NHL Central

The NHL Board of Governors officially voted yes on the Arizona Coyotes' relocation to Salt Lake City on Thursday and the sale of the franchise to Ryan and Ashley Smith.

The stage is set for #NHLinUtah! pic.twitter.com/bPBdSyW7q9

— NHL (@NHL) April 18, 2024

"As everyone knows, Utah is a vibrant and thriving state, and we are thrilled to be a part of it," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "We are also delighted to welcome Ashley and Ryan Smith to the NHL family and know they will be great stewards of the game in Utah. We thank them for working so collaboratively with the League to resolve a complex situation in this unprecedented and beneficial way."

Ryan Smith won't rush into a new team name. It will be Utah as opposed to Salt Lake City in the team name, that much has been decided. But as far as the nickname, SEG will take their time with it, even if it means starting next season without new nickname...

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) April 18, 2024

While all of the hockey assets from the Coyotes will transfer to the new Salt Lake City franchise, the NHL's Board of Governors left open the possibility of hockey continuing in Arizona if owner Alex Meruelo has "fully constructed a new, state-of-the-art facility appropriate for an NHL team within five years," per the league's statement.

For the moment, the Coyotes are considered an "inactive" franchise.

Meruelo released a statement on Thursday after the sale saying NHL hockey in Arizona has not come to an end and that he's "committed" to bringing a new arena to the state without seeking financial support from the public:

Alex Meruelo is committed to buying the land on June 27th & keeping hockey in the desert. https://t.co/N2TIHjmeA1 pic.twitter.com/jTVPcWAYUD

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) April 18, 2024

The Coyotes, who have called Arizona home since 1996, played their final game in the state on Wednesday, a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at the 5,000-seat Mullet Arena on Arizona State's campus, where the team has played for the past two seasons.

Meruelo was not present at the game.

That this ends with Alex Meruelo -- who apparently will get a five-year exclusive monopoly on trying to bring hockey back to Arizona -- didn't even show up for the final Coyotes game speaks volumes.

Awful he'll be able to hold their expansion chances hostage for 5 years.

— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) April 18, 2024

Folks… just so we’re crystal clear.

The Coyotes falling apart in Arizona is on Alex Meruelo, his ownership group and years of bad owners before him.

Especially the Meruelo group… Had a real chance to come in and make things right… and only made things worse.

— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) April 17, 2024

Wednesday's finale was a sad day for Coyotes fans and players alike.

"Hockey is more than just a sport," Shane Doan—the franchise's all-time leader in games played (1,540), goals (402), assists (570) and points (972), who is now a special adviser to Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving—told Chris Johnston of The Athletic. "It's the relationships, it's the fans, it's the people that worked here for their whole careers. It's the security people. It's the ticket people. It's everybody. It's a small tight group here, so that makes it tough."

Shane Doan has been reunited with his retirement banner.

A significant piece of Coyotes history that was left behind at Gila River Arena. pic.twitter.com/u2m1MCTgAo

— PHNX Hockey (@PHNX_Hockey) April 18, 2024

But there remains the possibility that the Coyotes could return.

"This is not the end for NHL hockey in Arizona," Meruelo said in a statement. "I remain committed to this community and to building a first-class sports arena and entertainment district without seeking financial support from the public."

For now, however, the NHL is adding Utah and Salt Lake City to its roster of host locations.

After their final game of the 2023-24 season, the Arizona Coyotes used the opportunity to acknowledge their team employees and fans ahead of the franchise's rumored move to Salt Lake City.

The Coyotes brought team employees onto the ice to join in the postgame celebration and acknowledge the fans in attendance at Mullett Arena following a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.

The Coyotes had team employees join them on the ice in their salute to the fans ❤️ pic.twitter.com/QYvY3tgj5A

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 18, 2024

Barry M. Bloom of Sportico reported Monday that the NHL executive committee approved the Coyotes' move to Utah. The vote will go to the board of governors for final approval.

