Phoenix Coyotes
Encyclopedia
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional
ice hockey
team based in Glendale
, Arizona
. They are members of the Pacific Division
of the Western Conference
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena.
The team was founded in 1972 as the original Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association
(WHA). The Jets were one of four teams which joined the NHL in 1979 when the WHL folded. In 1996, the Jets relocated to Phoenix
to become the Coyotes. Their original home venue was America West Arena
(now called US Airways Center), but due to its inadequacy for hockey games, a new venue, Jobing.com Arena, was built in Glendale.
The Phoenix Coyotes have been owned by the National Hockey League itself since 2009, when Jerry Moyes
, who purchased the team in 2005 and had incurred massive financial losses, declared bankruptcy
in 2008 and ultimately sold the team to them. Moyes had previously attempted to privately sell the team to Canadian
billionaire Jim Balsillie
, who wanted to relocate the team to Hamilton
, Ontario
. However, the NHL protested that the attempted sale was a violation of league policy; a court agreed. As a result, Jerry Moyes was stripped of his remaining authority. Jim Balsillie had previously attempted to purchase majority interest in the Nashville Predators
and wanted to relocate that franchise to Hamilton, but he was unsuccessful.
Despite the Phoenix Coyotes franchise's uncertain future, on September 30, 2011, the Arizona Republic reported that ticket sales were up and season ticket renewals were at an all-time high. The NHL and the city of Glendale are talking to two potential ownership groups.
(WHA). The Jets were the most successful team in the short-lived WHA, winning the Avco World Trophy
, the league's championship trophy, three times and making the finals five out of the WHA's seven seasons. It then became one of the four teams admitted to the NHL as part of a merger that saw the financially-struggling WHA fold in 1979.
However, the club was never able to translate that success into the NHL after the merger. As part of the terms under which the former WHA teams joined the NHL, the established NHL teams were allowed to reclaim most of the players that jumped to the upstart league. The Jets lost most of their best players in the ensuing reclamation draft. As a result, they finished last in the NHL during their first two seasons, including a nine-win season in 1980–81 that is still the worst in franchise history. They recovered fairly quickly, however, making the playoffs 11 times in the next 15 seasons. However, they only won two playoff series largely due to being in the same division as the powerful Edmonton Oilers
and Calgary Flames
. Because of the way the playoffs were structured for much of their Winnipeg run, they were all but assured of having to defeat either the Oilers or the Flames (or both) to reach the Conference Finals. In 1984–85, for instance, they finished with the fifth-best record in the league, only to be bounced by the Oilers in the division finals.
The Jets ran into financial trouble when player salaries began spiraling up in the 1990s; this hit the Canadian teams particularly hard. Winnipeg was the second-smallest market in the NHL for most of the Jets' existence, and after the Quebec Nordiques
moved to Denver in 1995 to become the Colorado Avalanche
, it became the smallest market. In addition, the Jets' home arena, Winnipeg Arena
, was one of the smallest in the league. Despite strong fan support, several attempts to keep the team in Winnipeg ultimately fell through. In December 1995, Jerry Colangelo
, owner of the NBA's Phoenix Suns
and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks
, along with Phoenix businessmen Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke and a local investor group bought the team with plans to move it to Phoenix for the 1996–97 season. A name-the-team contest yielded the nickname "Coyote
s."
, while the team added established superstar Jeremy Roenick
from the Chicago Blackhawks
. Roenick teamed up with power wingers Keith Tkachuk
and Rick Tocchet
to form a dynamic 1–2–3 offensive punch that led the Coyotes through their first years in Arizona. Also impressive were young players like Shane Doan
(as of the current season the last remaining Coyote dating to the team's days in Winnipeg), Oleg Tverdovsky
, and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin
, whom the fans nicknamed the "Bulin Wall."
Another key addition to the squad was veteran forward Mike Gartner
, who had come over from the Toronto Maple Leafs
. Despite his experience and scoring his 700th career goal on December 15, 1997, Gartner battled injuries in the latter half of the 1997-98 season. The Coyotes did not renew his contract, and he retired at the end of the season.
After arriving in Phoenix, the team posted six consecutive .500 or better seasons, making the playoffs in every year but one. The one time they didn't make the playoffs, in 2000–01, they became the first team to earn 90 points and miss the playoffs. They were tremendously popular, in part because of the large number of Northern transplants in the Phoenix area.
However, the Coyotes' home during their first eight years in Phoenix, America West Arena, was completely inadequate for hockey. Although considered a state-of-the-art arena when it was built for the Phoenix Suns
basketball team, the floor was just barely large enough to fit a standard NHL rink. The building was hastily re-engineered to accommodate the 200 foot rink, and the configuration left a portion of one end of the upper deck hanging over the boards and ice, obscuring almost a third of the rink and one goal from several sections. As a result, listed capacity had to be cut down from over 18,000 seats to just over 16,000 — the second-smallest in the league at the time — after the first season.
