summer. Smith also owns the Utah Jazz.

The NHL has been working on two schedule drafts for next season in case the team is in Arizona or playing under a different name in Utah, a person familiar with the planning told The Associated Press.

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The schedule for next season is usually released in late June, after the Stanley Cup is handed out, around the draft and before free agency opens July 1. Commissioner Gary Bettman, when asked last month about the schedule and the possible contingency plans, said only, "We