Per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet (h/t Josh Gold Smith of The Score), the league is expected to purchase the Coyotes for $1 billion from current owner Alex Meruelo and sell it to Utah Jazz governor Ryan Smith for $1.2 billion to move the franchise to Salt Lake City.

Friedman reported on April 12 that Coyotes players were informed of the move. Meruelo issued a statement on April 13 noting the organization is currently "unable to make any official public comments at this time," but he hopes to address the situation soon.

Statement from Arizona Coyotes Chairman and Governor Alex Meruelo. pic.twitter.com/VFx9KlaKvy

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) April 13, 2024

The franchise's attempts to build a new arena have failed. Voters in Tempe rejected a proposal for a $2.3 billion entertainment district in part because it likely would have cost taxpayers more than $500 million.

The Coyotes have been playing in the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena, which is home to Arizona State's men's hockey team, since 2022.

Amid all of the turmoil off the ice, the Coyotes were able to turn in their most successful season since they last made the playoffs in 2019-20. They finished the 2023-24 campaign with a 36-41-5 record. The 36 wins are their most in a season since 2018-19 (39-35-8).

The Coyotes have been playing in Arizona since the 1996-97 season after they relocated from Winnipeg. They were known as the Phoenix Coyotes for the first 17 seasons following the move before rebranding with Arizona prior to the 2014-15 season.

Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks will take on the St. Louis Blues on December 31 for next season's NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field.

The NHL announced the date of the 16th Winter Classic on Wednesday night.

This marks the first NHL outdoor game ever played on New Year's Eve, and the second ever played in December.

The event will also mark the first time the Winter Classic is taking place on a date other than Jan. 1 or Jan. 2. The NHL began the New Year's tradition in 2008.

The home field of the Chicago Cubs previously hosted the 2009 Winter Classic, during which the Blackhawks lost to the Detroit Red Wings.

The Blackhawks have played six regular-season games in outdoor stadiums. The team currently holds a 1-5 record in outdoor events, including a victory during the 2014 NHL Stadium Series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Chicago will hope to earn the second outdoor regular-season victory in franchise history thanks to the addition of Bedard, whom the team acquired with the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NHL draft.

Although sidelined for over a month by a fractured jaw, Bedard lived up to the hype surrounding his rookie season with 22 goals and 61 points through 67 games.

The Blackhawks are expecting even more from Bedard in 2024-25, and the first outdoor game of his career could be a highlight.

The Blues will be playing in the third outdoor regular-season game in franchise history. The Blues won both of those prior contests, including a victory over the Blackhawks in the 2017 NHL Winter Classic.

St. Louis will be led by Robert Thomas, who put together the best season of his career in 2023-24 as he recorded a personal-best 25 goals and 85 points, and Jordan Binnington, who is entering his seventh season as the team's starting goaltender.

The Blues dominated the 2023-24 season series against the Blackhawks, earning a 3-1 record and outscoring Chicago 17-12 in four contests.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-André Fleury signed a one-year, $2.5 million extension with the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.

"He's played so well this year for us. It's too soon for him to retire, that's my personal view," Wild general manager Bill Guerin said Wednesday when announcing Fleury's contract.

"It's too soon for him to retire."

🗣️ Billy on Fleury signing for another season. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/T55owWUJEO

— x - Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 17, 2024

Fleury, who turns 40 in November, was a three-time Stanley Cup winner and two-time All-Star while playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins and finished with a goals-against average of less than three in 10 straight seasons from the 2006-07 campaign through 2015-16.

He then went to the Vegas Golden Knights for four seasons and earned two more All-Star nods while helping lead them to a Stanley Cup Final. He also won the Vezina Trophy in 2020-21.

Fleury joined the Chicago Blackhawks prior to the 2021-22 campaign, and they traded him to the Wild during that season.

After half a season as a starter in Minnesota, Fleury settled in as a backup behind Filip Gustavsson during the 2023-24 campaign. The veteran has so far made 39 appearances and 35 starts for the Wild, posting a .895 save percentage and 2.98 goals-against average along with two shutouts.

The Wild have Gustavsson signed through 2025-26 and could continue rotating between him and Fleury next season as Jesper Wallstedt continues to develop in the minors.

