Arizona Coyotes

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Arizona Coyotes
2018–19 Arizona Coyotes season
Arizona Coyotes.svg
Conference Western
Division Pacific
Founded 1972
History Winnipeg Jets
1972–1979 (WHA)
1979–1996 (NHL)
Phoenix Coyotes
1996–2014
Arizona Coyotes
2014–present
Home arena Gila River Arena
City Glendale, Arizona
WCP-Uniform-ARI.png
Colors Brick red, desert sand, black[1][2]
              
Media Fox Sports Arizona
Arizona Sports (98.7 FM)
KTAR News (92.3 FM)
Owner(s) Andrew Barroway
General manager John Chayka
Head coach Rick Tocchet
Captain Vacant
Minor league affiliates Tucson Roadrunners (AHL)
Norfolk Admirals (ECHL)
Stanley Cups 0
Conference championships 0
Presidents' Trophy 0
Division championships 1 (2011–12)
Official website www.nhl.com/coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team's primary owner is Andrew Barroway. The Coyotes first played at America West Arena in downtown Phoenix, before moving to Glendale's Gila River Arena in 2003.

The Coyotes were founded on December 27, 1971, as the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association (WHA). After the WHA had ceased operations, they were one of four franchises absorbed into the National Hockey League and then granted membership on June 22, 1979. The Jets moved to Phoenix on July 1, 1996, and were renamed the Phoenix Coyotes. The NHL took ownership of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise in 2009 after owner Jerry Moyes turned it over to the league after declaring bankruptcy. Spending several years finding prospective owners who would not move the franchise out of Metro Phoenix, the NHL completed the sale of the Coyotes to IceArizona Acquisition Co., LLC. on August 5, 2013.[3]

On June 27, 2014, the team changed its geographic name from "Phoenix" to "Arizona", and modified its secondary logo.[4] On June 26, 2015, the team introduced updated jerseys for the 2015–16 NHL season.

The Arizona Coyotes seek a new arena after the 2017-18 season. There is a proposed sports arena project in nearby Scottsdale, Arizona up for review. It is possible the Coyotes will remain in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. [5]

Franchise history[edit]

Original Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996)[edit]

Main article: Winnipeg Jets (1972–96)

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 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.

The franchise played in Winnipeg as the Jets from 1972 to 1996. They were originally members of the WHA before joining the NHL 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 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. They recovered fairly quickly, however, making the playoffs 11 times in the next 15 seasons. However, the Jets only won two playoff series, largely due to being in 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 fifth-best record in the league, only to be bounced by the Oilers in the division finals. Two years later, they dispatched the Flames in the first round, only to be eliminated again by the Oilers in the division finals. The franchise would not win another playoff series for 25 years.

The Jets ran into financial trouble when player salaries began spiraling up in the 1990s; this hit the Canadian teams particularly hard. Winnipeg was the second-smallest market in the NHL for most of the Jets' existence, and after the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995 to become the Colorado Avalanche, it became the smallest market. In addition, the club's home arena, Winnipeg Arena, was one of the smallest in the league. Despite strong fan support, several attempts to keep the team in Winnipeg fell through. In December 1995, Jerry Colangelo, owner of the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns, Phoenix businessmen Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke, and a local investor group, bought the team with plans to move it to Phoenix for the 1996–97 season. After the franchise considered "Mustangs," "Outlaws," "Wranglers" and "Freeze," a name-the-team contest yielded the nickname "Coyotes", which finished ahead of the second-place "Scorpions".[6]

Early years in Phoenix (1996–2005)[edit]

Shane Doan was team captain from 2003 to 2017. Holding the franchise record for games played, he was the last Coyotes player to have also played in Winnipeg.

In the summer that the move took place, Jets star Alexei Zhamnov left the team, while the team added established superstar Jeremy Roenick from the Chicago Blackhawks. Roenick teamed up with power wingers Keith Tkachuk and Rick Tocchet to form a dynamic 1–2–3 offensive punch that led the Coyotes through their first years in Arizona. Also impressive were young players like Shane Doan (he would also be 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 come over from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite his experience and scoring his 700th career goal on December 15, 1997, Gartner battled injuries in 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 didn't 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, was suboptimal for hockey. Although considered a state-of-the-art arena when built for the Phoenix Suns, unlike most modern arenas, it was not designed with a hockey rink 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 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.

