Father of Saskatoon-born Coyotes goalie believes his son will miss Arizona

After 28 years in the desert, the Arizona Coyotes are on the move to Salt Lake City.

On Thursday, NHL owners approved the sale of the Coyotes to Utah native Ryan Smith for more than $1 billion.

The relocation comes after the Coyotes failed to get a new arena built. For the past two seasons, the team has been playing at the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena in Tempe, which is located on the campus of Arizona State University.

“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.

“The NHL’s belief in Arizona has never wavered. We thank Alex Meruelo for his commitment to the franchise and Arizona, and we fully support his ongoing efforts to secure a new home in the desert for the Coyotes. We also want to acknowledge the loyal hockey fans of Arizona, who have supported their team with dedication for nearly three decades while growing the game.”

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For the past week, fans and players alike have been emotional as they got ready to say goodbye to the state that has welcomed them with open arms, despite 28 years of questionable management and dysfunction off the ice.

Brent Ingram is the father of Saskatoon-born Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram, who spent the past two seasons with the Coyotes and is currently their starter.

While Brent couldn’t say exactly how his son was feeling about leaving the desert behind, he said both Connor and his fiancé will likely be disappointed about having to leave a community they both love.

“I know they’ve loved being there and he has really enjoyed the team there (and) the fans there. The coaching has been great, and so has the general manager and of course the weather there,” the elder Ingram said.

“I think he really enjoyed playing in that small arena, and they call it ‘the Party Barn’ for a reason there.”

Even though Coyotes fans are often outnumbered by visiting fans at their own arena, Ingram said he knows there are a lot of hockey fans in Arizona and losing the team will have a big impact on the state.

“We attended a few games there while we were down there this winter, and it’s a raucous atmosphere. It’s too bad; if they could’ve got this land auction done and this arena together, they would’ve filled that place,” he said.

“There’s a lot of people who enjoy hockey in Arizona – not only snowbirds, but a lot of Arizona people as well. They’re going to miss it there when they leave, no doubt about it.”

Ingram said his son will always look back fondly on the Coyotes organization, as that team gave him an opportunity to become a starter in the NHL after he was put on waivers by the Nashville Predators in 2022.

“It was a team that picked him up on waivers and gave him an opportunity to play,” he said. “He’s parlayed that into becoming a starter there, and he’s going to always have fond memories of that place because of them giving him the opportunity.”

The Coyotes won their final game at Mullett Arena on Wednesday, beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2.

Meruelo will have the opportunity to reactivate the Coyotes within five years if he can construct a new arena.