The NHL is putting together a "contingency" plan that involves the Arizona Coyotes moving to Salt Lake City, Utah prior to the 2024-25 season, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski.

Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff first reported the news.

The potential relocation involves the NHL selling the Coyotes to the owners of the Utah Jazz, Kaplan and Wyshynski reported.

An announcement regarding the Coyotes' move "could come as soon as this month," per Kaplan and Wyshynski.

Seravalli, Kaplan and Wyshynski stressed that no final decisions have been made regarding the Coyotes' relocation.

The NHL Board of Governors has to approve any relocation. The board plans to meet in June, per Kaplan and Wyshynski.

Seravalli first reported that the Board of Governors had been sent "an update memo" regarding the contingency plan.

According to Seravalli and confirmed by Kaplan and Wyshynski, the NHL is drafting two schedules for the 2024-25 season, one where the Coyotes are based in Arizona and another where the team has moved to Salt Lake City.

The news comes after several indications that the Smith Entertainment Group, which owns the Utah Jazz, is interested in purchasing an NHL team.

Smith Entertainment CEO Ryan Smith in January formally asked the NHL to begin the process of expanding into Utah, according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com.

Smith said the Jazz's Delta Center could serve as an "interim solution" for an NHL team as soon as the 2024-25 season.

The NHL responded by calling Utah "a promising market" and said it would continue discussing the potential expansion.

Speculation increased Monday when Smith posted a survey on X soliciting name ideas for "if an NHL team were to come to Utah."

Two days later, The Athletic's Ian Mendes said after interviewing Smith that the Jazz owner is "hellbent on bringing the NHL to his city."

The Coyotes have been playing at Arizona State University's Mullett Arena, which seats 4,600, since the beginning of the 2022-23 season after the city of Glendale terminated the Coyotes' lease at the team's former home of Gila River Arena.

At the time, city manager Kevin Phelps said Glendale was planning to put "an increased focus on larger, more impactful events and uses of the city-owned arena," per Kaplan.

The club has since run into difficulties creating a more permanent arena after Tempe voters in 2023 shot down a proposal to move the team there.

The Coyotes recently announced their intent to purchase 95 acres of land for sale in north Phoenix with the hopes of building a new arena that would open before the 2027-28 season, per Wyshynski.

Committed to keeping Coyotes Hockey in the desert & building an arena in Phoenix. pic.twitter.com/gJz4b4A8xO

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) April 10, 2024

That scheme has since been opposed by the mayor of Scottsdale, the border of which is near the property. The land auction goes underway April 27, per Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports.

Although Coyotes chairman and governor Alex Meruelo said he was "committing to winning this land auction" last week, Meruelo could stand to make around $1 billion if he sells the team, Seravalli reported. He bought the Coyotes in 2019 for around $300 million, per Mike Ozanian of Forbes.

The Colorado Avalanche are heading to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Colorado punched its ticket to the postseason with a 7-4 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night at Ball Arena.

We're in.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/7ofAwxAmUJ

— x - Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 31, 2024

The Vancouver Canucks also clinched a playoff spot on Saturday despite not being in action. Vancouver secured a spot with the Minnesota Wild's loss to the Vegas Golden Knights and the St. Louis Blues' loss to the San Jose Sharks.

OFFICIALLY PLAYOFF BOUND!

LET THE HARD WORK BEGIN. pic.twitter.com/m9MPDFNZAT

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 31, 2024

With the Avalanche and Canucks becoming the latest Western Conference teams to clinch a playoff berth, here's an updated look at the NHL standings.