Richard Burke bought out Steven Gluckstern in 1998, but was unable to attract more investors to alleviate the team's financial woes (see below). 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 would fall in overtime of Game 7 on a goal by Pierre Turgeon of 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 league executives. In addition, an unfavorable arena lease at city-owned America West Arena had the team suffering massive losses[7] (as much as $40 million a year at one point[8]); the Coyotes have yet to really recover from the resulting financial problems.

The team moved into Glendale Arena (now known as Gila River Arena) about 2½ months into the 2003–04 NHL season. Ellman put forward numerous proposals to improve the hockey sight lines 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 a new arena. 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 is also a part-owner of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks.

Gretzky era (2005–2009)[edit]

On August 6, 2005, Brett Hull, son of former Jet Bobby Hull, was signed and promptly assigned the elder Hull's retired No. 9. Two days later, Gretzky named himself head coach, replacing Rick Bowness, despite the fact that 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) and Bobby Hull. Only 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."

Drafted in 2005, Martin Hanzal was with the team from 2007 to 2017.

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 pre-season game against 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 the 2006–2007 season 31–46–5, their worst record since relocating to Phoenix.[9]

On May 29, 2007, Jeff Shumway announced that Don Maloney had agreed to a multi-year contract to become general manager of the Coyotes. As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.[10] However, as has been the case with all general managers since 2001, Maloney serves in an advisory role to Gretzky.

The 2007–08 season 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 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 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.

Return to the playoffs and first division title (2009–2012)[edit]

Named head coach in September 2009, Dave Tippett led the Coyotes to their first division championship and three consecutive playoffs. Tippett left the Coyotes in 2017.

On September 24, 2009, Dave Tippett took over coaching duties of 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 the first time ever as an NHL team, and the first time overall since the 1977–78 (WHA) Jets scored 102 points.[11] 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 league, 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 home-ice advantage in the first round for the first time since 1985.

Their first round opponent in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs was 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 veteran Red Wings defeated the Coyotes in seven games.

In the following year, the Coyotes played the Detroit Red Wings for the second straight postseason, in the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Coyotes were swept in four games.

On April 7, 2012, the Coyotes defeated the Minnesota Wild with a score of 4–1 to win the Pacific Division title—their first division title as an NHL team (in Winnipeg or Phoenix).[12] 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 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 Final. They faced the Nashville Predators in the second round, winning the first two games and the series 4–1. However, the Coyotes fell to the Los Angeles Kings in game five of a 4–1 series.

2009 bankruptcy and attempts to sell the team[edit]

Main article: Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy and sale

In December 2008, the media became aware that the Coyotes were suffering massive losses, and 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 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 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 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 at the bankruptcy hearing. 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 league's argument that bankruptcy could not be used to circumvent league rules. The NHL's bid was also declared insufficient, but the judge left the window open to an improved bid. Moyes and the NHL settled, with the NHL buying 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 the Reinsdorf and Ice Edge to work out a deal with Glendale. Ice Edge signed a letter of intent to buy the team from the NHL, while Reinsdorf had won the approval of the City of Glendale. On Friday, May 7, 2010, ESPN.com reported that Reinsdorf bid had fallen apart, and the City of Glendale was working with Ice Edge to buy 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 that the Coyotes might incur, and suggested that keeping the team in Phoenix was never economically viable.[13]

In July 2010, the Ice Edge bid collapsed, as it did not satisfy Glendale's financial conditions. Ice Edge decided to concentrate on an effort to buy 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 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 due to a threatened suit by the Goldwater Institute over the legality of payments Glendale would make to Hulsizer prior to the consortium buying the team. The threat of the suit may have prevented the sale of bonds to finance the payments. The team only stayed in the Phoenix area for the 2011–12 season after another $25 million payment by the city of Glendale.

