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188-677: In April 2016, the Arizona Coyotes announced they would relocate their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons , to Tucson ahead of the 2016–17 season. Following the 2023–24 season, the Coyotes were deactivated by the NHL, and their operations were transferred to a new expansion team in Utah. Owner Alex Meruelo was given a five-year window to reactivate the Coyotes if a new arena was secured, but he abandoned

376-573: A "lovable loser" (much like the Cubs) with the St. Louis hockey team. NHL president Clarence Campbell said during the 1967 expansion meetings, "We want a team in St. Louis because of the city's geographical location and the fact that it has an adequate building." The team's first owners were insurance tycoon Sid Salomon Jr., his son, Sid Salomon III, and Robert L. Wolfson, who were granted the franchise in 1966. Sid Salomon III convinced his initially wary father to make

564-592: A "quarter-million-dollar scheme". By October, IceArizona entered a deal to sell a 51% controlling interest in the Coyotes to Philadelphia -based hedge fund manager Andrew Barroway , who had recently failed in his attempt to purchase the New York Islanders . The deal was approved by the NHL Board of Governors on December 31, 2014. During the 2014–15 season , the team finished last in the Pacific Division with

752-608: A 10-year lease with the Convention Center was approved on May 17. A name-the-team contest was held between May 17 and May 31. The hockey club's new name and logo were revealed on June 18 during the Tucson Convention Center's open house event. The chosen name, Roadrunners, pays homage to the Phoenix Roadrunners , a team name that was used for various Phoenix professional hockey teams from 1967 to 2009, and creates

940-482: A bid for the team. Former St. Louis Cardinals great Stan Musial and Musial's business partner Julius "Biggie" Garagnani were also members of the 16-man investment group that made the initial formal application for the franchise. Garagnani would never see the Blues franchise take the ice, as he died from a heart attack on June 19, 1967, less than three months before the Blues played their first preseason game. Upon acquiring

1128-715: A charter franchise of the World Hockey Association (WHA). After seven WHA seasons they were one of four organizations enfranchised by the NHL on June 22, 1979, when the WHA ceased operations. Due to financial troubles, the Jets were sold to American owners who moved the team to Phoenix on July 1, 1996, where they were renamed the Phoenix Coyotes . The franchise was renamed the Arizona Coyotes on June 27, 2014. Alex Meruelo became

1316-661: A college arena considered too small even for temporary usage, the Coyotes suspended hockey operations following the conclusion of the 2023–24 season . In a deal brokered by the NHL, the Coyotes were essentially split in half. The team's hockey assets (players, staff and draft picks) were transferred to the Utah Hockey Club , an expansion franchise awarded at the same time to Ryan Smith and based in Salt Lake City . The Coyotes' name, history and other intellectual property were initially retained by Meruelo, who had intended to build

1504-545: A deal to purchase the Coyotes from the NHL along with a lease agreement with Glendale. However, the Hulsizer deal collapsed in late June 2011 at least in part because of a threatened suit by the Goldwater Institute over the legality of payments that Glendale was to make to Hulsizer before the consortium bought the team. The threat of the suit may have prevented the sale of bonds to finance the payments. The team only stayed in

1692-703: A franchise-worst 18–50–12 record with 48 points in 1979 , the Blues made the playoffs the following year, the first of 25 consecutive postseason appearances. After being one of the worst teams a couple of years before, they were one of the best in 1981 , as they finished with a then-franchise-best record of 45–18–17 record which translated to 107 points and the second-best record in the league. Ten players reached at least 20 goals, including Wayne Babych , future Hall of Famer Bernie Federko , and team captain Brian Sutter . They also had strong goaltending led by Mike Liut . They would get rewarded as head coach Red Berenson won

1880-561: A home-ice advantage in the first round for the first time since 1985. Their first round opponent in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs were the Detroit Red Wings . Game 1 of the series was the first NHL playoff game to be played in Gila River Arena. However, an injury to Shane Doan sidelined him for most of the series, and the defending conference champion Red Wings defeated the Coyotes in seven games. The Coyotes again faced Detroit in

2068-477: A learning disability, during high school in 2016. Soon thereafter, they renounced his draft rights. For the COVID-19 pandemic -shortened 2020–21 season the Coyotes were placed in the reformed West Division and played a division-only 56-game schedule. They finished in fifth place with 54 points, outside of the playoffs. After the season, the team and coach Rick Tocchet mutually agreed to part ways. Andre Tourigny

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2256-572: A mostly advisory role. The former New York Rangers goaltender promptly made multiple blockbuster deals, picking up Jay McKee , Bill Guerin and Manny Legace from free agency, and bringing Doug Weight back to St. Louis after a brief ( and productive ) stopover in Carolina . Weight was again traded in December 2007 to the Anaheim Ducks , along with a minor league player, in exchange for Andy McDonald . At

2444-577: A new arena in Arizona by 2029. Meruelo hoped to win a parcel of land at an auction in June 2024. When this auction was canceled by Arizona state authorities, Meruelo left the franchise and abandoned his efforts to revive the Coyotes. The team began play as the Winnipeg Jets , one of the founding franchises in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Jets were the most successful team in the short-lived WHA, winning

2632-589: A new arena. After nearly three years of proposals to build an arena on the former Los Arcos Mall in Scottsdale and having difficulty financing the purchase of the Coyotes and finishing demolition of Los Arcos, along with infighting in the Scottsdale City Council, Ellman looked toward the West Valley, and in December 2003, the team moved into Glendale Arena (which then became known as Jobing.com Arena during

2820-562: A play on words with its parent club the Coyotes (a reference to the classic cartoon duo of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner ). Its logo, as well, is a close match for the traditional logo used for Phoenix Roadrunners' teams of the past. On October 27, the day before their home opener, the Roadrunners unveiled their mascot, Dusty the Roadrunner. Dusty wears number 16 on his jersey, representing

3008-403: A portion of one end of the upper deck hanging over the boards and ice, obscuring almost a third of the rink and one goal from several sections. As a result, listed capacity had to be cut down from over 18,000 seats to just over 16,000 – the second-smallest in the league at the time – after the first season. Burke bought out Gluckstern in 1998 but was unable to attract more investors to alleviate

3196-416: A representative, which led the Blues to forfeit their picks. The day after the draft, the NHL filed a $ 78 million counter-suit against Ralston, accusing Ralston of "damaging the league by willfully, wantonly and maliciously collapsing its St. Louis Blues hockey operation." The NHL also said that Ralston broke a league rule that an owner had to give two years' notice before dissolving a franchise. Ralston called

3384-580: A resolution. On July 24, 2015, the Coyotes announced the City Council had reached a two-year deal. At the conclusion of the 2015–16 season , general manager Don Maloney , who had won General Manager of the Year award in 2010, was fired from his position after eight seasons. The Coyotes replaced Maloney with John Chayka , who, at 26 years of age, became the youngest NHL GM of all time, being promoted from his position as assistant general manager/analytics within

3572-531: A scout for the Coyotes. The Roadrunners played their first-ever game on October 14, 2016, against the San Diego Gulls at Pechanga Arena , losing 5–3. Roadrunners' inaugural captain Craig Cunningham scored the team's first two goals in franchise history. The Roadrunners played their first home game two weeks later on October 28, winning by a score of 6–5 in front of 6,521 fans. During a home game against

3760-471: A season-ending injury, and Jaden Schwartz missed a large portion of the season. The Blues also dealt away Paul Stastny to the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline for their first-round pick as they won only 23 games of their remaining 51, but they still had a chance to get into the playoffs on the last day of their season against the Colorado Avalanche. After losing Vladimir Tarasenko to injury during

3948-640: A second-round exit in 1996, and he was fired on December 19, 1996. Caron was reinstated as interim general manager for the rest of the season, and general manager Larry Pleau was hired on June 9, 1997. Hull, who had a lengthy feud with Keenan, left for the Dallas Stars in 1998. He went on to win the Stanley Cup with the Stars the next year , scoring a controversial goal on the Buffalo Sabres ' Dominik Hasek to clinch

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4136-479: A shutout in his Coyotes debut against the Los Angeles Kings . Bryzgalov was soon given a three-year contract extension because of his high level of play. Despite predictions of another disastrous season, the Coyotes played competitive hockey for most of the season. However, they finished eight points short of the last playoff spot, with 83 points. On September 24, 2009, Dave Tippett took over coaching duties of

4324-486: A star. While the Blues remained competitive, they were unable to keep many of their young players. More often than not, several of the Blues' emerging stars ended up as Calgary Flames , and the sight of Flames executive Al MacNeil was always greeted with dread. In fact, several of the Blues' young stars, such as Rob Ramage , Joe Mullen and Gilmour, were main cogs in the Flames' 1989 Stanley Cup win . Sutter and Federko were