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Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

1. Boston Bruins: 43-17-15, 101 points (Clinched playoffs)
2. Florida Panthers: 47-22-5, 99 points (Clinched playoffs)
3. Toronto Maple Leafs: 42-22-9, 93 points

Metropolitan Division

1. New York Rangers: 50-20-4, 104 points (Clinched playoffs)
2. Carolina Hurricanes: 47-21-7, 101 points (Clinched playoffs)
3. Washington Capitals: 36-27-10, 82 points

Wild-Card Race

1. Tampa Bay Lightning: 41-25-7, 89 points
2. Philadelphia Flyers: 36-29-10, 82 points
3. Detroit Red Wings: 36-30-8, 80 points
4. New York Islanders: 31-26-15, 77 points
5. New Jersey Devils: 36-34-4, 76 points
6. Buffalo Sabres: 35-34-5, 75 points
7. Pittsburgh Penguins: 32-30-11, 75 points
8. Ottawa Senators: 33-36-4, 70 points
9. Montreal Canadiens: 28-33-12, 68 points
10. Columbus Blue Jackets: 24-28-12, 60 points (Eliminated from playoff contention)

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Western Conference

Central Division

1. Dallas Stars: 46-19-9, 101 points (Clinched playoffs)
2. Colorado Avalanche: 47-21-6, 100 points (Clinched playoffs)
3. Winnipeg Jets: 44-23-6, 94 points

Pacific Division

1. Vancouver Canucks: 45-20-8, 98 points (Clinched playoffs)
2. Edmonton Oilers: 45-23-4, 94 points
3. Vegas Golden Knights: 41-25-8, 90 points

Wild-Card Race

1. Nashville Predators: 43-27-4, 90 points
2. Los Angeles Kings: 38-23-11, 87 points
3. St. Louis Blues: 39-31-4, 82 points
4. Minnesota Wild: 35-29-9, 79 points
5. Seattle Kraken: 30-29-13, 73 points
6. Calgary Flames: 33-34-5, 71 points
7. Arizona Coyotes: 31-38-5, 67 points
8. Anaheim Ducks: 24-46-4, 52 points (Eliminated from playoff contention)
9. Chicago Blackhawks: 22-47-5, 49 points (Eliminated from playoff contention)
10. San Jose Sharks: 17-48-8, 42 points (Eliminated from playoff contention)

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The Avalanche return to the playoffs aiming to win the Stanley Cup for the second time in three seasons after winning the championship in 2022.

While Colorado isn't quite the powerhouse it was when it last took home the title, the Avalanche are still among the best teams in the NHL and are perhaps the best team in the Western Conference.

The Avs are led by Nathan MacKinnon, who is putting up MVP-worthy numbers this season. He has notched 47 goals and 80 assists for 127 points in 74 games.

Mikko Rantanen has also notched 100 points (39 goals and 61 assists), and defenseman Cale Makar has notched 19 goals and 62 assists for 81 points.

With the Avs having secured a playoff berth, they'll now continue to compete with the Dallas Stars for the top spot in the Central Division. They have won the division in each of the last three seasons.

The Canucks, meanwhile, have never won the Stanley Cup. They reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2011 but fell to the Boston Bruins.

Vancouver boasts perhaps one of its most talented rosters in recent seasons. The team is led by J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes.

Miller leads the Canucks with 35 goals and 57 assists for 92 points in 73 games. Petterson has notched 84 points (33 goals and 51 assists) and Boeser has tallied 37 goals and 31 assists for 68 points.

While the Canucks have locked up a playoff spot, they are still in a competition for the top spot in the Pacific Division with the Edmonton Oilers.

There will not be a goaltending change in Minnesota this winter.

The Minnesota Wild have no plans to trade veteran netminder Marc-André Fleury ahead of the NHL's March 8 deadline, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Minnesota is "happy to keep" Fleury, Friedman added.

Fleury, who has a full no-movement clause, would have had to approve a trade to depart Minnesota at the deadline.

It's no surprise Fleury will be finishing out the year with the Wild. He told Sarah McLellan of the Star Tribune that he wanted to remain in Minnesota and help the team with its push for the playoffs.

"This is our team, my team," Fleury said. "I love the boys here. I take pride in trying to win, battle with these guys every night. We've gone through some tough times, but trying to make it out of it, try and make playoffs, I love the challenge it brings.

"I wouldn't want to go anywhere else."

Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, is well past his prime, but he's still playing somewhat well this season. He has posted a 12-10-3 record with a 2.92 goals-against average and .899 save percentage in 28 games (24 starts).

