NHL Could Be Headed Back To Arizona Sooner Than Expected
Per Craig Morgan of AZ Hockey Insider, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed legit, active interest in bringing a franchise back to the Phoenix area.
"You're aware and we're aware, more importantly, that there's interest among a number of people in Arizona to bring an NHL franchise back to the Phoenix area," Daly said. "I think we've been open and honest about the fact that given the right circumstances, we continue to think Arizona would be a good market for an NHL team and a successful market for an NHL team."
Door Was Never Fully Closed
When the league relocated the Arizona Coyotes' hockey operations to Salt Lake City to become the Utah Mammoth in 2024, it did so without requiring a full expansion vote for any eventual Arizona return.
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reported as far back as April 2024 that a return to Arizona wouldn't require Board of Governors approval, since former owner Alex Meruelo was already an approved NHL owner and the original franchise remains technically inactive rather than dissolved.
“Arizona fans… it’s closer than you think.”@spetershockey on whether the NHL will bring a team back to Arizona@JLazzy23 | @ColbyCohen36
— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) August 19, 2026
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New Voice Enters The Picture
The latest wrinkle comes from an unexpected corner of Phoenix sports.
Per Burn City Sports, momentum around a return "may be closer to reality than fans realize," with others suggesting the timeline is shrinking.
Phoenix Suns and WNBA Mercury owner Mat Ishbia has also publicly expressed interest in helping bring hockey back to the desert, telling Sportico, "I'm definitely going to be part of the community, and if I can help bring hockey back, I'll look at that."
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told @CraigSMorgan there's no news on a potential expansion to Arizona, but reiterated the league's interest in the market. pic.twitter.com/FrDOKc57LY
— PHNX Hockey (@PHNX_Hockey) August 16, 2026
The push comes as the NHL separately explores other expansion, with Houston, Atlanta, and Quebec City also mentioned as candidates.
Arizona's case is different from a pure expansion bid, since it would technically be reactivating a dormant franchise rather than adding a brand-new one, a distinction that could make the process faster if the right ownership group and arena plan come together.
The obstacles that ended the Coyotes' Arizona tenure still haven't disappeared, though.
The team spent its final two seasons playing in the 4,600-seat Mullet Arena at Arizona State University after a series of failed arena deals in Glendale and Tempe, and any return would require solving the same land and financing questions that sank the previous ownership group.