4512-410: A strong development program under head scout Jarmo Kekalainen , using the team's raft of high draft picks in 2006 and 2007 to select highly touted prospects such as T. J. Oshie , Erik Johnson and David Perron . On January 4, 2007, the Blues had a record of 6–1–3 in their previous ten games, which was the best in the NHL during that stretch. Despite a healthy 24-point jump from the previous season,

4700-461: A team in Utah using the Coyotes' hockey assets; however, rather than formally relocate, the Coyotes franchise was instead marked "inactive", with Utah considered a hybrid (due to transfer of assets) expansion team. Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo retained his rights to the Roadrunners, confirming that they would continue as the AHL affiliate for the Utah Hockey Club , and initially announced his intention to move

4888-404: A week later, Brett Hull announced his retirement. On January 21, 2006, Jets great Thomas Steen was the third inductee to the "Ring of Honor". Another moment in a series of bad luck: the Coyotes were planning to host the 2006 NHL All-Star Game , but the event was canceled because of the 2006 Winter Olympics . The team returned to Winnipeg on September 17, 2006, to play a preseason game against

5076-402: A year during its six-year ownership of the Blues. However, Dean took the losses philosophically, having taken over out of a sense of civic responsibility. In 1981, Dean retired. His successor, William Stiritz, wanted to refocus on the core pet food business, and his personal sporting interests were in horse racing rather than hockey. He saw the Blues as just another money-bleeding division, and put

5264-464: The 1983-84 season . While the fans were stunned, the players were aware of this. When the Blues faced the Oilers on December 7, 1982, brochures were distributed titled "Saskatchewan in the NHL". These distractions would greatly affect their performance as they squeezed into the playoffs with a 25–40–15 record in the 1983 season , good enough for 65 points. This led to a Norris Division semifinals exit against

5452-508: The 2006–07 NHL season ). Simultaneously, the team changed its logo and uniforms, moving from the multi-colored kit to a more streamlined look. In 2005, Ellman sold the Coyotes, the National Lacrosse League 's Arizona Sting and the lease to Gila River Arena to trucking magnate Jerry Moyes , who was also a part-owner of Major League Baseball 's Arizona Diamondbacks . On August 6, 2005, Brett Hull , son of former Jet Bobby Hull ,

5640-452: The 2022–23 season . In the 2022–23 season, Roadrunners forward Michael Carcone led the AHL in total scoring with 31 goals, 54 assists, and 85 total points in 65 games played, winning the John B. Sollenberger Trophy . Carcone also set franchise records in goals, assists, points, power-play goals (14), and shots on goal (273), while earning his first career AHL All-Star selection and being named to

5828-535: The 2022–23 season . On April 29, 2022, the Coyotes played their final home game at the Gila River Arena against the Nashville Predators , with a 5–4 comeback win. On October 28, 2022, the Coyotes would make their debut in the Mullett Arena , which sold out to a crowd of 4,600 people that day, in a 3–2 overtime loss to the current Winnipeg Jets franchise, with Christian Fischer scoring the first two goals of

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6016-486: The Avco World Trophy , the league's championship trophy, three times and making the finals five out of the WHA's seven seasons. It then became one of the four teams admitted to the NHL as part of a merger when the financially struggling WHA folded in 1979. However, the club was never able to translate its WHA success into the NHL after the merger. The merger's terms allowed the established NHL teams to reclaim most of

6204-690: The Boston Bruins 3–2 in overtime. On June 12, 2019, the Blues defeated the Bruins 4–1 in game 7 to win their first Stanley Cup. Ryan O'Reilly won the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. Up until that point, the Blues were the oldest franchise to never win the Stanley Cup; they were also the last of the five surviving 1967 expansion teams to win the Cup for the first time. This all but assured that Berube would have

6392-489: The Boston Bruins in exchange for Wideman, became the fastest Blues player to reach 40 goals since Brett Hull , doing so during the 2007–08 season . During the 2007 off-season, the Blues signed free agent Paul Kariya to a three-year contract worth $ 18 million, re-signed defenseman Barret Jackman to a one-year contract, lost their captain Dallas Drake to the Detroit Red Wings , and traded prospect Carl Soderberg to

6580-756: The Jack Adams Award , Mike Liut finished a close second to Wayne Gretzky in the Hart Trophy voting, and earned the top spot on the NHL All-Star team , Larry Patey finished third in the Frank J. Selke Trophy voting, and Blake Dunlop won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy . Their regular season success, however, did not transfer into the playoffs, as they were eliminated by the New York Rangers in

6768-649: The Lady Byng Trophy for the Blues in 1970 and New York Rangers castoff Red Berenson became the expansion team's first major star at center. The arena quickly became one of the loudest buildings in the NHL, a reputation it maintained throughout its tenure as the Blues' home. During that time, Salomon gained a reputation throughout the NHL as the top players' owner. He gave his players cars, signed them to deferred contracts and treated them to vacations in Florida . The players, used to being treated like mere commodities, felt

6956-620: The Manitoba Moose on November 19, 2016, Roadrunners player Craig Cunningham collapsed on the ice just before the opening faceoff. He was promptly transported to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with an acute cardiac arrest resulting from ventricular fibrillation , a condition that caused his heart to stop beating. The arena's medical team, in addition to the staff at St. Mary's Hospital and Banner-University Medical Center , worked continuously for 85 minutes to administer CPR and ultimately succeeded in saving his life. On October 27, 2017,

7144-579: The Minnesota North Stars , Los Angeles Kings , Philadelphia Flyers , Pittsburgh Penguins , and California Seals . St. Louis was the last of the six expansion teams to gain entry into the League; the market was chosen over Baltimore at the insistence of the Black Hawks owners, James D. Norris and Arthur Wirtz . Following the Black Hawks' championship in 1961 , the team became much more successful at

7332-458: The Original Six . Although frequent postseason contenders for most of their history, the franchise has usually struggled in the playoffs, including consecutive Stanley Cup Finals defeats at the end of their first three seasons. With the Blues' victory in their fourth Stanley Cup Finals, 49 years after their last appearance and in their 52nd year of existence, they became the final active team from

7520-633: The Pacific Division (1998–2020) in the Western Conference , and the West Division (2020–2021). They played at America West Arena (now Footprint Center ) in downtown Phoenix from 1996 to 2003, at Glendale 's Gila River Arena (now Desert Diamond Arena ) from 2003 to 2022, and at Mullett Arena in Tempe from 2022 to 2024. The organization was established on December 27, 1971, as the Winnipeg Jets ,

7708-530: The Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota North Stars to reach the 1968 Stanley Cup Finals. However, St. Louis was swept in their first Finals appearance by the heavily favored Montreal Canadiens . Under Bowman, the Blues dominated the West for the next two seasons, becoming the only expansion team to compile a winning record, and they captured division titles by wide margins each year. However, they were swept in

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7896-410: The San Diego Gulls , the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks , as their primary rival and refer to them as their " I-8 Border Rival". Additionally, the winner of each season's series between the two teams is presented with the "I-8 Border Cup Trophy", which has been in the possession of the Roadrunners since the 2018–19 season. As of the 2023–24 season, the two teams have faced each other 72 times during

8084-642: The St. Louis Blues . In 2002 , the Coyotes posted 95 points, one point behind their best total as an NHL team while in Winnipeg, but went down rather meekly to the San Jose Sharks in five games. From then until the 2007–08 season, the Coyotes were barely competitive and managed to break the 80-point barrier only once during that time. Attendance levels dropped considerably, worrying many NHL executives. In addition, an unfavorable arena lease at city-owned America West Arena had

8272-473: The lockout ), the Blues were in the playoffs. They faced the third-seeded Vancouver Canucks in the first round, but despite the team's tremendous run to end the season, the Blues would ultimately lose the series in a quick four-game sweep. The Blues fired head coach Andy Murray on January 2, 2010, after a disappointing record (17–17–6, 40 points), sitting in 12th place in the Conference. Especially galling were

8460-483: The "Golden Jet"), became one of the League's top stars and a scoring sensation, netting 86 goals in 1990–91 en route to earning the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player. Hull's 86 goals set the record for most goals in a single season by a right-winger (and the third-most overall at the time). Only Wayne Gretzky found the net more than Hull during any given three-year period. Despite posting

8648-520: The "interim" tag removed from his title, which occurred two weeks after their Cup victory. Shortly after the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals, Karla May of the Missouri Senate introduced a bill which would officially designate several items as state symbols of Missouri ; including the Blues being as the state's official hockey team. The bill was signed into law by Mike Parson , the Governor of Missouri , with

