Heartbroken. Devastated. Furious. Cheated. Betrayed. Lost. Shocked. Gutted.
These are just some of the words Coyotes fans used to describe how they felt when they learned their team was relocating to Utah, but they only paint part of the story.
Apathetic. Sad. Hopeful. Hopeless. Bitter. Empty. Ambivalent. Detached. Healing.
That’s how those very same fans say they are coping, and in some cases healing, exactly one year later.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the final Coyotes game in Arizona. In the 365 days since, there’s been little reprieve from the uncertainty that looms over a fanbase still hurting.
In the last week, we polled 146 Yotes fans to get a pulse on the Valley’s thoughts on the relocation, attitude toward the NHL today, and outlook on the future of hockey in Arizona.
Coyotes fans pulse check
People were understandably hurt when reports emerged that Alex Meruelo and the NHL were close on a deal that would send the Coyotes to Salt Lake City. And that was just the beginning. In the span of eight days, a fanbase went from cheering on their favorite team to mourning its loss.
We asked people to write some words to describe how they felt upon learning about the relocation. These are some of the responses.
“It was like losing a family member.” – Justin in Phoenix.
“I was heartbroken at the loss of the team I have cheered for all my life as well as the team I most supported in Arizona, and angry at Meruelo for letting down the fanbase.” – Charles in Mesa.
“(I’m) absolutely heartbroken for my family and especially my son who plays youth hockey.” – Cody in Scottsdale.
“It felt like I withstood all of the previous trade rumors for nothing. I thought I would have the last laugh but instead I felt foolish for believing. Rubbing salt in the wound was the fact that the team finally had a bright future with the right staff and the best media coverage it had ever had. And then all of it was taken from us.” – Brandon in Nova Scotia.
“(I’m) devastated, had a chance to go to the last game and couldn’t bring myself to even watch it. I went to the first game at America West, the last game at America West, and the first and last game at Jobing.com.” – Eric in Mesa.
“As a season ticket holder since 2012, I would say dumbfounded.” – Jeff in Glendale.
“Sad I won’t get to take my daughters to a Coyotes game. We bought my oldest a ‘My first Coyotes game puck’ and now that won’t happen. She’s 3-years-old.” – Jonathan in San Tan Valley.
“This was something my son and I (currently 10) could connect around and always made it to a few games a year. That was taken from us.” – Josh in Mesa.
Many responses specifically called out Meruelo’s ownership. Others even expressed indifference and some a sense of closure. But the underlying sentiment was that of heartbreak, shock and devastation.
One year later, many of those emotions still linger. We asked people to share how they feel today. These were some of the responses.
“I’m still heartbroken. It’s like watching an ex that you still aren’t over carrying on with their happy life without you.” – KG in Glendale.
“Still gutted. Upset with Meruelo. Upset with local government leaders who failed to protect a state asset.” – Aaron in Scottsdale.
“Moved on.” – Chris in New Jersey.
“Honestly I’m probably more upset now that the reality of the Coyotes being gone has set in and now that we have gone a whole season without Coyotes hockey.” – Patrick in Tucson.
“Hopeful because they didn’t disband the franchise completely, they left it open for a new team to take up.” – Rebecca in Phoenix.
“Crushed, cheated, no hope that the franchise will be reactivated.” – Dania in Mesa.
“It is what it is.” – Rob in Tucson.
“I hate it so much. I finally moved away from AZ because the Coyotes were the only thing keeping me there.” – Julia in Columbus.
“Bittersweet. They have ownership and new fans that appreciate them, but sad that us fans they left behind are now just an afterthought.” – Michelle in Tucson.
“Ecstatic for the players to have a supportive owner.” – Amber in Avondale.
“Still angry and betrayed. Depressed – I am planning a family and want my children to grow up with a love of hockey (including an NHL team they can go to games to see) and I fear I may not get that. I had great experiences centered around the Coyotes with my family growing up here in AZ and was hoping to have that with my children too.” – Tyler in Phoenix.
“Accepting (that it needed to happen), optimistic (for Utah’s trajectory), angry (at Meruelo).” – Chris in Denver.
Relationship with the NHL
2025 is the first year with zero NHL games played in Arizona since 1996. That’s a nearly 30-year stretch of NHL games in the Valley of the Sun that’s come to an end.
For some, the departure of the Coyotes prompted a complete divorce from following the NHL. Others are on a temporary break. Many either adopted new teams or had other teams they cheered for besides the Yotes.
Responses to the question “how do you feel about the NHL today?” elicited a number of different responses, ranging from “meh” to “OK” to “positive” to “still love” to “complete apathy” to “not interested” to “fine” to “numb” to “indifferent” to “disconnected” to “good” to “the what?”
While the majority of Coyotes fans expressed dismay at the loss of their team both when it happened and one year later, the outlook toward the NHL as a whole and even toward the Utah Hockey Club is more of a mixed bag.
Some have turned to Arizona State Hockey. A few don’t even consider themselves hockey fans anymore, or at least not NHL fans. And confidence in the NHL’s return to the Valley is all over the map.
survey says
The future
As of today, there’s no guessing when the NHL might return to Arizona, if at all. Many obstacles lie in that path, including the need for a reputable ownership group willing and able to put together the money not just to pay up the ever-rising NHL expansion fee, but to overcome a feat that no one ever has before: build an arena in the right place.
The fanbase’s confidence in that future is completely split. For the question of how Coyotes fans rank their confidence that the NHL will one day return to Arizona on a scale of 1-10, an even five took the majority of the vote.
After all, this is a group that’s been let down many times before.
Yet even without the NHL, there’s still plenty of hockey to be found in Arizona. “Hockey Belongs in the Desert” has become a mantra for the state’s hockey-fan residents and beyond.
When asked what they’ve done to keep hockey alive in Arizona this past year, many fans cited going to Tucson Roadrunners games, Sun Devil Hockey games, buying and wearing Coyotes jerseys, flying Kachina flags, donating to the Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation, participating in youth hockey, coaching hockey, playing adult league hockey, watching hockey to help the TV ratings in the Phoenix market, talking about hockey, and much more.
For those looking for more ways to get involved, the fifth annual Skatin’ for Leighton is Sunday, April 27 starting at 9:00 a.m. at Salt River Fields, where the community will come together to honor the incredible life and legacy of Leighton Accardo and raise money for the Leighton Accardo Memorial Fund.
This is a community of fans who went under appreciated for years, were mistreated by multiple ownership groups, were constantly mocked, and who were the biggest victims of the Coyotes franchise’s deactivation and ultimate relocation to Utah. But this is also a community of fans who found sanctuary in ice rinks against the oppressive heat, who formed community with little resources and infrastructure, who despite so many challenges and bad teams and reasons to walk away still turned up and loved the Coyotes with all their heart.
So while the NHL might be gone and a timetable for its return unknown, one thing is for certain: Hockey is alive in Arizona, and boy does it belong here.
Feature image by Danielle Cortez for PHNX Sports