Burke bought out Gluckstern in 1998, but was unable to attract more investors to alleviate the team's financial woes (see below). Finally, in 2001, Burke sold the team to Phoenix-area developer Steve Ellman, with Wayne Gretzky
as a part-owner and head of hockey operations.
As of the 2011-2012 season; however, the Coyotes have not won a playoff series since the move to Phoenix. The franchise has not won a playoff series since 1987, when it was still in Winnipeg. The closest that they came to advancing past the first round during their first decade in Arizona was during the 1999 playoffs
, when they lost a heartbreaking Game 7 to the St. Louis Blues. In 2002, the Coyotes posted 95 points, one point behind their best total as an NHL team while in Winnipeg, but made a rather meek first-round exit from the playoffs, being eliminated in five games by the San Jose Sharks
.
From then until the 2007–08 season, the Coyotes were barely competitive and managed to break the 80–point barrier only once during that time. Attendance levels dropped considerably, worrying many league executives. In addition, an unfavorable lease with the city of Phoenix (owner of America West Arena) had the team running massive losses (as much as $40 million a year at one point); the Coyotes have never really recovered from the resulting financial problems.
In 2003, the team opened Glendale Arena, now known as Jobing.com Arena, and moved there in 2003. Ellman put forward numerous proposals to improve the hockey sight lines in America West Arena in hopes of boosting capacity back over the 17,000 mark. However, neither of these got beyond the planning stages, leading Ellman to commit to building a new arena. Simultaneously, the team changed its logo and uniforms, moving from the previous multi-colored kit to a more streamlined look.
In 2005, Ellman sold the Coyotes, the National Lacrosse League
's Arizona Sting
and the lease to Jobing.com Arena to trucking magnate Jerry Moyes, who is also a part-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks
.
On August 6, 2005, Brett Hull
, son of former Jet Bobby Hull
, was signed and promptly assigned the elder Hull's #9 retired. Two days later, Gretzky named himself head coach, replacing Rick Bowness
, despite the fact that he had never coached at any level of hockey. The Coyotes 'Ring of Honor' was unveiled on October 8, inducting Gretzky (who had never played for the organization) and Bobby Hull. Only a week later, Brett Hull announced his retirement. On January 21, 2006, Jets great Thomas Steen
was the third inductee to the 'Ring of Honor.'
Another moment in a series of bad luck: The Coyotes were planning to host the 2006 NHL All-Star Game, but the event was canceled because of the 2006 Winter Olympics
.
The team returned to Winnipeg
on September 17, 2006, to play a pre-season game against the Edmonton Oilers
, but were shut-out 5–0 before a sellout crowd of 15,015.
On April 11, 2007, CEO Jeff Shumway announced that general manager Michael Barnett
(Gretzky's agent for over 20 years), senior executive vice president of hockey operations Cliff Fletcher
, and San Antonio Rampage
's general manager and Coyotes' assistant general manager Laurence Gilman "have been relieved of their duties." The Coyotes finished the 2006–2007 season 31–46–5, its worst record since relocating to Phoenix.
On May 29, 2007, Jeff Shumway announced that Don Maloney
had agreed to a multi-year contract to become General Manager of the Coyotes. As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. However, as has been the case with all general managers since 2001, Maloney serves in an advisory role to Gretzky.
The 2007–08 season was something of a resurgence for the Coyotes. After their disastrous 2006–07 campaign, the Coyotes looked to rebuild the team by relying on their drafted talent such as Peter Mueller and Martin Hanzal
to make the team successful as opposed to using free agency. The Coyotes also acquired Radim Vrbata
from the Chicago Blackhawks for Kevyn Adams
in an effort to provide the team with more offense. The team signed both Alex Auld
and David Aebischer
to compete for the starting goaltender position with Mikael Tellqvist
acting as the backup goaltender. Neither Auld or Aebischer were able to hold on to the starting position, leaving the Coyotes to turn to the waiver wire for assistance. On November 17, 2007, the Coyotes were able to claim Ilya Bryzgalov
off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks
. Bryzgalov responded by not only starting in goal the day he was acquired, but posting a shutout in his Coyotes debut against the Los Angeles Kings
. Bryzgalov was soon given a 3–year contract extension because of his high level of play. Despite predictions of another disastrous season, the Coyotes played competitive hockey for most of the season. However, they finished eight points short of the last playoff spot, with 83 points.
and vice-president Bill Daly. However, Moyes had secretly given operational control of the team to the league. In May 2009, Moyes put the team into bankruptcy hours before Bettman was to present him an offer to sell the team to Chicago Bulls
and Chicago White Sox
owner Jerry Reinsdorf
. Moyes intended to sell the team to Canadian
billionaire Jim Balsillie
who intended to purchase the team out of bankruptcy and move it to Hamilton, Ontario
. The NHL responded by stripping Moyes of his remaining ownership authority.