The 2012–13 NHL lockout provided another opportunity for the Coyotes to find a potential owner and avoid relocation while the league suspended team operations during the labor dispute. A deal to former San Jose Sharks owner Greg Jamison had been drafted just as 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 tax payer subsidy, according to the agreement. It would also have had "Phoenix" dropped from the name and instead use the more inclusive term "Arizona."[14]

California investment executive Darin Pastor also submitted a bid to buy the Coyotes. His bid proposed to keep the team in the Glendale area while engaging young hockey players in the region through school partnerships and scholarship efforts.[15] 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.[16]

New ownership, "Arizona Coyotes", and end of Shane Doan era (2013–present)[edit]

Due to the team's bankruptcy status since 2009 and the annual revenue lost each year, the NHL planned to move 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.[17] 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), who would purchase the team from the NHL for US$225 million by August 5, 2013.[18] The members of the Canadian group are 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 has the city of Glendale giving RSE US$15 million per year for management fees. There is an agreement that RSE can move the team after five years, if it accrues $50 million US in losses.[18]

David Moss during the 2013–14 season. He scored the club's final goal under the Phoenix moniker on April 13, 2014. The club was renamed the Arizona Coyotes the next season.

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 President Anthony LeBlanc, the change is being made to reflect that 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 will not change.[19] The Coyotes played their final game under the Phoenix moniker with a 2–1 victory over the Dallas Stars on April 13, 2014. In front of 15,146 fans, David Moss scored the final goal in Phoenix Coyotes history with 2:31 left in the regulation time.[20]

Following the conclusion of the 2013–14 season, it was reported that due to lackluster revenue from parking and non-hockey events, the City of Glendale would recoup just $4.4 million, which was significantly less than the $6.8 million the city expected to receive back from source including parking receipts, ticket sales and naming rights for the arena.[21]

On June 4, 2014, it was reported that a Scottsdale, Arizona, public-relations firm had sued IceArizona, the owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, alleging that the NHL club had reneged on a sponsorship deal worth nearly $250,000. A Coyotes' spokesman responded to this issue by calling it a "quarter-million-dollar scheme."[22] By October, IceArizona entered a deal to sell 51% of the Coyotes to Philadelphia-based hedge fund manager Andrew Barroway who had recently failed in his attempt to purchase the New York Islanders.[23] The deal was approved by the NHL Board of Governors on December 31, 2014.[24]

During the 2014–15 season, the team finished last in the Pacific Division with the second-worst record in the NHL. On June 10, 2015 the Glendale, Arizona 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."[25] On July 23, 2015, it was announced that the Coyotes and Glendale City Council had agreed on a resolution.[26][27] On July 24, 2015, the Coyotes announced that Glendale City Council had enacted a two-year deal.[28]

At the conclusion of the 2015–16 season, General Manager Don Maloney was relieved of his duties after eight seasons and one GM of the Year award.[29] The Coyotes replaced Maloney as general manager with John Chayka, who became the NHL's youngest GM, being promoted from his position as assistant general manager/analytics within the Coyotes staff.[30] In August 2016, Dawn Braid was hired as the Arizona Coyotes' skating coach, making her the first female full-time coach in the NHL.[31]

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 that would be used for Coyotes practices and as the home for the Arizona State University men's hockey team.[32][33] However, the arena project was withdrawn when ASU pulled out of the deal in February 2017.[34]

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 the organization.[35] 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[36] a standing offer to remain with the team in a non-playing role. On June 22, 2017, head coach Dave Tippett would also leave his positions within the Coyotes after eight seasons,[37] and would be succeeded by Rick Tocchet on July 11, 2017.[38]

Team information[edit]

Name[edit]

With the relocation program, a (public) team naming voting process was being held, with "Coyotes" defeating "Scorpions" amongst the finalists. Both coyotes and scorpions are inhabitants of the Sonoran Desert, and the owners/supporters of the club wanted the team name to be an animal that was representative of the region.[39] On June 27, 2014, the team changed its geographic name from "Phoenix" to "Arizona".[4]

Jerseys[edit]

The Coyotes first logo, a kachina-style coyote, used from 1996 to 2003.

Upon their arrival in Phoenix in 1996, the team adopted a look with a strong Southwestern flavor. The primary logo was a stylized hockey stick-wielding coyote in a kachina-inspired style. The jerseys featured pointed green shoulders with brick red trim over a white (home) or black (road) body, and non-traditional striping patterns. These uniforms remained in place until 2003. A third jersey, primarily green with a nighttime desert landscape wrapped around the bottom and the cuffs of the sleeves, was introduced in 1998, and retired in 2003 when the team redesigned the uniforms.

