By Frank Pingue
(Reuters) – The National Hockey League’s Board of Governors have approved the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Utah starting with the 2024-25 season, the league said on Thursday.
The Utah team will be owned and controlled by Smith Entertainment Group — the parent company of the NBA’s Utah Jazz — which his led by Ryan and Ashley Smith.
“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 news release.
“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.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