From May until September 2009, hearings were held in Phoenix bankruptcy court to determine the fate of the Coyotes and the holding company. Two potential bidders for the team surfaced, Reinsdorf and Ice Edge Holdings. but they did not submit a bid for the team at the bankruptcy hearing. Instead, the NHL put in the only rival bid to Balsillie for the team, while it contended the Moyes-Balsillie deal violated NHL rules. Ultimately, the bankruptcy court voided the planned sale to Balsillie, accepting the league's argument that bankruptcy could not be used to circumvent league rules. The NHL's initial bid was also declared insufficient, but the judge left the window open to an improved bid. Moyes and the NHL settled, with the NHL buying the team and assuming all debts. The NHL negotiated a temporary lease with the city of Glendale, which owns Jobing.com Arena.
The NHL then proceeded to work with the Reinsdorf and Ice Edge to work out a deal with Glendale. Ice Edge signed a letter of intent to buy the team from the NHL, while Reinsdorf has won the approval of the City of Glendale. The NHL has yet to deal with the purchase. On Friday, May 7, 2010, ESPN.com reported that Reinsdorf bid had fallen apart, and the City of Glendale was working with Ice Edge to buy the team in a last ditch effort to keep them in Arizona. The National Post
criticized both bids, as both were conditional on municipal taxpayers to cover any losses that the Coyotes might incur, and suggested that keeping the team in Phoenix was never economically viable.
In July 2010, the Ice Edge bid collapsed, as it did not satisfy Glendale's financial conditions. Ice Edge decided to concentrate on an effort to buy a minor league team. The City of Glendale had to step in and guarantee the team's losses for 2010–11 as a precondition of the NHL not transferring the franchise. A consortium of investors led by Chicago investor Matt Hulsizer then reached a deal to purchase the Coyotes from the NHL along with a lease agreement with Glendale. However, the Hulsizer deal collapsed in late June 2011 at least in part due to a threatened suit by the Goldwater Institute
over the legality of payments Glendale would make to Hulsizer prior to the consortium buying the team. The threat of the suit may have prevented the sale of bonds to finance the payments. The team only stayed in Phoenix for the 2011-12 season after another $25 million payment by the city of Glendale.
took over coaching duties of the Phoenix Coyotes after Wayne Gretzky stepped down hours before. In just 61 games, Tippett led the Coyotes to more wins in their 2009-10 regular season (37) than their previous season (36), en route to the first 50-win season in the franchise's NHL history.
On March 27, 2010, the Coyotes clinched a playoff spot, their first playoff spot since the 2001-2002 season, and in the process, reached the 100 point mark for the first ever as an NHL team, and the first time overall since the 1977-78 Jets notched 102 points. They ultimately finished with 107 points, the highest point total in the franchise's 38-year history. This was good enough for fourth overall in the league, tying their highest finish as an NHL team.
Their first round opponent in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs
was the Detroit Red Wings
. Game one of the series was the first NHL playoff game to be played in Jobing.com Arena. An injury to Captain Shane Doan kept him from playing most of the games in the series, and the veteran Red Wings ultimately defeated the Coyotes in seven games.
In the following year, the Coyotes played the Detroit Red Wings
for the second straight postseason, in the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs
. The Coyotes were swept in four games.
-inspired style. The jerseys featured pointed green shoulders with brick red trim over a white (home) or black (road) body, and non-traditional striping patterns. These uniforms remained in place until 2003. A third jersey, primarily green with a nighttime desert landscape wrapped around the bottom and the cuffs of the sleeves, was introduced in 1998, and retired in 2003.
As the NHL switched home and road jerseys beginning in the 2003-04 season, and coinciding with the team's move from America West to the newly-completed Glendale Arena, the Coyotes redesigned their look completely, adopting the current howling coyote head logo, while dropping several colors from the team's palette. Sedona red and white became the primary colors, with desert sand and black remaining as logo trim colors. The uniform's simplified two-color scheme with three stripes on each sleeve and the tail bears some resemblance to later versions of the Montreal Maroons
sweaters. The team also changed its shoulder patch, taking the form of the outline of the state of Arizona, with an homage to the state flag
and the abbreviation "PHX". This logo was worn on the right shoulder only, with the left shoulder now bare.
The Coyotes updated their jerseys for the 2007–08 season, along with all NHL
teams, as part of the switchover to Rbk Edge jerseys. The changes made were adding an NHL crest just below the neck opening, removing the stripes that were previously just above the lower hem, and moving the "PHX" patch from the right to the left shoulder. The white jersey also gained red shoulder coloring and laces at the collar. The three-stripe pattern is applied to the side of the pants.
The Coyotes also added a third jersey
for the 2008-2009 season. It is primarily black and features a new alternate coyote
logo on the front, with the primary logo (coyote head) patch on the right shoulder, and the "Official Seal" on the left. Since white does not appear on the alternate, solid red pant shells are worn with this jersey.
Howler wears number 96 on his jersey, because the Coyotes moved from Winnipeg
in 1996.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Records as of April 10, 2011.
