Gila River Arena in Arizona
(Photo Credit: @GlendaleAZ/ Twitter)

Not long after my expansion cities article, news broke that the city of Arizona and the Gila River Arena will not be re-upping their lease following the 2021-22 season.

The Coyotes have been at Gila River Arena since 2003 after relocating from Phoenix. The NHL has certainly been exploring the possibilities of hockey down south with Arizona being a major piece in that puzzle. The NHL has worked tirelessly to make Arizona thrive throughout their inception in 1972.

While the Phoenix Suns’ Footprint Center could potentially host an NHL team, another move would make it the Yotes’ third since 1972. Not to mention, the buzz around a potential move to Quebec or Houston has been floating around since the controversy surrounding issues that that the Coyotes have dealt with over recent years.

Although its early to tell, all signs point to a potential relocation for the Coyotes despite the recent shuffle in ownership and front office. While it would be sad to see the Coyotes go, a move to Quebec does make sense and would surely be welcomed by those in the surrounding area and NHL fans as a whole.