When hockey fans think about the Arizona Coyotes' impact on the NHL, they make funny faces. Historically, their entire franchise, from the days of being the original Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, and finally, the Arizona Coyotes, is 918-939-94-191. This franchise hasn't tasted victory for most of its existence, and it's a tough pill to swallow.
There have been zero Stanley Cup championships, zero conference championships, and no Presidents' Trophy to speak of. Their only success was winning a Division championship in 2011, and even then, that was well over a decade ago.
With change comes promise—a new hope that perhaps relocating to Utah could usher in a new era for this original World Hockey Association founding franchise. This franchise has much history; now, it's time for this team to forget its past and focus on bigger, better, and more impactful memories in the Beehive State.
A huge relocation to Utah is exactly what the franchise needed
The key concept that's always been missing with the Coyotes has been its overall identity. This team could never find its primary identity for decades compared to better teams across the league. So far this offseason, defense will be at the forefront of this franchise to lead the way to better times.
Their 2024 NHL Draft was solid, focusing on bringing in top young talent, especially a potential future franchise player in Tij Iginla. The name should sound familiar to hockey fans as he is the son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla. The left-shooting forward is the perfect cornerstone to build around, as he will bring speed and clutch playmaking abilities once he's ready to shine for the Utah Hockey Club. Best of all, he's just 17 years old and should have a bright hockey future ahead of him.
General manager Bill Armstrong has focused on defense throughout the offseason to balance Utah Hockey Club's NHL draft class. Utah Hockey Club received much praise for what seems to be a solid draft class on paper. Still, Armstrong boosted their defense tremendously by extending Sean Durzi and Juuso Valimaki's contracts and pulling off that massive trade to acquire Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
It's all coming together nicely. Considering that the Coyotes have had lackluster offseasons for the last decade, this is all a breath of fresh air for Utah's brand-new NHL team. It will take some time, but the pieces are in place to erase the past and usher in a brighter future for a franchise that desperately needs it. One that identifies an identity, unlike anything the former Arizona Coyotes have ever seen.