8836-652: The 1967 expansion to win their first Stanley Cup. The Blues have a rivalry with the Chicago Blackhawks , with whom they have shared a division since 1970. The Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Florida Everblades of the ECHL are the team's minor league affiliates. Although the St. Louis Arena was not originally designed with hockey in mind, it met NHL standards of

9024-416: The 1970–71 season following a power-sharing dispute with Sid Salomon III (who was taking an increasing role in team affairs), as well as Hall, Plante, Goyette and ultimately Berenson, who were all lost to retirement or trade. Veteran player Al Arbour hastily stepped in to coach the team. Under Arbour, the Blues essentially matched their 1969–70 regular season performance in their fourth season, and were still

9212-405: The 2006–07 season 31–46–5, their worst record since relocating to Phoenix. On May 29, Jeff Shumway announced Don Maloney had agreed to a multi-year contract to become general manager of the Coyotes. As per club policy, the terms of the contract were not disclosed. However, as had been the case with all general managers since 2001, Maloney served in an advisory role to Gretzky. The 2007–08 season

9400-513: The 2019–20 season. On July 29, 2019, Barroway sold controlling interest in the Coyotes to billionaire Alex Meruelo , with Barroway remaining as a minority owner until his arrest, which left Meruelo the sole owner of the franchise. During the 2020 NHL entry draft , the Coyotes received widespread backlash and criticism for drafting Mitchell Miller in the fourth round (111th pick overall), after allegations surfaced that he had bullied and discriminated against an African-American classmate having

9588-608: The AHL First All-Star Team at the end of the season. The Roadrunners also saw the professional debut of forward Josh Doan , joining the team in March 2023 following his sophomore season with the Arizona State Sun Devils . Doan debuted with Tucson on March 17 and scored his first pro goal two games later on March 21. The Roadrunners qualified for the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs , marking their first appearance since 2018. In

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9776-428: The AHL, while Villalta led the AHL with 31 wins. The Roadrunners finished the regular season with a 43–23–4–2 record and finished second in the AHL's Pacific Division, with their 43 wins marking the most in a single season for the Roadrunners; which helped them clinch home-ice advantage for the first round of the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs and bring home playoff games to Tucson for the first time since 2018. However, Tucson

9964-584: The AHL. Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game;   = current Roadrunners player Arizona Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area . They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024),

10152-522: The Blues became the first team to reach 100 points and clinch a playoff berth in the 2011–12 season under Hitchcock, qualifying for their first playoffs since 2008–09. They would finish second in the Western Conference, behind the Vancouver Canucks. During the 2012 playoffs, they won their first playoff series since 2002, eliminating the San Jose Sharks in five games. The Blues were swept by

10340-408: The Blues contended during this time period, they never passed the second round of the playoffs. Nonetheless, their on-ice success was enough for a consortium of 19 companies to buy the team. They also provided the capital to build the Kiel Center (now the Enterprise Center ), which opened in 1994. Hull, nicknamed the "Golden Brett" (a reference to his father, NHL legend Bobby Hull , who was nicknamed

10528-410: The Blues ended up in the Smythe Division after a League realignment. This division was particularly weak, and in 1976–77 , the Blues won it while finishing five games below .500, though this would be their last playoff appearance in the decade. In the meantime, the franchise was on the brink of financial collapse. This was partly due to the pressures of the World Hockey Association (WHA), but mostly

10716-402: The Blues fired head coach Mike Yeo after starting the season with a 7–9–3 record and replaced him with Craig Berube on an interim basis. On March 29, 2019, the Blues became the seventh team in NHL since the 1967–68 season to qualify for the playoffs after being placed last after January 1. This resurgence included an eleven-game winning streak between February and March, in large part thanks to

10904-475: The Blues traded goaltender Jake Allen , who had spent 10 years in the Blues organization, to the Montreal Canadiens . The Blues play in the 19,150 (not counting standing room) capacity Enterprise Center , where they have played since 1994. The arena was previously known as Scottrade Center, the Savvis Center, and before that as the Kiel Center. From 1967 until 1994, the team played in the St. Louis Arena (known as The Checkerdome from 1977 until 1983 ), where

11092-484: The Blues, as team captain David Backes left the team to sign with the Boston Bruins , and goaltender Brian Elliott was traded to the Calgary Flames , while veteran forward Troy Brouwer also signed with Calgary as a free agent. Steve Ott also left the team, signing a free-agent deal with the Red Wings. Jake Allen was now the starting goaltender for the Blues, while the team also signed former Nashville Predators backup Carter Hutton . Former Blues forward David Perron

11280-476: The Bruins in exchange for yet more depth in the goal crease, Hannu Toivonen . On October 2, 2007, the Blues finalized the season-starting roster, which included rookies David Perron, Steven Wagner and Erik Johnson. On October 10, the Blues introduced a new mascot, Louie . Two months later, they traded Doug Weight, a 38-year-old four-time All-Star center, to the Anaheim Ducks as part of a package to acquire 30-year-old center Andy McDonald. On February 8, 2008, it

11468-413: The Canadian group were Executive Chairman & Governor George Gosbee; President, CEO & Alternate Governor Anthony LeBlanc; Alternate Governor Craig Stewart; and Directors Gary J. Drummond, W. David Duckett, William "Bill" Dutton, Robert Gwin, Scott Saxberg and Richard Walter. RSE partnered with Global Spectrum (owners of the Philadelphia Flyers ) for help in managing Gila River Arena. The agreement had

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11656-451: The Canadiens, having won two out of three games against the Habs in the regular season. After that season, Ornest sold the team to a group led by St. Louis businessman Michael Shanahan. St. Louis kept chugging along through the late 1980s and early 1990s. General manager Ron Caron made astute moves, landing forwards Brett Hull , Adam Oates and Brendan Shanahan , defenseman Al MacInnis and goaltender Curtis Joseph , among others. While

11844-478: The Chicago Black Hawks. Following their playoff exit, Ralston authorized the deal to Hunter's company, renamed Coliseum Holdings, Ltd., for $ 12 million on April 21. Emile Francis would call it quits on May 2, leaving to become president and general manager of the Hartford Whalers . The Blues then fired 60 percent of their employees. The remaining staff included the accounting department, scouting staff, and coach Barclay Plager. They waited for an authorization by 75% of

12032-399: The Chicago Blackhawks in six games, the franchise's first playoff series win since 1987. The first five games went to overtime, tying a record when the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs did it in the 1951 Stanley Cup Finals . They faced the Nashville Predators in the second round, winning the first two games and the series 4–1. However, in the conference finals, the Coyotes fell to

12220-417: The City of Glendale giving RSE US$ 15 million per year for management fees. There was a clause stipulating RSE could relocate the team after five years if it accrued US$ 50 million in losses. On January 29, 2014, the new ownership group announced that the team would change its name to the "Arizona Coyotes" for the 2014–15 season. According to Coyotes club president Anthony LeBlanc, the change was made to reflect

12408-409: The City of Glendale. The team paid the bills the next day, citing "unfortunate human error" as the cause of the issue. In late January 2022, the Coyotes were in talks with Arizona State University (ASU) to use their new 5,000-seat arena as a temporary home arena for the next few years. On February 10, 2022, the Coyotes signed a three-year agreement to play their games at Mullett Arena , starting with

12596-543: The Coyotes beyond the 2021–22 season, as the team's lease had been renewed each year since 2016. The franchise entered negotiations with Tempe to develop a new arena on an old solid waste compost yard, but the terrain had problems regarding environmental remediation . On September 3, they submitted a proposal to build a new arena in Tempe. On December 8, 2021, the Coyotes were informed that they would be locked out of Gila River Arena on December 20, 2021, if they did not pay $ 1.3 million owed in taxes, including $ 250,000 to

12784-406: The Coyotes later revived the "Roadrunners" nickname for their American Hockey League affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners . In the summer the move occurred the team added established superstar Jeremy Roenick from the Chicago Blackhawks , in exchange for trading Alexei Zhamnov . Roenick teamed up with power wingers Keith Tkachuk and Rick Tocchet to form a dynamic 1–2–3 offensive punch that led

12972-411: The Coyotes should a deal with the city for a new lease and new ownership not be decided by July 2, 2013. The plan was to move the franchise to a new city, likely Seattle . On July 2, 2013, by a vote of 4–3, the Glendale City Council approved a 15-year lease agreement with Renaissance Sports and Entertainment (RSE), which purchased the team from the NHL for US$ 225 million by August 5, 2013. The members of

13160-406: The Coyotes staff. In August 2016, Dawn Braid was hired as the Coyotes' skating coach, making her the first female full-time coach in the NHL. On November 14, 2016, the Coyotes announced plans to build a new arena in Tempe, Arizona , which was scheduled to be completed for the 2019–20 NHL season. The project would have included an adjoining 4,000-seat arena to be used for Coyotes practices and as