The Coyotes continue to honor the retired numbers of the original Winnipeg Jets franchise, and are the only relocated WHA team to do so. When the franchise initially relocated, the banners for Hull and Steen at the then-America West Arena were in the Jets' blue, white and red; when the franchise moved into the now Jobing.com Arena, the banners (along with that of Hawerchuk) were replaced by lettering in Coyotes' typeface in the Coyotes' Ring of Honor at the west end of the arena. Furthermore, Hull, Hawerchuk, and Steen, all played for the first Winnipeg franchise long before the move to Arizona. Numminen is the only player with a number retired by the Jets/Coyotes to play for both the Jets and the Coyotes (and the only one to have played for the latter).
* The 1996 NHL Draft took place on June 22, and the Jets did not become the Coyotes until July 1, making Focht and Briere the two final first round selections of the Winnipeg Jets.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Coyotes player
. Along with the two alternate captains, they have the "privilege of discussing with the referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game". Captains are required to wear the letter "C" on their uniform for identification, which is 3 inches (7.6 cm) high.
Note: This list does not include captains from the Winnipeg Jets (NHL
& WHA
).
Professional ice hockey
Professional ice hockey has existed since the early 1900s. From the first professional ice hockey league based out of Michigan in the United States, it quickly grew into Canada and to many other countries, as diverse as Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom or Austria.- Canada :Professional...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Glendale
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. They are members of the Pacific Division
Pacific Division (NHL)
The National Hockey League's Pacific Division is one of three divisions that make up the Western Conference. It was formed in 1993 as part of a league realignment...
of the Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena.
The team was founded in 1972 as the original Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(WHA). The Jets were one of four teams which joined the NHL in 1979 when the WHL folded. In 1996, the Jets relocated to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
to become the Coyotes. Their original home venue was America West Arena
US Airways Center
US Airways Center is a sports and entertainment arena located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in 1992, and is the home of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association, the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena...
(now called US Airways Center), but due to its inadequacy for hockey games, a new venue, Jobing.com Arena, was built in Glendale.
The Phoenix Coyotes have been owned by the National Hockey League itself since 2009, when Jerry Moyes
Jerry Moyes
Jerry Moyes is the founder, chairman and CEO of Phoenix-based Swift Transportation, one of the largest trucking companies in the nation. Moyes is also owner of charter airline Swift Air. He was a majority owner of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League before the Coyotes filed...
, who purchased the team in 2005 and had incurred massive financial losses, declared bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in 2008 and ultimately sold the team to them. Moyes had previously attempted to privately sell the team to Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
billionaire Jim Balsillie
Jim Balsillie
James Laurence "Jim" Balsillie is a Canadian businessman and co-CEO of the Canadian company Research In Motion. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a private political organization...
, who wanted to relocate the team to Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. However, the NHL protested that the attempted sale was a violation of league policy; a court agreed. As a result, Jerry Moyes was stripped of his remaining authority. Jim Balsillie had previously attempted to purchase majority interest in the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and wanted to relocate that franchise to Hamilton, but he was unsuccessful.
Despite the Phoenix Coyotes franchise's uncertain future, on September 30, 2011, the Arizona Republic reported that ticket sales were up and season ticket renewals were at an all-time high. The NHL and the city of Glendale are talking to two potential ownership groups.
Winnipeg (1972–1996)
The team began play as the Winnipeg Jets, one of the founding franchises in the World Hockey AssociationWorld Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(WHA). The Jets were the most successful team in the short-lived WHA, winning the Avco World Trophy
Avco World Trophy
The Avco World Trophy, also known as the Avco Cup, was the championship trophy of the original World Hockey Association . The trophy's naming rights were sold to the former Avco Corporation , a defense contractor who bought the rights to advertise their consumer finance division...
, the league's championship trophy, three times and making the finals five out of the WHA's seven seasons. It then became one of the four teams admitted to the NHL as part of a merger that saw the financially-struggling WHA fold in 1979.
However, the club was never able to translate that success into the NHL after the merger. As part of the terms under which the former WHA teams joined the NHL, the established NHL teams were allowed to reclaim most of the players that jumped to the upstart league. The Jets lost most of their best players in the ensuing reclamation draft. As a result, they finished last in the NHL during their first two seasons, including a nine-win season in 1980–81 that is still the worst in franchise history. They recovered fairly quickly, however, making the playoffs 11 times in the next 15 seasons. However, they only won two playoff series largely due to being in the same division as the powerful Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
and Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
. Because of the way the playoffs were structured for much of their Winnipeg run, they were all but assured of having to defeat either the Oilers or the Flames (or both) to reach the Conference Finals. In 1984–85, for instance, they finished with the fifth-best record in the league, only to be bounced by the Oilers in the division finals.
The Jets ran into financial trouble when player salaries began spiraling up in the 1990s; this hit the Canadian teams particularly hard. Winnipeg was the second-smallest market in the NHL for most of the Jets' existence, and after the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
moved to Denver in 1995 to become the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, it became the smallest market. In addition, the Jets' home arena, Winnipeg Arena
Winnipeg Arena
Winnipeg Arena was an indoor arena located at 1430 Maroons Road in Winnipeg, Manitoba, across the street from Canad Inns Stadium and just north of Polo Park.Built in 1955, it was owned by community-owned Winnipeg Enterprises Corporation...