As the NHL switched home and road jerseys beginning in the 2003–04 season, and coinciding with the team's move from America West Arena to the newly completed Glendale Arena, the Coyotes redesigned their look completely, adopting the current howling coyote head logo, while dropping several colors from the team's palette. Sedona red and white became the primary colors, with desert sand and black remaining as logo trim colors. A variation of these colors was later used for the Major League Baseball team Arizona Diamondbacks. The uniform's simplified two-color scheme with three stripes on each sleeve and the tail bears some resemblance to later versions of the Montreal Maroons jerseys. The team also changed its shoulder patch, taking the form of the outline of the state of Arizona, with an homage to the state flag and the abbreviation "PHX". This logo was worn only on the right shoulder leaving the left shoulder bare.

The Coyotes shoulder patch, used from 2003 to 2014.

The Coyotes updated their jerseys for the 2007–08 season, along with all NHL teams, as part of the switchover to Rbk Edge jerseys. The changes made were adding an NHL crest just below the neck opening, removing the stripes that were previously just above the lower hem, and moving the "PHX" patch from the right to the left shoulder. The white jersey also gained red shoulder coloring and laces at the collar. The three-stripe pattern is applied to the side of the pants.[40]

The Coyotes also added a third jersey for the 2008–09 season. It is primarily black and features a new alternate coyote logo on the front, with the primary logo (coyote head) patch on the right shoulder, and the "Official Seal" on the left.[41] Since white does not appear on the alternate, solid red pant shells are worn with this jersey.

Before the 2014–15 season, it was announced that the Coyotes' third jersey would no longer be used. The patch on the home and away jerseys that used to read "PHX" would also be changed to read "AZ" to comply with the team's rebranded name.[4]

On June 26, 2015, the Coyotes introduced updated jerseys. As described by an official press release, "The body of the Coyotes home and away jerseys remains unchanged but the new jerseys feature an original sleeve stripe designed to connect with Arizona's distinctive striated landscape. These bold sleeves, along with a striking black pant, will be worn both at home in Glendale and on the road. The new red jersey shoulder patch features a coyote's paw "A" mark, an icon built for Arizona's hockey fans; while the white jersey shoulder will carry an updated "AZ" mark, connecting back to the new word mark. Finally, a uniquely Southwestern pattern in the jersey's neckline connects the Coyotes to the legacy of Arizona. This updated uniform features Reebok's latest technological innovations and represents an industry leading commitment to the best for the athlete."[42]

The Coyotes also began to wear their black kachina jerseys for a few dates from the 2014–15 to the 2016–17 seasons. The style was similar to the originals but was adopted to the Reebok Edge cut. For the 2018–19 season and beyond, the Coyotes will revive the kachina uniforms as a third jersey, and is now updated to the Adidas' adizero cut.[43]

Mascot[edit]

Howler is the coyote-suited mascot of the Arizona Coyotes. He was introduced on October 15, 2005. The Coyotes' official kids club is called Howler's Kids Club.[44] Howler wears number 96 on his jersey, representing the year the Winnipeg Jets moved to Arizona, and wears a "M" Designation for Mascot. He is known to beat on a bucket to encourage the fans to cheer, and has many different outfits in games.

Season-by-season record[edit]

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Coyotes. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Arizona Coyotes seasons.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs
2013–14 82 37 30 15 89 216 231 4th, Pacific Did not qualify
2014–15 82 24 50 8 56 170 272 7th, Pacific Did not qualify
2015–16 82 35 39 8 78 209 245 4th, Pacific Did not qualify
2016–17 82 30 42 10 70 197 260 6th, Pacific Did not qualify
2017–18 82 29 41 12 70 208 256 8th, Pacific Did not qualify

Players[edit]

Current roster[edit]