13348-508: The Coyotes through their first years in Arizona. Also impressive were young players like Shane Doan (he eventually was the last remaining player from the team's days in Winnipeg), Oleg Tverdovsky , and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin , whom the fans nicknamed the "Bulin Wall". Another key addition to the squad was veteran forward Mike Gartner , who had joined from the Toronto Maple Leafs . Despite his experience and scoring his 700th career goal on December 15, 1997, Gartner battled injuries in

13536-475: The Cup for Dallas. The Blues ended the 1990s as the only NHL team to make the playoffs for the entire decade, although a Stanley Cup title still eluded the franchise. Defenseman Chris Pronger (acquired from the Hartford Whalers in 1995 for Brendan Shanahan ), Keith Tkachuk , Pavol Demitra , Pierre Turgeon , Al MacInnis and goaltender Roman Turek kept the Blues a contender in the NHL. In 1999–2000 ,

13724-486: The Edmonton Oilers, but were shut-out 5–0 before a sellout crowd of 15,015. On April 11, 2007, CEO Jeff Shumway announced that General Manager Michael Barnett (Gretzky's agent for over 20 years), senior executive vice president of hockey operations Cliff Fletcher and San Antonio Rampage 's general manager and Coyotes' assistant general manager Laurence Gilman "have been relieved of their duties". The Coyotes finished

13912-519: The Jets to Phoenix instead. Minnesota was ultimately awarded an expansion team in 1997, the Minnesota Wild . After the franchise considered "Mustangs", "Outlaws", "Wranglers" and "Freeze", a name-the-team contest yielded the official name " Coyotes ". At the time, the name was largely seen as play on the Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner since Phoenix

14100-459: The Los Angeles Kings (who eventually went on to win the Cup that year) in game five of a 4–1 series. In December 2008, the media became aware the Coyotes were suffering massive losses and that the NHL was paying the team's bills. The media reports were minimized by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and vice-president Bill Daly. However, Moyes had secretly given operational control of the team to

14288-425: The NHL Board of Governors for the sale and transfer of the club. However, the NHL Board of Governors rejected the deal by a 15–3 vote on May 18. feeling that Saskatoon was not big enough to support an NHL team, and also wary of Hunter's involvement based on his roles in the WHA. Ralston then filed a $ 60 million anti-trust lawsuit in U.S. District Court, claiming that the NHL broke federal antitrust laws and breached

14476-518: The NHL for most of the Jets' existence and became the smallest after the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995 to become the Colorado Avalanche . In addition, the club's home arena, Winnipeg Arena , was one of the smallest in the league; seating just under 15,400 people. It was over 40 years old and had no luxury suites. Despite strong fan support, owner Barry Shenkarow was forced to put

14664-455: The NHL in attendance. In 2010–11, the team sold out every home game. The Blues have worn blue and white jerseys with the famous "Blue Note" crest and gold accents since their inception in 1967. From 1967 to 1984, the Blues jerseys featured a lighter shade of blue along with contrasting shoulder yoke and stripes. The blue jerseys lacked the contrasting yoke until 1979. In 1984, the Blues drastically redesigned their look, adding red and darkening

14852-607: The NHL's permission, the Coyotes were making efforts to relocate to Salt Lake City, Utah , following concerns about an indefinite timeframe for finding a new arena and the effects of continued play at Mullett Arena, in the interim. This led to the NHL buying the franchise then reselling it to Ryan Smith , owner of the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA), for a reported $ 1.2 billion. Of that payment, $ 1 billion went to Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo for

15040-527: The NHL, while Reinsdorf had won the approval of the City of Glendale. On May 7, 2010, ESPN.com reported the Reinsdorf bid had fallen apart and that the City of Glendale was working with Ice Edge to purchase the team in a last-ditch effort to keep them in Arizona. The National Post criticized both bids, as they were conditional on municipal taxpayers covering any losses the Coyotes might incur, and suggested that keeping

15228-460: The Oilers in the division finals. Two seasons later , they dispatched the Flames in the first round, only to be swept again by the Oilers in the division finals. The franchise did not win another playoff series for 25 years. The Jets ran into financial trouble when player salaries began spiralling up in the 1990s; this hit the Canadian teams particularly hard. Winnipeg was the second-smallest market in

15416-469: The Philadelphia Flyers by giving away Jori Lehtera . Before the season began, the Blues were hit hard with injuries as they lost Robby Fabbri before the season began. Other players like Patrik Berglund , and Alex Steen did not return in time for the season. Despite these losses, the Blues raced out to a 21–8–2 start in their first 31 games. The Blues lost more players as Jay Bouwmeester suffered

15604-477: The Phoenix Coyotes after Wayne Gretzky stepped down hours before. In just 61 games, Tippett led the Coyotes to more wins in their 2009–10 regular season (37) than their previous season (36), en route to the first 50-win season in the franchise's NHL history. On March 27, 2010, the Coyotes clinched a playoff spot, their first playoff spot since the 2001–02 season, and in the process, reached the 100-point mark for

15792-523: The Phoenix area for the 2011–12 season after another $ 25 million payment by the City of Glendale. Also in 2011, former Coyotes bidders True North Sports and Entertainment purchased the Atlanta Thrashers and moved them to Winnipeg, thus ending any possibility that the Coyotes would return to Manitoba. As part of the transaction, the NHL agreed to transfer the Jets' name, logos, and related trademarks from

15980-537: The Roadrunners from Tucson to Mullett Arena (either part-time or full-time) before rescinding those comments the next day, stating that he "spoke too soon". The lease agreement with Mullett Arena is specifically for an NHL team, and any adjustments to the lease agreement with the ASU -owned arena would need to be approved by the Arizona Board of Regents . Furthermore, Tucson city officials received no communication from Meruelo on

16168-486: The Roadrunners retired Cunningham's No. 14 jersey during a pregame ceremony. After one season, Lamb was released and replaced by Mike Van Ryn , the player development coach with the Coyotes. Under Van Ryn, the Roadrunners finished in first place in the Pacific Division but were eliminated by the Texas Stars in the division finals of the 2018 Calder Cup playoffs . Van Ryn then left to pursue other coaching opportunities and

16356-465: The St. Louis Arena came under the control of the owners of the Chicago Black Hawks . The Black Hawks treated St. Louis as a secondary market, placing minor league affiliates there and even playing a few NHL games in St. Louis during the 1950s while the team still struggled to sell tickets at Chicago Stadium . The Blues were one of the six teams added to the NHL in the 1967 expansion , along with

16544-696: The Stanley Cup Finals by the Montreal Canadiens in 1969 and then by the Boston Bruins in 1970 . While the first Blues teams included fading veterans like Doug Harvey , Don McKenney and Dickie Moore , the goaltending tandem of veterans Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante proved more durable, winning a Vezina Trophy in 1969 behind a sterling defense that featured players like skilled defensive forward Jim Roberts , team captain Al Arbour and hardrock brothers Bob and Barclay Plager . Phil Goyette won

16732-529: The Stanley Cup Finals. In fact, they made it to the conference finals only two times in their streak (1986 and 2001). Amid several questionable personnel moves and an unstable ownership situation, the Blues finished the 2005–06 season with their worst record in 27 years. They missed the playoffs for only the fourth time in franchise history. Moreover, for the first time in club history, the normally excellent support seen by St. Louisans began to decrease, with crowds normally numbering around 12,000, notably less than

16920-471: The Western Conference and second in the NHL. However, as the season was put on pause due to the pandemic, no team would play the full 82 games. Instead, a round-robin tournament for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs was organized, starting in August 2020. In the round-robin tournament for the four top-seeded teams of the conference, the Blues failed to get a win, and thus despite having the best regular season record in

17108-412: The acquisition of the legendary-but-aging Wayne Gretzky and goaltender Grant Fuhr , both from the declining Los Angeles Kings . During the season, he publicly criticized Gretzky, who entered free agency after the season, declined an offer from the Blues, and took a less lucrative contract with the New York Rangers . Ultimately, Keenan's playoff resume with St. Louis included a first-round exit in 1995 and

17296-561: The beginning of the 2006–07 season , the Blues looked to be competitive in the Central Division. However, injuries plagued the team all season, and the lack of a bona fide scorer hampered them as well. Fan support was sluggish during the first half of the campaign, and the end of the calendar year was capped by an 11-game losing streak. On December 11, 2006, the Blues fired head coach Mike Kitchen and replaced him with former Los Angeles Kings head coach Andy Murray . Davidson also installed