, was one of the smallest in the league. Despite strong fan support, several attempts to keep the team in Winnipeg ultimately fell through. In December 1995, Jerry Colangelo
Jerry Colangelo
Jerry Colangelo , is an American businessman and sports executive.He formerly owned the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, the Arizona Sandsharks of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major...
, owner of the NBA's Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, along with Phoenix businessmen Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke and a local investor group bought the team with plans to move it to Phoenix for the 1996–97 season. A name-the-team contest yielded the nickname "Coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s."
The early Phoenix years (1996–2005)
In the summer that the move took place, the franchise saw the exit of Jets star Alexei ZhamnovAlexei Zhamnov
Alexei Yuryevich Zhamnov is a Russian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for the Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins...
, while the team added established superstar Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Shaffer "J.R." Roenick is a former American professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League . He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks over the course of his 18 NHL...
from the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. Roenick teamed up with power wingers Keith Tkachuk
Keith Tkachuk
Keith Matthew Tkachuk is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played for four teams and three franchises in his 19-year career. He is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points.- Playing career :Tkachuk began...
and Rick Tocchet
Rick Tocchet
Richard Tocchet is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals and Phoenix Coyotes. He was most recently the head coach of the...
to form a dynamic 1–2–3 offensive punch that led the Coyotes through their first years in Arizona. Also impressive were young players like Shane Doan
Shane Doan
Shane Albert Doan is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and captain of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . Doan is the longest tenured player on the club, having played all fourteen of his NHL seasons with the original Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise...
(as of the current season the last remaining Coyote dating to the team's days in Winnipeg), Oleg Tverdovsky
Oleg Tverdovsky
Oleh Fedorovych "Oleg" Tverdovsky is a Ukrainian-Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League .-Early years:...
, and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...
, whom the fans nicknamed the "Bulin Wall."
Another key addition to the squad was veteran forward Mike Gartner
Mike Gartner
Michael Alfred Gartner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes...
, who had come over from the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Despite his experience and scoring his 700th career goal on December 15, 1997, Gartner battled injuries in the latter half of the 1997-98 season. The Coyotes did not renew his contract, and he retired at the end of the season.
After arriving in Phoenix, the team posted six consecutive .500 or better seasons, making the playoffs in every year but one. The one time they didn't make the playoffs, in 2000–01, they became the first team to earn 90 points and miss the playoffs. They were tremendously popular, in part because of the large number of Northern transplants in the Phoenix area.
However, the Coyotes' home during their first eight years in Phoenix, America West Arena, was completely inadequate for hockey. Although considered a state-of-the-art arena when it was built for the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
basketball team, the floor was just barely large enough to fit a standard NHL rink. The building was hastily re-engineered to accommodate the 200 foot rink, and the configuration left a portion of one end of the upper deck hanging over the boards and ice, obscuring almost a third of the rink and one goal from several sections. As a result, listed capacity had to be cut down from over 18,000 seats to just over 16,000 — the second-smallest in the league at the time — after the first season.
Burke bought out Gluckstern in 1998, but was unable to attract more investors to alleviate the team's financial woes (see below). Finally, in 2001, Burke sold the team to Phoenix-area developer Steve Ellman, with Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
as a part-owner and head of hockey operations.
As of the 2011-2012 season; however, the Coyotes have not won a playoff series since the move to Phoenix. The franchise has not won a playoff series since 1987, when it was still in Winnipeg. The closest that they came to advancing past the first round during their first decade in Arizona was during the 1999 playoffs
1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, 1999, following the 1998–99 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
, when they lost a heartbreaking Game 7 to the St. Louis Blues. In 2002, the Coyotes posted 95 points, one point behind their best total as an NHL team while in Winnipeg, but made a rather meek first-round exit from the playoffs, being eliminated in five games by the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
From then until the 2007–08 season, the Coyotes were barely competitive and managed to break the 80–point barrier only once during that time. Attendance levels dropped considerably, worrying many league executives. In addition, an unfavorable lease with the city of Phoenix (owner of America West Arena) had the team running massive losses (as much as $40 million a year at one point); the Coyotes have never really recovered from the resulting financial problems.
In 2003, the team opened Glendale Arena, now known as Jobing.com Arena, and moved there in 2003. Ellman put forward numerous proposals to improve the hockey sight lines in America West Arena in hopes of boosting capacity back over the 17,000 mark. However, neither of these got beyond the planning stages, leading Ellman to commit to building a new arena. Simultaneously, the team changed its logo and uniforms, moving from the previous multi-colored kit to a more streamlined look.
In 2005, Ellman sold the Coyotes, the National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
's Arizona Sting
Arizona Sting
The Arizona Sting was a member of the National Lacrosse League from 2004 to 2007. They played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, from 2001 to 2003 as the Columbus Landsharks. On August 28, 2003, it was announced that the team was relocating to Glendale, Arizona...
and the lease to Jobing.com Arena to trucking magnate Jerry Moyes, who is also a part-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
.