Updated August 12, 2018.[45][46]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
45 United States Josh Archibald RW R 25 2017 Regina, Saskatchewan
6 Canada Jakob Chychrun D L 20 2016 Boca Raton, Florida
44 Canada Kevin Connauton D L 28 2016 Edmonton, Alberta
25 Canada Nick Cousins LW L 25 2017 Belleville, Ontario
67 Canada Lawson Crouse LW L 21 2016 Mount Brydges, Ontario
12 Canada Laurent Dauphin C L 23 2018 Repentigny, Quebec
55 Canada Jason Demers D R 30 2017 Dorval, Quebec
18 United States Christian Dvorak C L 22 2014 Frankfort, Illinois
23 Sweden Oliver Ekman-Larsson (A) D L 27 2009 Karlskrona, Sweden
36 United States Christian Fischer RW R 21 2015 Chicago, Illinois
17 United States Alex Galchenyuk C L 24 2018 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
33 United States Alex Goligoski (A) D L 33 2016 Grand Rapids, Minnesota
40 Austria Michael Grabner RW L 30 2018 Villach, Austria
13 United States Vinnie Hinostroza C/RW R 24 2018 Bartlett, Illinois
4 Sweden Niklas Hjalmarsson (A) D L 31 2017 Eksjö, Sweden
9 United States Clayton Keller C L 20 2017 Chesterfield, Missouri
29 Sweden Mario Kempe RW L 29 2017 Kramfors, Sweden
35 Canada Darcy Kuemper G L 28 2018 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
82 United States Jordan Oesterle D L 26 2018 Dearborn Heights, Michigan
14 Slovakia Richard Panik RW L 27 2018 Martin, Czechoslovakia
11 Canada Brendan Perlini LW L 22 2014 Guildford, England
32 Finland Antti Raanta G L 29 2017 Rauma, Finland
15 Canada Brad Richardson (A) C L 33 2015 Belleville, Ontario
21 United States Derek Stepan (A) C R 28 2017 Hastings, Minnesota
20 Canada Dylan Strome C L 21 2015 Mississauga, Ontario


Retired numbers[edit]

Arizona Coyotes retired numbers
No. Player Position Career Date honored
7 Keith Tkachuk C 1992–2001 December 23, 2011
9 1, 2 Bobby Hull LW 1972–1980 February 19, 1989
10 3 Dale Hawerchuk C 1981–1990 April 5, 2007
25 2 Thomas Steen RW 1981–1995 May 6, 1995
27 Teppo Numminen D 1988–2003 January 30, 2010
97 Jeremy Roenick C 1996–2001
2006–2007		 February 9, 2012
99 4 Wayne Gretzky C – October 8, 2005

Shane Doan's jersey number will be retired on February 24, 2019, which will be the first jersey number to be retired in the Coyotes' history.[47]

Notes:
  • 1 Hull's #9 was unretired briefly upon his request at the beginning of the 2005–06 season for his son, Brett, before he retired five games into the season.
  • 2 Hull and Steen played only for the original Winnipeg Jets, and had their numbers retired when the team played in Winnipeg. The Coyotes continue to honor these numbers in the Ring of Honor.
  • 3 Hawerchuk played only for the original Winnipeg Jets, but had his number honored after the relocation.
  • 4 Gretzky never played for the franchise, but was a part-owner and coach for the Coyotes. Thus his number, retired league-wide since 2000, is on the Coyotes' Ring of Honor.[48] The NHL had retired his number for all its member teams at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game.[49]

Hall of Famers[edit]

Arizona Coyotes Hall of Famers
Players
Name Position Tenure Inducted
Mike Gartner RW 1996–1998 2001
Brett Hull RW 2005 2009

First-round draft picks[edit]

Note: This list does not include selections of the Winnipeg Jets.

Team scoring leaders[edit]

Note: This list includes scoring of the original Winnipeg Jets, including WHA seasons.

These are the top-ten point-scorers in team history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.

  •  *  – current Coyotes player

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game

Points
Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G
Shane Doan RW 1,540 402 570 972 0.63
Dale Hawerchuk C 713 379 550 929 1.30
Thomas Steen RW 950 264 553 817 0.86
Bobby Hull LW 429 307 341 648 1.51
Keith Tkachuk C 640 323 300 623 0.97
Teppo Numminen D 1,098 108 426 534 0.49
Paul MacLean RW 527 248 270 518 0.98
Ulf Nilsson C 300 140 344 484 1.61
Anders Hedberg RW 286 236 222 458 1.60
Willy Lindstrom RW 604 220 229 449 0.74

NHL awards and trophies[edit]

Main article: List of Arizona Coyotes award winners

Jack Adams Award

King Clancy Memorial Trophy

Mark Messier Leadership Award

Keith Yandle set the franchise record for most points in a single season by a defenseman, recording 59 points in the 2010–11 season.

Team records[edit]

Note: This list does not include seasons of the 1972–1996 Winnipeg Jets.

Team captains[edit]

In the NHL, each team may select a captain. Along with the two alternate captains, they have the "privilege of discussing with the referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game".[52][53] Captains are required to wear the letter "C" on their uniform for identification, which is 3 inches (7.6 cm) high.[52]

Note: This list does not include captains from the Winnipeg Jets (NHL & WHA).