17484-415: The bench in a game against the Anaheim Ducks , and would not come back to play again in the season. The game against Anaheim was suspended during the first period and postponed to March 11. This ended up being the Blues' last game in the regular season, as the season would be cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic shortly afterwards. The Blues had remained in strong form throughout the season, finishing first in

17672-461: The best of the expansion teams; however, it was only good enough for second place in the West as St. Louis finished 20 points behind Chicago. The Blues would go on to be upset by the North Stars in six games, thus failing to advance past the first round for the first time in franchise history. Arbour, who officially retired as a player after the 1970–71 season, would remain behind the Blues' bench for

17860-485: The bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Blues began to turn things around behind the solid goaltending of Chris Mason . After a strong second-half run, the Blues made the 2009 playoffs on April 10, 2009, after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3–1. On April 12, the Blues clinched the sixth seed in the West with a 1–0 win against the Colorado Avalanche. For the first time in five years (that is, since

18048-471: The box office in Chicago, thus St. Louis was no longer useful as a secondary market. Nevertheless, the Black Hawks owners still owned the St. Louis Arena. They sought to unload what was then a decrepit facility which had not been well-maintained since the 1940s, and thus pressed the NHL to give the franchise to St. Louis, which had not submitted a formal expansion bid. The Black Hawks owners felt they could establish

18236-484: The city of Mesa about a potential arena at the Fiesta Mall site, but that plan was ultimately rejected for unknown reasons. In January 2024, Scottsdale mayor David Ortega announced his opposition to a Coyotes' proposal, which planned an arena in northern Phoenix near the border of Scottsdale. Following this, the Coyotes initially stated on social media their commitment to keeping the team in Arizona. They announced that

18424-459: The conference, they ended up being the fourth seed in the Western Conference. In the first round of the playoffs, they faced the Vancouver Canucks , to whom they lost in six games. In the hiatus preceding the NHL's Return to Play, several Blues players contracted COVID-19 , which was cited by the coaching staff as one of the reasons why their play faltered in the playoffs. On September 2, 2020,

18612-455: The counter-suit "ridiculous" and gave the NHL an ultimatum: if the NHL would not accept Hunter's offer by June 14, Ralston would dissolve the team and sell its players and assets to other teams. The Board of Governors rejected the offer and "terminated" the team on June 13, one day before Ralston's supposed deadline. It then took control of the franchise and began searching for a new owner. League president John Ziegler said they would try to keep

18800-461: The division when play was suspended and later canceled. Prior to the postponed start of the 2020–21 season , head coach Varady joined the Coyotes' staff as an assistant coach and assistant Steve Potvin was promoted to head coach of the Roadrunners. Varady returned to the Roadrunners as head coach before the 2021–22 season . Following the season, Varady departed for the Detroit Red Wings as an assistant coach, with Potvin being renamed as head coach for

18988-416: The duty of good faith and fair dealing by voting to reject the sale and transfer of the Blues to Hunter's group. They also requested that the court allow them to give up the team and bar the NHL from interfering with the sale of the team. On June 3, Ralston announced that it had no interest in running the team anymore. Because they were not required to participate in the 1983 NHL entry draft , they did not send

19176-549: The emergence of the eventual Calder Trophy nominee, rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington . On May 21, the Blues advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1970 , defeating the San Jose Sharks in a six-game conference finals series. On May 29, the Blues won a Stanley Cup Finals series game for the first time in franchise history after getting swept in three previous series (1968–1970), when they defeated

19364-471: The end of the season, when they gained most points in the league from February 1, when Hitchcock was fired, to the end of the season, the Blues were eliminated in the second round by the Nashville Predators in six games. In the off-season for the 2017–18 season , the Blues would lose David Perron to the Vegas Golden Knights via an expansion draft . They would also pick up Brayden Schenn from

19552-452: The era for size and had good sight lines for the game. After an ice plant was installed, the minor league St. Louis Flyers began play there in 1929. St. Louis soon began to attract the interest as a potential NHL market, eventually leading the owners of the moribund Ottawa Senators to move there for the 1934-35 season . The move proved both ill-conceived and ill-timed, as the renamed St. Louis Eagles continued to lose money. Their situation

19740-419: The eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Los Angeles Kings , in the following round. In 2012–13 , the Blues completed the lockout -shortened season in fourth place in the Western Conference. They were again eliminated by Los Angeles, however, this time in six games in the first round of the playoffs, despite taking an initial 2–0 series lead. The following season, 2013–14 , the team hit the 100-point mark for

19928-429: The fact the team is no longer located within Phoenix city limits and to include all hockey fans in the state of Arizona. Aside from a new shoulder patch, the team's uniform design did not change. The name officially changed on June 27. Following the conclusion of the 2013–14 season , it was reported that lackluster revenue from parking and non-hockey events enabled the City of Glendale to recoup just $ 4.4 million, which

20116-523: The fate of the Coyotes and the holding company. Two potential bidders for the team surfaced, Reinsdorf and Ice Edge Holdings, but they did not submit a bid for the team. Instead, the NHL put in the only rival bid to Balsillie for the team, while it contended the Moyes–Balsillie deal violated NHL rules. The bankruptcy court voided the planned sale to Balsillie, accepting the NHL's argument that bankruptcy could not be used to circumvent NHL rules. The NHL's bid

20304-428: The first round of the 2011 playoffs , losing the series in four games. On April 7, 2012, the Coyotes defeated the Minnesota Wild 4–1 to win the Pacific Division title – their first and only division title as an NHL team (in Winnipeg or Phoenix). This gave them the third seed in the West, and with it home-ice advantage in a playoff series for only the third time in franchise history. In the first round, they defeated

20492-477: The first round, they faced the Coachella Valley Firebirds , where they lost in a win-or-go-home game 3. In the 2023–24 season , the Roadrunners had rookie Josh Doan and goalie Matthew Villalta represent them for the 2024 AHL All-Star Game. Doan finished the regular season with 26 goals and 20 assists for 46 points in 62 games, as his 26 goals ranked first on the Roadrunners along with all rookies in

20680-407: The first time ever as an NHL team, and the first time overall since the 1977–78 (WHA) Jets scored 102 points. They finished with 107 points, the highest point total in the franchise's 38-year history. This was good enough for fourth overall in the NHL, tying the 1984–85 Jets for the franchise's highest finish as an NHL team. They also qualified for the fourth seed in the Western Conference, giving them

20868-439: The first-round series in six games. This marked the second-straight year the Blues lost in the first round of the playoffs to the reigning champions in six games after leading the series 2–0. In 2014–15 , the Blues won their second Central Division championship in four years and faced the Minnesota Wild in round one of the 2015 playoffs . However, for the third straight year, they lost in the first round and in six games. During

21056-456: The franchise at the arena for that game. A proposal by the Coyotes to build a new arena in Tempe was rejected by residents of the city on May 16, 2023. The arena was estimated to cost $ 2.1 billion, with $ 1.9 billion of the cost privately funded. Despite speculation on immediate relocation, the team remained in Arizona, playing at Mullett Arena during the 2023–24 NHL season . The Coyotes spoke with

21244-417: The franchise in 1966, Salomon then spent several million dollars on extensive renovations for the 38-year-old arena, expanding it from 12,000 seats to 15,000. Lynn Patrick initially served as general manager and head coach. However, he resigned as head coach in late November after recording a 4–13–2 record. He was replaced by assistant coach Scotty Bowman , who thereafter led the team to a winning record for

21432-480: The frequent blown leads after two periods, and with the worst home record (6–13–3) posted in the entire NHL. After his duties as interim coach for the rest of the 2009–10 season , Davis Payne was named the 23rd head coach in the Blues' history on April 14. Payne was previously the head coach of the Blues top minor league affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League (AHL). On March 17, 2011, it

21620-520: The game, the Blues lost to the Avalanche 5–2 as they missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years. During the 2018 off-season, the Blues acquired forward Ryan O'Reilly from the Buffalo Sabres via trade and re-signed Perron to a third stint with the team in free agency, while also signing forwards Tyler Bozak , St. Louis native Pat Maroon , and goaltender Chad Johnson . On November 19, 2018,

21808-589: The home for the Arizona State University hockey team. However, the arena project was withdrawn when ASU pulled out of the deal in February 2017. At the end of the 2016–17 season, Barroway bought out the rest of the IceArizona ownership group and became the sole owner of the franchise. Following the transfer, former IceArizona CEO Anthony LeBlanc and the director of hockey operations Gary Drummond both left

21996-583: The intended move, nor did the Roadrunners franchise. On May 28, 2024, the Roadrunners initially announced that they would play six of its 36 home games during the 2024–25 season at Mullett Arena, but later announced they would play all 36 of their home games in Tucson, following the decision by the Arizona State Land Department to cancel their June 27 land auction. The city of Tucson and the Roadrunners also agreed on an amended license agreement to keep