Gretzky era (2005–2009)
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, son of former Jet Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
, was signed and promptly assigned the elder Hull's #9 retired. Two days later, Gretzky named himself head coach, replacing Rick Bowness
Rick Bowness
Richard Gary Bowness is a Canadian former National Hockey League right winger and currently an associate coach with the Vancouver Canucks. He played for the Atlanta Flames, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets and Central Hockey League, AHL and QMJHL teams...
, despite the fact that he had never coached at any level of hockey. The Coyotes 'Ring of Honor' was unveiled on October 8, inducting Gretzky (who had never played for the organization) and Bobby Hull. Only a week later, Brett Hull announced his retirement. On January 21, 2006, Jets great Thomas Steen
Thomas Steen
Thomas Steen is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player and coach. Steen is the current city councillor for the Winnipeg ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan. Steen played professional ice hockey in the Elitserien, National Hockey League and Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-Hockey career:Steen was born...
was the third inductee to the 'Ring of Honor.'
Another moment in a series of bad luck: The Coyotes were planning to host the 2006 NHL All-Star Game, but the event was canceled because of the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
.
The team returned to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
on September 17, 2006, to play a pre-season game against the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, but were shut-out 5–0 before a sellout crowd of 15,015.
On April 11, 2007, CEO Jeff Shumway announced that general manager Michael Barnett
Mike Barnett (ice hockey)
Michael Barnett is a Canadian ice hockey executive currently serving as advisor and scout with the New York Rangers. He was formerly a professional ice hockey player, sports agent, and National Hockey League general manager.-Sports career:Barnett played for the St. Lawrence University Skating...
(Gretzky's agent for over 20 years), senior executive vice president of hockey operations Cliff Fletcher
Cliff Fletcher
George Clifford Fletcher is a National Hockey League executive and is a former general manager of the Atlanta Flames/Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Phoenix Coyotes . He is currently a Senior Advisor to the Toronto Maple Leafs...
, and San Antonio Rampage
San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. They are the top affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the NHL. Their home arena is the AT&T Center.-History:...
's general manager and Coyotes' assistant general manager Laurence Gilman "have been relieved of their duties." The Coyotes finished the 2006–2007 season 31–46–5, its worst record since relocating to Phoenix.
On May 29, 2007, Jeff Shumway announced that Don Maloney
Don Maloney
Donald Michael "Slip" Maloney is a former NHL player, and is currently the general manager of the Phoenix Coyotes. He played for the New York Rangers for parts of eleven seasons. His best season came in the 1982–83 season, in which he tallied 29 goals and 69 points in 78 games...
had agreed to a multi-year contract to become General Manager of the Coyotes. As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. However, as has been the case with all general managers since 2001, Maloney serves in an advisory role to Gretzky.
The 2007–08 season was something of a resurgence for the Coyotes. After their disastrous 2006–07 campaign, the Coyotes looked to rebuild the team by relying on their drafted talent such as Peter Mueller and Martin Hanzal
Martin Hanzal
Martin Hanzal is a Czech professional ice hockey player, and alternate captain for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
to make the team successful as opposed to using free agency. The Coyotes also acquired Radim Vrbata
Radim Vrbata
Radim Vrbata is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
from the Chicago Blackhawks for Kevyn Adams
Kevyn Adams
Kevyn W. Adams is a retired professional ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Phoenix Coyotes and the Chicago Blackhawks, and is currently the Associate Coach for the Buffalo Sabres...
in an effort to provide the team with more offense. The team signed both Alex Auld
Alex Auld
Alexander Auld is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . Auld has also played for the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars of the NHL...
and David Aebischer
David Aebischer
David Aebischer , is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the St. John's IceCaps of the American Hockey League . Before returning to North America in 2011 Aebischer had spent four seasons with HC Lugano of the Nationalliga A in Switzerland. He has also played for the...
to compete for the starting goaltender position with Mikael Tellqvist
Mikael Tellqvist
Mikael Tellqvist is a professional Swedish ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for Modo Hockey in Elitserien.-Playing career:...
acting as the backup goaltender. Neither Auld or Aebischer were able to hold on to the starting position, leaving the Coyotes to turn to the waiver wire for assistance. On November 17, 2007, the Coyotes were able to claim Ilya Bryzgalov
Ilya Bryzgalov
Ilya Nikolayevich Bryzgalov is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League after being acquired by the team on June 7, 2011. He was selected in the second round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, 44th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In...
off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Bryzgalov responded by not only starting in goal the day he was acquired, but posting a shutout in his Coyotes debut against the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Bryzgalov was soon given a 3–year contract extension because of his high level of play. Despite predictions of another disastrous season, the Coyotes played competitive hockey for most of the season. However, they finished eight points short of the last playoff spot, with 83 points.