Fleury remaining on the roster will be valuable for Minnesota down the stretch. The Wild sit sixth in the Central Division with a 28-25-6 record and remain in contention for a wild card spot.

Fleury being made unavailable could change the landscape of this year's deadline when it comes to goaltending as he had been one of the top potential trade candidates this winter due to his expiring contract.

Teams in need of goaltending could potentially shift their focus to Calgary Flames netminder Jacob Markstrom, Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros and Jake Allen of the Montreal Canadiens.

Other potential trade candidates include Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets, James Reimer of the Detroit Red Wings and Kaapo Kahkonen of the San Jose Sharks.

The Arizona Coyotes have placed forward Adam Ružička on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract, the organization announced Friday.

The move comes after Ružička posted a video of himself to Instagram with a white powder appearing to be cocaine and a credit card on a counter, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

Ružička had appeared in just three games for the Coyotes after being claimed off waivers from the Calgary Flames last month. He didn't record a single point.

The 24-year-old Slovakian was selected by the Flames in the fourth round of the 2017 draft and made his NHL debut during the 2020-21 season. In 114 games across three-and-a-half seasons with the Flames, he posted 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points.

Ružička was due to become a free agent this summer after signing a two-year, $1.5 million deal with the Flames in September 2022.

Ružička is the second NHL player to have his contract terminated this year, joining Corey Perry, who had his contract with the Chicago Blackhawks terminated in November after the franchise said he violated workplace policy.

Perry has since returned to the ice, signing a deal and suiting up for the Edmonton Oilers.

It's possible Ružička could face further punishment from the NHL, such as a suspension, for his actions.

The league previously suspended Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov three games in 2019 for "inappropriate conduct." The suspension came after the International Ice Hockey Federation suspended him from international competition with Russia for four years following a positive cocaine test in August 2019.

Kuznetsov was also captured on a video published in May 2019 sitting by two lines of white powder. He denied ever using drugs while speaking with Russian outlet Sport-Express (h/t the Washington Post) and said the video was from 2018.

The NHL investigated the incident and "found no basis to question his representations with respect to what did—and what did not occur."

Chicago Blackhawks standout rookie center Connor Bedard is set for a return to the lineup on Thursday for the team's matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Emily Kaplan of ESPN reported Bedard would return on Thursday after the Blackhawks posted a video of Bedard's highlights, seemingly hinting the rookie was ready to play.

asked my boss and they said I could share this video today pic.twitter.com/gB85SXX6Vw

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 15, 2024

Kevin Weekes of ESPN and NHL Network first reported Bedard had a "good chance" of playing against the Penguins.

The 18-year-old hasn't appeared in a game since Jan. 5 due to a fractured jaw that was suffered after a hit from Brendan Smith of the New Jersey Devils, requiring surgery.

Bedard has totaled 33 points and 15 goals in the first 39 games of his career.

Despite missing over a month of action, he leads all NHL rookies in goals and points while ranking No. 4 in assists. His 2023-24 campaign got off to an extremely hot start, as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft started his career with 13 points in his first 13 appearances.

WELCOME TO CHICAGO, CONNOR BEDARD! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/JDw4wuM7JZ

— NHL (@NHL) October 22, 2023

Although he wasn't able to participate due to his injury, he became the youngest player in NHL history selected to compete in an All-Star Game. A return to the ice this early comes as a surprise, as Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson previously discussed a slightly longer timeline when speaking to reporters earlier in the week.

"We're hoping after that six-week mark [after surgery], so that will be a week from today, I guess," Richardson said on Monday, per Tracey Myers of NHL.com.

However, it appears that Bedard has progressed in his rehab faster than anticipated and will attempt to help the Blackhawks end their current seven-game losing streak. The rookie discussed his mindset regarding a return on Feb. 7.

"I mean I feel good and ready, but obviously there's a process of it," he said, via Myers. "Obviously anyone who's hurt would say it's frustrating, but trying to do as much as I can and be prepared when I'm back."

Chicago will take on Pittsburgh in his first game back, starting at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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