22184-423: The latter half of the 1997–98 season. The Coyotes did not renew his contract and he retired at the end of the season. After arriving in Phoenix, the team posted six consecutive .500 or better seasons, making the playoffs in every year but one. The one time they did not make the playoffs, in 2000–01 , they became the first team to earn 90 points and miss the playoffs. The Coyotes' original home, America West Arena ,

22372-487: The league-owned Coyotes to True North and the Thrashers thus becoming the "new" Winnipeg Jets . However, the original Jets' history remains with the Coyotes organization. The 2012–13 NHL lockout provided another opportunity for the Coyotes to find a potential owner and avoid relocation while the NHL suspended team operations during the labor dispute. A deal to former San Jose Sharks owner Greg Jamison had been drafted just as

22560-532: The league. In May 2009, Moyes put the team into bankruptcy hours before Bettman was to present him an offer to sell the team to Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf . Moyes intended to sell the team to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie , who in turn intended to purchase the team out of bankruptcy and move it to Hamilton, Ontario . The NHL responded by stripping Moyes of his remaining ownership authority. From May until September 2009, hearings were held in Phoenix bankruptcy court to determine

22748-462: The lockout ended, but failed to be finalized and fulfilled by January 31, 2013. The deal would have kept the Coyotes in Phoenix for the next 20 years relying on a taxpayer subsidy, according to the agreement. It would also have had "Phoenix" dropped from the name and instead used "Arizona". California investment executive Darin Pastor also submitted a bid to purchase the Coyotes. His bid proposed to keep

22936-417: The majority owner on July 29, 2019, later becoming the franchise's sole owner following the arrest of minority owner Andrew Barroway . The team failed to gain long-term stability despite the relocation to the state of Arizona, enduring multiple changes in ownership and struggling for a profitable arena for home games. The NHL took over the Phoenix Coyotes franchise in 2009 when then-owner Jerry Moyes gave up

23124-450: The move to Mullett Arena but had been rediscovered by a local fan), and following the end of the game the fans gave the outgoing team a standing ovation, and the players, in turn, spent over an hour afterward on the ice giving away team apparel and equipment (also signing a majority of the fan gifts), as well as taking a final team picture on the ice and taking turns hugging and thanking longtime equipment manager Stan Wilson, who had moved with

23312-580: The name of the team's home venue to the St. Louis Arena. To date, this is the closest that an NHL team has come to folding since the Cleveland Barons merged with the Minnesota North Stars after the 1977–78 season. Ornest ran the Blues very cheaply, though the players did not mind. According to Sutter, they wanted to stay in St. Louis because it reminded them of the rural Canadian towns where many of them grew up. For instance, Ornest asked many players to defer their salaries to help meet operating costs, but

23500-502: The next two seasons. The Berenson trade did bring then- Detroit Red Wings star center Garry Unger , who ultimately scored 30 goals in eight consecutive seasons while breaking the NHL's consecutive games played record . Defensively, however, the Blues were less than stellar and saw Chicago and the Philadelphia Flyers overtake the Division. After missing the playoffs for the first time in 1973–74 ,

23688-521: The off-season, forward T. J. Oshie was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Troy Brouwer . In 2015–16 , the Blues finished in second place in the Central Division to the Dallas Stars . The Blues took on the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks in the first-round series. The Blues jumped to a 3–1 series lead, but struggled in games 5 and 6. However, St. Louis ended their first-round losing streak by beating Chicago 3–2 in game 7 of

23876-521: The old St. Louis Eagles played, and which the original owners had to buy as a condition of the 1967 NHL expansion. The St. Louis Blues are one of the more successful NHL teams in terms of attendance. After the 2004–05 lockout , the Blues' attendance suffered, but has since improved every year since its all-time low in 2006–07 . In 2009–10 , despite not having a playoff year, the Blues had an average attendance of 18,883 (98.6% total capacity), selling out 34 of its 40 home games, which placed them seventh in

24064-423: The only team in the four major North American sports (ice hockey, basketball, baseball, and American football) to be owned by a private equity firm. Following the disappointing 2005–06 season, which saw the Blues with the worst record in the NHL, the new management focused on rebuilding the franchise. Under new management, the Blues promptly installed John Davidson as president of hockey operations, moving Pleau to

24252-511: The only untouchables on the Blues during that era. By 1986 , the team reached the Campbell Conference finals against the Flames. Doug Wickenheiser 's overtime goal in game 6 to cap a furious comeback remains one of the greatest moments in team history (known locally as the " Monday Night Miracle "), but the Blues lost game 7, 2–1. Years later, Sutter argued that had the Blues made it to the Stanley Cup Finals , they would have likely beaten

24440-545: The only way they could pay him back was to give their best on the ice every night. The Blues' successes in the late 1960s, however, did not continue into the 1970s. The Stanley Cup playoff format changed in such a way that a Western team was no longer guaranteed a Finals berth, and also the Chicago Black Hawks were moved into the Western Division following the 1970 expansion. The Blues lost Bowman, who left during

24628-547: The organization. On June 19, 2017, the Coyotes opted not to re-sign long time captain Shane Doan, who had been with the franchise since they were the Winnipeg Jets. The Coyotes left Doan a standing offer to remain with the team in a non-playing role. On June 22, 2017, head coach Dave Tippett left his positions within the Coyotes after eight seasons, and was succeeded by Rick Tocchet on July 11, 2017. On December 4, 2018, it

24816-401: The ownership was intent on winning a land auction for 110 acres (45 ha) of state-owned land between Scottsdale Road and Loop 101 in Phoenix to build an arena. However, the auction had been delayed from January to June 2024, which likely played a part into the ownership's final decision with the franchise near the end of the 2023–24 season. On April 10, 2024, it was reported that, with

25004-434: The plan after a land auction was canceled. The Roadrunners announced they would remain in Tucson as the AHL affiliate for the Utah team, with Meruelo retaining his ownership of the Roadrunners. On April 19, 2016, the Arizona Coyotes announced that they had reached an agreement to purchase their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons , and would relocate the team to Tucson for the 2016–17 season. Said purchase and relocation

25192-601: The players always got paid in the end. During most of Ornest's tenure, the Blues had only 26 players under contract–23 in St. Louis, plus three on their farm team, the Montana Magic . Most NHL teams during the mid-1980s had over 60 players under contract. Despite operating on a shoestring, the Blues remained competitive even though they never finished more than six games over .500 in Ornest's three years as owner. During this time, Doug Gilmour , drafted by St. Louis in 1982 , emerged as

25380-455: The players that had jumped to the upstart league, and the Jets lost most of their best players in the ensuing reclamation draft. As a result, they finished last in the NHL during their first two seasons, including a nine-win season in 1980–81 that is still the worst in franchise history. However, they recovered fairly quickly, making the playoffs 11 times in the next 15 seasons. But the Jets only won two playoff series, largely because they were in

25568-416: The playoffs. Under the expansion playoff format, Bowman's leadership was enough as the Blues qualified for the playoffs in their inaugural season. Although they had finished in third place, St. Louis was regarded as fairly evenly matched with the other three Western qualifiers since only four points separated first and fourth place. Ultimately, it was the Blues who prevailed by winning in seven games each over

25756-520: The regular season, which is the highest number of games that the Roadrunners have played against any opponent. The Roadrunners current record against the Gulls is 38–31–2–1, with the Roadrunners winning the 2023–24 season series 7–1–0–0. Updated November 27, 2024. Figures are updated as of the conclusion of the 2023–24 season. These are the top-ten point-scorers for the Tucson Roadrunners in

25944-589: The renovations made to Climate Pledge Arena before the Kraken began play in the NHL two seasons prior. On April 12, 2024, ahead of a 3–2 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place , general manager Bill Armstrong officially disclosed the news of the team's impending sale and relocation to Coyotes players and staff. Five days later, on April 17, the Coyotes played their final game at Mullett Arena, and ultimately their last game before deactivation, against

26132-425: The rest of the season. Like the other five expansion teams, the Blues' roster consisted primarily of castoffs from the Original Six and players who had previously never managed to break out of the minor leagues. As part of the expansion, the NHL had agreed to put all of the expansion teams in the new Western Division , an arrangement which was intended to ensure all of the new teams all had an equal chance of reaching

26320-490: The result of financial decisions made when the Salomons first acquired the franchise. The deferred contracts came due just as the Blues' performance began to slip. At one point, the Salomons cut the team's staff down to three employees. One of them was Emile Francis , who served as team president, general manager and head coach. In hopes of saving the franchise, Francis persuaded St. Louis-based pet food giant Ralston Purina to buy