2009 Bankruptcy and attempts to sell the team
In December 2008, the media became aware that the Coyotes were suffering massive losses and were being funded by the NHL directly. The media reports were minimized by NHL commissioner Gary BettmanGary Bettman
Gary Bruce Bettman is the commissioner of the National Hockey League , a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice-president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association...
and vice-president Bill Daly. However, Moyes had secretly given operational control of the team to the league. In May 2009, Moyes put the team into bankruptcy hours before Bettman was to present him an offer to sell the team to Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
and Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
owner Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry M. Reinsdorf is a CPA, lawyer and an owner of the MLB's Chicago White Sox and the NBA's Chicago Bulls. He started his professional life as a tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service. He has been the head of the White Sox and Bulls for over 20 years.He made his initial fortune in real...
. Moyes intended to sell the team to Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
billionaire Jim Balsillie
Jim Balsillie
James Laurence "Jim" Balsillie is a Canadian businessman and co-CEO of the Canadian company Research In Motion. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a private political organization...
who intended to purchase the team out of bankruptcy and move it to Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. The NHL responded by stripping Moyes of his remaining ownership authority.
From May until September 2009, hearings were held in Phoenix bankruptcy court to determine the fate of the Coyotes and the holding company. Two potential bidders for the team surfaced, Reinsdorf and Ice Edge Holdings. but they did not submit a bid for the team at the bankruptcy hearing. Instead, the NHL put in the only rival bid to Balsillie for the team, while it contended the Moyes-Balsillie deal violated NHL rules. Ultimately, the bankruptcy court voided the planned sale to Balsillie, accepting the league's argument that bankruptcy could not be used to circumvent league rules. The NHL's initial bid was also declared insufficient, but the judge left the window open to an improved bid. Moyes and the NHL settled, with the NHL buying the team and assuming all debts. The NHL negotiated a temporary lease with the city of Glendale, which owns Jobing.com Arena.
The NHL then proceeded to work with the Reinsdorf and Ice Edge to work out a deal with Glendale. Ice Edge signed a letter of intent to buy the team from the NHL, while Reinsdorf has won the approval of the City of Glendale. The NHL has yet to deal with the purchase. On Friday, May 7, 2010, ESPN.com reported that Reinsdorf bid had fallen apart, and the City of Glendale was working with Ice Edge to buy the team in a last ditch effort to keep them in Arizona. The National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
criticized both bids, as both were conditional on municipal taxpayers to cover any losses that the Coyotes might incur, and suggested that keeping the team in Phoenix was never economically viable.
In July 2010, the Ice Edge bid collapsed, as it did not satisfy Glendale's financial conditions. Ice Edge decided to concentrate on an effort to buy a minor league team. The City of Glendale had to step in and guarantee the team's losses for 2010–11 as a precondition of the NHL not transferring the franchise. A consortium of investors led by Chicago investor Matt Hulsizer then reached a deal to purchase the Coyotes from the NHL along with a lease agreement with Glendale. However, the Hulsizer deal collapsed in late June 2011 at least in part due to a threatened suit by the Goldwater Institute
Goldwater Institute
The Goldwater Institute is a Phoenix, Arizona-based conservative public policy research organization established in 1988. The president is Darcy A. Olsen. The Goldwater Institute advances public policies with emphasis on lower taxes, limited government spending, school choice, and a reduction in...
over the legality of payments Glendale would make to Hulsizer prior to the consortium buying the team. The threat of the suit may have prevented the sale of bonds to finance the payments. The team only stayed in Phoenix for the 2011-12 season after another $25 million payment by the city of Glendale.
Return to the Playoffs (2009–2011)
On September 24, 2009, Dave TippettDave Tippett
David G. Tippett is a National Hockey League head coach, currently of the Phoenix Coyotes. He is the 6th person to be the head coach of the Coyotes, and the 21st coach in the Phoenix Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise. He is the former head coach of the Dallas Stars...
took over coaching duties of the Phoenix Coyotes after Wayne Gretzky stepped down hours before. In just 61 games, Tippett led the Coyotes to more wins in their 2009-10 regular season (37) than their previous season (36), en route to the first 50-win season in the franchise's NHL history.
On March 27, 2010, the Coyotes clinched a playoff spot, their first playoff spot since the 2001-2002 season, and in the process, reached the 100 point mark for the first ever as an NHL team, and the first time overall since the 1977-78 Jets notched 102 points. They ultimately finished with 107 points, the highest point total in the franchise's 38-year history. This was good enough for fourth overall in the league, tying their highest finish as an NHL team.
Their first round opponent in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs
2010 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 14, 2010, after the 2009–10 NHL regular season. The Finals ended on June 9, 2010, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two to win their fourth championship and their first since 1961...
was the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. Game one of the series was the first NHL playoff game to be played in Jobing.com Arena. An injury to Captain Shane Doan kept him from playing most of the games in the series, and the veteran Red Wings ultimately defeated the Coyotes in seven games.
In the following year, the Coyotes played the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
for the second straight postseason, in the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs
2011 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the 2010–11 NHL regular season. Game 1 of the Finals was held on June 1, while Game 7 was held on June 15...
. The Coyotes were swept in four games.
