The NHL’s Arizona Coyotes could move to Salt Lake City next season, as the team says it’s committed to keeping hockey “in the desert.”

The Arizona Coyotes may move to Salt Lake City next season. Meanwhile, the franchise’s social media posts state that the team is committed to keeping hockey “in the desert.”

As the Coyotes played the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night, rumors swirled about their future amid failed stadium proposals and the shaky local terrain the team has been on for more than a year.

With no long-term plan for a stadium, and currently playing games in the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena on Arizona State’s campus, a permanent move away from Arizona could be in the Coyotes’ future.

The shaky ground began for the Coyotes in August 2021, when Gila River Arena in Glendale decided not to renew its operating agreement with the team. Options to build a new stadium in nearby Mesa and Scottsdale have also been discussed.

Now, instead of trying to find a local solution, the NHL may step in to give the franchise to another city. However, the Coyotes remain steadfast in their desire to keep the team in the Phoenix area.

The Arizona Coyotes have already been mathematically eliminated from the postseason

“We’re blocking out the noise,” a Coyotes social media post read. ‘For our fans and for our state, we move forward and give it our all. For the love of the game.’

“Committed to keeping Coyotes Hockey in the desert and building an arena in Phoenix,” another Arizona post stated.

The Coyotes have played in the Phoenix area since 1996 after the original version of the Winnipeg Jets moved out of Canada.

The current version of the Jets moved over from the expansion Atlanta Thrashers in 2011.

Salt Lake City has attempted to court another professional franchise to Utah for more than a decade, focusing on the MLB and NHL in those efforts.