26508-475: The revised statute becoming effective August 29, 2019. In the 2019–20 season , the Blues suffered an early blow as forward Vladimir Tarasenko suffered a season-ending injury on October 24. However, they would continue their strong play even despite being plagued with various other injuries, consistently remaining at or near the top of the Western Conference. On February 12, 2020, the Blues suffered another loss as defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suddenly collapsed on

26696-504: The sale (with Meruelo agreeing to refund the money to the NHL as an expansion fee should his efforts to locate a new home for the franchise succeed) and $ 200 million went to the NHL's other 31 owners, as the equivalent of a relocation fee. The Utah team will play its home games at the Jazz's home arena, the Delta Center . Renovations will be required to make it the team's permanent home, similar to

26884-402: The same Oilers team. With the fans engaging in one last Whiteout (and audibly heard chanting phrases such as "Salt Lake sucks" and "we love you Coyotes" throughout the game), the Coyotes won 5–2, with Sean Durzi scoring the final goal of the team's first incarnation, into an empty net . Amongst the events of the game, Shane Doan was given his retirement banner (which had been lost by the team in

27072-440: The same division as the powerful Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames . Because of the way the playoffs were structured for much of their Winnipeg run, the team was all but assured of having to defeat either the Oilers or the Flames (or both) to reach the conference finals. In 1984–85 , for instance, they finished with the fourth-best record in the NHL with 96 points, at the time their best as an NHL team. However, they were swept by

27260-562: The second round 2–4 after beating the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round 3–2. The Blues would underachieve greatly the following year as they posted a 32–40–8, but they beat the Winnipeg Jets 3–1 in the Norris Division semifinals before dropping to the Chicago Black Hawks in the Norris Division 2–4. While the Blues had returned to respectability on the ice, they were struggling off it. Ralston Purina lost an estimated $ 1.8 million

27448-540: The second-best regular season record in the entire league in 1990–91, the Blues were upset in the second round of the playoffs to the Minnesota North Stars , a defeat that was symbolic of St. Louis' playoff struggles. Mike Keenan was hired as both general manager and coach before the abbreviated 1994–95 season , with the hope that he could end the postseason turmoil that Blues fans had endured for years. Keenan instituted major changes, including trades that sent away fan favorites Brendan Shanahan and Curtis Joseph, as well as

27636-426: The second-worst record in the NHL. On June 10, 2015, Glendale City Council voted to terminate its 15-year, $ 225 million agreement with the Coyotes. The city claimed "It was entitled to terminate the agreement because two former city employees, Craig Tindall and Julie Frisoni, were involved in securing the deal and later worked for the Coyotes." On July 23, 2015, it was announced the Coyotes and City Council had agreed on

27824-455: The series. They moved on to the next round, where they defeated the Dallas Stars in another seven-game series to advance to their first conference finals since 2001. The Blues season would come to an end at the hands of the San Jose Sharks , who eliminated them in six games. On June 13, 2016, it was announced that Mike Yeo would replace Hitchcock as head coach of the Blues following the 2016–17 season . The 2016 off-season saw big changes for

28012-401: The shade of blue. Initially, the front of the jersey featured the team name above the crest logo, but was removed in 1987. In addition, the contrasting shoulder yoke was removed. For the 1994–95 season, the Blues introduced a more radical jersey set, featuring red in a more prominent role. The jersey introduced the short-lived trumpet logo on the shoulders and featured thin diagonal stripes on

28200-488: The sixth time in franchise history, and gained a franchise record of 52 wins. Their chance of winning the Central Division title, the top seed in the West, and the Presidents' Trophy would all evaporate, after they lost their final six games and wound up in second place in the Division, this time to the Colorado Avalanche. The slump haunted them, as they blew a 2–0 series lead to the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks , losing

28388-418: The starting goaltender position with Mikael Tellqvist acting as the backup goaltender. Neither Auld or Aebischer were able to hold on to the starting position, leaving the Coyotes to turn to the waiver wire for assistance. On November 17, 2007, the Coyotes were able to claim Ilya Bryzgalov off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks . Bryzgalov responded by not only starting in goal the day he was acquired but posting

28576-406: The strain of playing in a conference where seven teams finished with more than 100 points kept them out of the playoffs for the second year in a row. Just before the 2007 NHL trade deadline , the Blues traded several key players, including Bill Guerin, Keith Tkachuk and Dennis Wideman , in exchange for draft picks, though they re-signed Tkachuk after the season ended. Brad Boyes , picked up from

28764-485: The tail and sleeves. The bottom of the numbers taper off to give way to the aforementioned stripes. An updated version of the blue sweater, produced by Adidas, was brought back in 2019 as their "90s Vintage Jersey." Before the 1997–98 season, the Blues introduced a new alternate white jersey. The jersey brought back the contrasting shoulder yoke and returned to the lighter blue of previous eras. It also replaced red with navy blue as an accent color. A corresponding blue jersey

28952-401: The team after filing for bankruptcy . The NHL maintained control of the franchise until 2013 when they found new ownership willing to keep it in Arizona. Despite a difficult working relationship with the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, the Coyotes were able to secure a year-to-year arrangement to play in the facility up until the end of the 2021–22 season. Negotiations with the city deteriorated, and

29140-411: The team from Winnipeg in 1996. The following day, the sale and relocation was officially approved, and the team was officially deactivated until further notice. St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis . The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference . The franchise

29328-501: The team in Phoenix was never economically viable. In July 2010, the Ice Edge bid collapsed because it did not satisfy Glendale's financial conditions. Ice Edge decided to concentrate on an effort to purchase a minor league team. The City of Glendale had to step in and guarantee the team's losses for 2010–11 as a precondition of the NHL not transferring the franchise. A consortium of investors led by Chicago investor Matt Hulsizer then reached

29516-470: The team in St. Louis. However, had the league not found a new owner by August 6, it would dissolve the team and hold a dispersal draft for the players. On July 27, 1983, ten days before the deadline, the NHL approved a bid from businessman Harry Ornest and a group of St. Louis-based investors for the team and the arena. Ornest had made plans to buy the team as early as March, but built up his efforts in late June to have enough money. Ornest immediately reverted

29704-576: The team in Tucson through the 2026–2027 season, adding a year upon their original ten-year lease at the Tucson Convention Center. However, following the decision by Alex Meruelo to walk away from his Coyotes ownership, reports emerged that once a new arena for the Meruelo-owned Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada was ready (with an expected completion date of 2026), the Roadrunners could potentially be relocated there. The Roadrunners consider

29892-450: The team in the Glendale area while engaging young hockey players in the region through school partnerships and scholarship efforts. The NHL rejected Pastor's bid on May 13, 2013, citing the bid was "inconsistent with what we had previously indicated were the minimum prerequisites" of a bid. Because the team had been in bankruptcy since 2009 and lost revenue each year, the NHL planned to move

30080-451: The team notched a franchise-record 114 points during the regular season, earning the Presidents' Trophy for the League's best record. However, they were stunned by the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2000 playoffs in seven games. In 2001 , the Blues advanced to the conference finals before bowing out in five games to the eventual champions, the Colorado Avalanche . Nonetheless,

30268-421: The team on the market. Several attempts to keep the team in Winnipeg fell through. In October 1995, Minnesota businessmen Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke purchased the team with plans to move it to Minneapolis–St. Paul , which had lost the Minnesota North Stars in 1993, for the 1996–97 season . However, in December, after they were unable to secure a lease at Minneapolis' Target Center , they opted to move

30456-403: The team on the market. While there were a number of interested parties, none had enough cash to meet Ralston's asking price. On January 12, 1983, Batoni-Hunter Enterprises Ltd., led by WHA and Edmonton Oilers founder Bill Hunter , tendered an offer to buy the team. Hunter intended to build a $ 43 million, 18,000-seat arena in his hometown of Saskatoon , Saskatchewan , to house the team in time for

30644-476: The team remained competitive for the next three years, despite never advancing beyond the second round. Despite years of mediocrity and the stigma of never being able to "take the next step," the Blues were a playoff presence every year from 1980 to 2004 – the third-longest streak in North American professional sports history (all three of which being held by NHL teams). However, they never made an appearance in

30832-459: The team subsequently signed an agreement to play their games at Mullett Arena on the campus of Arizona State University , starting with the 2022–23 season. The arrangement was intended to be brief, lasting only up until a new arena was built in Tempe, but the arena proposal was rejected by the city's residents in May 2023. Amid growing pressure to resolve the arena situation and to find an alternative to

31020-467: The team suffering massive financial losses (as much as $ 40 million a year at one point); the Coyotes have yet to recover from the resulting financial problems. Ellman put forward numerous proposals to improve the hockey sightlines in America West Arena in hopes of boosting capacity back over the 17,000 mark. However, none of these got beyond the planning stages, leading Ellman to commit to building