Front office and coaching staff[edit]

[54]

Front office[edit]

Only includes staff part of the Hockey Operations side. This list does not include staff on the business side.

  • John Chayka – President of Hockey Operations/General Manager[55]
  • Chris O'Hearn – Assistant General Manager/Hockey Operations

Coaching staff[edit]

  • Rick Tocchet – Head coach
  • John Slaney – Assistant coach[56]
  • Jon Elkin – Goaltending coach
  • Steve Peters – Video coach
  • Steve Sullivan – Director of player development
  • Mike Van Ryn – Development coach
  • Steve Potvin – Skills coach[57]
  • Dawn Braid – Skating coach[58]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Logo and Uniform History" (PDF). 2017–2018 Arizona Coyotes Media Guide. NHL Enterprises, L.P. September 22, 2017. Retrieved September 29, 2017. With the opening of their new arena in Glendale, the time had come for a new set of logos and uniforms to reflect the aggressiveness and excitement of Coyotes hockey in the new arena while maintaining ties to seven years of Arizona history. The official Coyotes colors were now brick red, desert sand and black – three colors that were all included in the original Coyotes logo. 
  2. ^ "2015-2018 Arizona Coyotes–Greatest NHL Uniforms". NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved May 8, 2018. 
  3. ^ "Coyotes Finally have owner". ESPN. Associated Press. Retrieved August 5, 2013. 
  4. ^ a b c "Team Name Will Change to Arizona Coyotes at NHL Entry Draft on June 27". Arizona Coyotes. June 23, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2014. 
  5. ^ https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/glendale/2017/12/19/arizona-coyotes-staying-1-more-year-glendale-gila-river-arena/963379001/
  6. ^ NHL Team Nickname Origins Explained
  7. ^ Duhatschek, Eric; et al. (2001). Hockey Chronicles. New York City: Checkmark Books. ISBN 0-8160-4697-2. 
  8. ^ Burnside, Scott. Balsillie again takes wrong approach. ESPN, 2009-05-06.
  9. ^ "General Manager Michael Barnett & Staff Relieved of Duties". [permanent dead link]
  10. ^ "Former Rangers' Assistant GM Agrees To Multi-Year Contract". [permanent dead link]
  11. ^ Jerry, Brown (2010-03-28). "Coyotes reach the 100-point mark by routing avs". NHL.com. Retrieved 2010-03-28. 
  12. ^ Myers, Dan (2012-04-07). "Coyotes clinch Pacific with 4–1 win". NHL.com. Retrieved 2012-04-07. 
  13. ^ [dead link]http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=3003100[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "PROSPECTIVE COYOTES OWNER TO GET $15M/YEAR TO MANAGE ARENA". Retrieved 2012-06-06. 
  15. ^ "Darin Pastor submits bid to NHL to buy Phoenix Coyotes – Phoenix Business Journal". Bizjournals.com. 2013-05-10. Retrieved 2014-06-10. 
  16. ^ Fox Sports (2013-05-13). "nhl-rejects-pastors-bid-to-purchase-coyotes | FOX Sports on MSN". Fox Sports Arizona. Retrieved 2014-06-10. 
  17. ^ "NHL closer to Seattle? Deal to keep Coyotes in Phoenix hits 'potential snag' – Local". MyNorthwest.com. 2013-06-20. Retrieved 2014-06-10. 
  18. ^ a b "Glendale, Ariz., city council ratifies Phoenix Coyotes arena lease agreement – ESPN". Espn.go.com. 2013-07-03. Retrieved 2014-06-10. 
  19. ^ "Phoenix Coyotes franchise to become Arizona Coyotes for 2014–15". National Hockey League. January 29, 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014. 
  20. ^ Final. "Dallas Stars at Phoenix Coyotes – 04/13/2014". Nhl.com. Retrieved 2014-06-10. 
  21. ^ "Phoenix Coyotes deal with Glendale will come up short". Azcentral.com. 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2015-07-12. 
  22. ^ "Phoenix Coyotes owner sued by Scottsdale PR firm". Azcentral.com. 2014-06-04. Retrieved 2015-07-12. 
  23. ^ Fox Sports (2014-10-10). "Coyotes agree to sell controlling interest to Andrew Barroway". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2015-07-12. 
  24. ^ "Board of Governors approves sale of majority stake in Coyotes". Retrieved 31 December 2014. 
  25. ^ "Judge orders Glendale to pay Coyotes $3.75 million". Retrieved 2015-10-07. 
  26. ^ "Coyotes and City of Glendale Agree on Resolution". coyotes.nhl.com. July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015. 
  27. ^ "Coyotes, Glendale reach resolution on arena lease dispute". ESPN. July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015. 
  28. ^ "Glendale Approves 2-Year Agreement with Coyotes". coyotes.nhl.com. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015. 
  29. ^ "Sources: Don Maloney out as Arizona Coyotes GM". The Arizona Republic. April 11, 2016. 
  30. ^ "Coyotes Name Chayka as General Manager". coyotes.nhl.com. 2016-05-05. Retrieved 2016-09-01. 
  31. ^ Bieler, Des. "NHL's first female full-time coach hired by Arizona Coyotes". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-08-25. 
  32. ^ "Coyotes Announce Plans for New East Valley Arena". NHL.com. November 14, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2016. 
  33. ^ Burnside, Scott (November 14, 2016). "Coyotes have agreement on new stadium deal". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 14, 2016. 
  34. ^ Wyshynski, Greg (February 3, 2017). "Arizona Coyotes arena deal dead, ASU pulls out". Puck Daddy. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved February 14, 2017. 
  35. ^ "Coyotes CEO Anthony LeBlanc, hockey ops chief Gary Drummond step down". ESPN. June 16, 2017. 
  36. ^ "Coyotes parting ways with captain Doan - Article - TSN". TSN. 2017-06-19. Retrieved 2017-06-23. 
  37. ^ "Coyotes and Tippett Part Ways". NHL.com. June 22, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2017. 
  38. ^ Vest, Dave (July 11, 2017). "Tocchet Likes Fit with Coyotes". NHL.com. Retrieved July 13, 2017. 
  39. ^ Marrazza, Dan (8 November 2016). "How NHL Teams Got Their Names". vegasishockey.com. Black Knight Sports & Entertainment LLC. Retrieved 9 November 2016. 
  40. ^ "COYOTES UNVEIL NEW RBK EDGE UNIFORMS". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. September 14, 2007. Retrieved May 8, 2018. 
  41. ^ Image of Team JerseyThe Game Worn Jersey Forum
  42. ^ "Coyotes Reveal New Uniforms at NHL Draft Party". NHL.com (Press release). NHL Enterprises, L.P. June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2016. 
  43. ^ "Coyotes Announce Black Kachina Sweater As Team's Official Third Jersey". NHL.com (Press release). NHL Enterprises, L.P. June 22, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018. 
  44. ^ "HOWLER'S KIDS CLUB". Arizona Coyotes. Retrieved July 8, 2014. 
  45. ^ "Arizona Coyotes Roster". NHL.com. Retrieved October 3, 2017. 
  46. ^ "Arizona Coyotes Hockey Transactions". TSN.ca. Retrieved October 3, 2017. 
  47. ^ "Coyotes to Retire Doan's No. 19 Jersey on Feb. 24". NHL.com. August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018. 
  48. ^ Phoenix Coyotes – Team
  49. ^ "Perfect setting: Gretzky's number retired before All-Star Game". CNN Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. February 6, 2000. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2014. 
  50. ^ "Merkley, Nicholas – 2015 NHL Draft Prospects". Nhl.com. 1997-05-23. Retrieved 2015-07-12. 
  51. ^ "Coyotes Select Keller, Chychrun in First Round". coyotes.nhl.com. 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2016-06-25. 
  52. ^ a b "Rule 6 – Captain and Alternate Captains". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  53. ^ Rossi, Rob (2008-10-02). "The A-B-Cs of the 'C' and 'A'". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 2008-02-23. [permanent dead link]
  54. ^ "Hockey Operations". coyotes.nhl.com. September 1, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016. 
  55. ^ "Coyotes Name Patterson as President & CEO". NHL.com. July 12, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017. 
  56. ^ "Slaney Thrilled to Be Coaching in NHL with Coyotes". coyotes.nhl.com. 10 July 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2015. 
  57. ^ "Coyotes Confident Potvin Can Help Players Improve Skills". coyotes.nhl.com. September 1, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016. 
  58. ^ "Dawn Braid named Coyotes skating coach". coyotes.nhl.com. 24 August 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016. 

External links[edit]

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