31208-401: The team's financial woes. In 2001, Burke sold the team to Phoenix-area developer Steve Ellman, with Wayne Gretzky as a part-owner and head of hockey operations. The closest that they came to advancing past the first round during their first decade in Arizona was during the 1999 playoffs . After building a 3–1 series lead, the Coyotes fell in overtime of game 7 on a goal by Pierre Turgeon of

31396-510: The team's normal high (about 18,000 in a 19,500-seat arena). Wal-Mart heir Nancy Walton Laurie and her husband Bill purchased the Blues in 1999. On June 17, 2005, the Lauries announced that they would sell the team. Bill Laurie, a former point guard at Memphis State University , had long desired to buy and move a National Basketball Association (NBA) team to St. Louis (coming close to achieving this in 1999, with an unsuccessful attempt to purchase

31584-406: The team, arena, and the $ 8.8 million debt. The Salomons sold the Blues to Ralston on July 27, 1977. However, longtime Ralston Purina chairman R. Hal Dean said that he intended to keep the Blues as a Ralston subsidiary only temporarily until a more stable owner who would keep the team in St. Louis could be found. Ralston renamed the arena the "Checkerdome." After two awful years, including what is still

31772-484: The team. On December 27, 2005, it was announced that the Blues had signed a letter of intent to exclusively negotiate with General Sports and Entertainment, LLC. However, after the period of exclusivity, SCP entered the picture again. On March 24, 2006, the Lauries completed the sale of the Blues and the lease to the Savvis Center to SCP and TowerBrook Capital Partners , L.P., a private equity firm. The Blues are currently

31960-432: The then- Vancouver Grizzlies ), and it was thought that this desire caused him to neglect the Blues. On September 29, 2005, it was announced that the Lauries had signed an agreement to sell the Blues to SCP Worldwide, a consulting and investment group headed by former Madison Square Garden president Dave Checketts . On November 14, 2005, the Blues announced that SCP Worldwide had officially withdrawn from negotiations to buy

32148-631: The year the Springfield Falcons relocated to Tucson in 2016. On June 21, 2016, Mark Lamb was hired as the team's first head coach after holding the same position with the Western Hockey League 's Swift Current Broncos since 2009. Mark Hardy was hired as an assistant coach. The team named its first president Brian Sandy, along with three other key staff members, on July 18. On July 20, the Roadrunners announced their first general manager, Doug Soetaert , promoted from his former position as

32336-407: Was also declared insufficient, but the judge left the window open to an improved bid. Moyes and the NHL settled, with the NHL purchasing the team and assuming all debts. The NHL negotiated a temporary lease with the City of Glendale, which owns Gila River Arena. The NHL then negotiated with Reinsdorf and Ice Edge toward a deal with Glendale. Ice Edge signed a letter of intent to purchase the team from

32524-409: Was announced that the St. Louis Blues were for sale. During the 2011 off-season, the team signed many key free agents, including Brian Elliott , Scott Nichol , Kent Huskins , Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner . They fired their head coach, Davis Payne, and named Ken Hitchcock as his replacement on November 6, 2011. David Backes was also announced as the new team captain. On March 17, 2012,

32712-487: Was announced that the team would move to the Central Division in 2021, changing divisions for the second time since relocating to Arizona, as part of a league realignment following the addition of the Seattle Kraken . The team previously played in the Central Division for their first two seasons following their relocation from Winnipeg in 1996. On December 20, 2018, the team extended their lease in Gila River Arena through

32900-481: Was announced that, after going much of the season without a captain, defenseman Eric Brewer was chosen as the team's 19th captain. The team later traded veteran defenseman Bryce Salvador to the New Jersey Devils for enforcer , and St. Louis native, Cam Janssen . He made his debut two days later, wearing number 55 against the Phoenix Coyotes . After spending the first half of the 2008–09 season at or near

33088-523: Was brought back on a free agent deal, while defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was named team captain. The team started the season by posting a record of 10–1–2 in their first 13 home games. However, they only won three games on the road during the first two months of the season. Despite defeating the Blackhawks in the 2017 Winter Classic by the score of 4–1, the Blues fired Hitchcock and promoted Yeo to head coach on February 1, 2017. Despite an impressive run into

33276-533: Was contingent on three approvals; the first from Rio Nuevo (Tucson's downtown revitalization authority) to invest $ 3.2 million in arena upgrades to bring the Convention Center to professional-quality standards was approved on April 26, the second from the AHL Board of Governors to conditionally approve the purchase and relocation by the Coyotes was approved on May 10, and the third from the Tucson City Council for

33464-407: Was founded in 1967 as one of the six teams from the 1967 NHL expansion and is named after the W. C. Handy song " Saint Louis Blues ". They play their home games at the 18,096 seat Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis, which has been their arena since moving from St. Louis Arena in 1994. The Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019 and have the most Stanley Cup playoff appearances outside of

33652-463: Was hired as head coach of the Coyotes on July 1, 2021. For the 2021–22 season , the Coyotes moved into the Central Division upon the arrival of the Kraken in the Pacific Division . In the 2021 NHL entry draft , the Coyotes would select Josh Doan , son of former Coyotes player Shane Doan ; Josh would later play with the Coyotes in 2024. On August 19, 2021, the city of Glendale and the Gila River Arena chose to not renew their operating agreement with

33840-518: Was hired by the St. Louis Blues . The Coyotes then hired Jay Varady as head coach of the Roadrunners for the 2018–19 season after a successful season as coach of the Kingston Frontenacs . On May 12, 2020, the AHL announced the cancelation for the remainder of the 2019–20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Roadrunners were awarded the Pacific division title for having the best record in

34028-471: Was home to several minor league teams and one short-lived WHA team called the Phoenix Roadrunners , including an International Hockey League (IHL) team that was playing there in 1996. However, "Coyotes" was considered suitable in any case since the coyote is endemic to the whole of Arizona, unlike the roadrunner , which is only found in the southern and western regions of the state. The Roadrunners only played one more season before leaving Phoenix; however,

34216-545: Was introduced the following season, thus retiring the previous set. Like all NHL teams, the Blues updated their jerseys for the 2007–08 season with new Rbk Edge jerseys. The Blues simplified their design, with only the blue note logo on the front; there were no third jerseys for the season. The Blues announced plans for a navy third jersey featuring a new logo, with the Gateway Arch with the Blue Note superimposed over it inside

34404-587: Was not helped by the decision to keep the Eagles in the Canadian Division to keep the divisions balanced, which left the team with unaffordable travel expenses to games in Toronto and Montreal. The team finished last in the division and disbanded after one season. Following further contraction, the league stabilized at six teams after 1942. During this period, the NHL rebuffed attempts at further expansion. Eventually,

34592-422: Was signed and promptly assigned the elder Hull's retired number 9. Two days later, Gretzky named himself head coach, replacing Rick Bowness , despite the fact he had never coached at any level of hockey. The Coyotes "Ring of Honor" was unveiled on October 8, inducting Gretzky (who had never played for the organization, but whose number 99 was retired by all NHL teams after his retirement in 1999) and Bobby Hull. Only

34780-445: Was significantly less than the $ 6.8 million the city expected to receive back from sources including parking receipts, ticket sales and naming rights for the arena. On June 4, 2014, it was reported that a Scottsdale, Arizona , public-relations firm had sued IceArizona, the owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, alleging the NHL club had reneged on a sponsorship deal worth nearly $ 250,000. A Coyotes spokesman responded to this issue by calling it

34968-585: Was something of a resurgence for the Coyotes. After their disastrous 2006–07 campaign, the Coyotes looked to rebuild the team by relying on their drafted talent such as Peter Mueller and Martin Hanzal to make the team successful as opposed to using free agency. The Coyotes also acquired Radim Vrbata from the Chicago Blackhawks for Kevyn Adams in an effort to provide the team with more offense. The team signed both Alex Auld and David Aebischer to compete for

35156-484: Was suboptimal for hockey. Although considered a state-of-the-art arena when built for the Phoenix Suns, it was designed specifically as a basketball venue, with sight lines optimized for the smaller playing surface of that sport, and not with hockey in mind. The floor was just barely large enough to fit a standard NHL rink, forcing the Coyotes to hastily re-engineer it to accommodate the 200-foot rink. The configuration left

35344-479: Was upset by the Calgary Wranglers in the first round, losing the first two games in a best-of-three series. Following concerns about an indefinite timeframe on a new arena and the effects of continued play at the 4,600-seat Mullett Arena in Tempe , the NHL facilitated the sale of the Coyotes franchise to Utah-based billionaire Ryan Smith on April 18, 2024, after the NHL Board of Governors voted to establish

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