Jerseys
Upon their arrival in Phoenix in 1996, the team adopted a look with a strong Southwestern flavor. The primary logo was a stylized hockey stick-wielding coyote in a kachinaKachina
A kachina is a spirit being in western Pueblo cosmology and religious practices. The western Pueblo, Native American cultures located in the southwestern United States, include Hopi, Zuni, Tewa Village , Acoma Pueblo, and Laguna Pueblo. The kachina cult has spread to more eastern Pueblos, e.g....
-inspired style. The jerseys featured pointed green shoulders with brick red trim over a white (home) or black (road) body, and non-traditional striping patterns. These uniforms remained in place until 2003. A third jersey, primarily green with a nighttime desert landscape wrapped around the bottom and the cuffs of the sleeves, was introduced in 1998, and retired in 2003.
As the NHL switched home and road jerseys beginning in the 2003-04 season, and coinciding with the team's move from America West to the newly-completed Glendale Arena, the Coyotes redesigned their look completely, adopting the current howling coyote head logo, while dropping several colors from the team's palette. Sedona red and white became the primary colors, with desert sand and black remaining as logo trim colors. The uniform's simplified two-color scheme with three stripes on each sleeve and the tail bears some resemblance to later versions of the Montreal Maroons
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons was a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935...
sweaters. The team also changed its shoulder patch, taking the form of the outline of the state of Arizona, with an homage to the state flag
Flag of Arizona
The flag of the state of Arizona consists of 13 rays of red and weld-yellow on the top half, the colors of the flag of Spain, representing the 13 original states. The red and yellow also symbolize Arizona's picturesque sunsets. The copper star represents a once flourishing Copper mining industry in...
and the abbreviation "PHX". This logo was worn on the right shoulder only, with the left shoulder now bare.
The Coyotes updated their jerseys for the 2007–08 season, along with all NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
teams, as part of the switchover to Rbk Edge jerseys. The changes made were adding an NHL crest just below the neck opening, removing the stripes that were previously just above the lower hem, and moving the "PHX" patch from the right to the left shoulder. The white jersey also gained red shoulder coloring and laces at the collar. The three-stripe pattern is applied to the side of the pants.
The Coyotes also added a third jersey
Third jersey
A third jersey or alternate jersey is a sports team's alternate and/or throwback design for the previously established other two jerseys, the home and away outfits. Alternate jerseys are used in all four of the North American major professional sports leagues as well as college sports, semipro...
for the 2008-2009 season. It is primarily black and features a new alternate coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
logo on the front, with the primary logo (coyote head) patch on the right shoulder, and the "Official Seal" on the left. Since white does not appear on the alternate, solid red pant shells are worn with this jersey.
Mascot
Howler is the coyote-suited mascot of the Phoenix Coyotes. He was introduced on October 15, 2005. Howler has his own website dedicated to his Kids Club - http://www.HowlersDen.com.Howler wears number 96 on his jersey, because the Coyotes moved from Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
in 1996.
Season-by-season record
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Coyotes. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Phoenix Coyotes seasonsNote: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Records as of April 10, 2011.
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2006–07 | 82 | 31 | 46 | 5 | 67 | 216 | 284 | 5th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2007–08 | 82 | 38 | 37 | 7 | 83 | 214 | 231 | 4th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
82 | 36 | 39 | 7 | 79 | 208 | 252 | 4th, Pacific | Did not qualify |
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
82 | 50 | 25 | 7 | 107 | 225 | 202 | 2nd, Pacific | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... ) |
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
82 | 43 | 26 | 13 | 99 | 231 | 226 | 3rd, Pacific | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... ) |
Hall of Famers
- Mike GartnerMike GartnerMichael Alfred Gartner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes...
, RW, 1996–1998, inducted 2001 - Brett HullBrett HullBrett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, RW, 2005, inducted 2009
Retired numbers
- 9 Bobby HullBobby HullRobert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
, LW, 1972–80, number retired by Winnipeg on February 19, 1989; Hull's #9 was unretired briefly upon his request at the beginning of the 2005–06 season for his son, BrettBrett HullBrett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, before he retired five games into the season. - 10 Dale HawerchukDale HawerchukDale Hawerchuk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons. He won the NHL's Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 1982 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility in 2001...
, C, 1981–90, number retired by Phoenix on April 5, 2007. - 25 Thomas SteenThomas SteenThomas Steen is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player and coach. Steen is the current city councillor for the Winnipeg ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan. Steen played professional ice hockey in the Elitserien, National Hockey League and Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-Hockey career:Steen was born...
, RW, 1981–95, number retired by Winnipeg on May 6, 1995. - 27 Teppo NumminenTeppo NumminenTeppo Kalevi Numminen is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League. He is currently an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres.-Playing career:...
, D, 1988–2003, number retired by Phoenix on January 30, 2010. - 99 Wayne GretzkyWayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, number retired league-wide February 6, 2000 (not displayed in the Ring of Honor).
The Coyotes continue to honor the retired numbers of the original Winnipeg Jets franchise, and are the only relocated WHA team to do so. When the franchise initially relocated, the banners for Hull and Steen at the then-America West Arena were in the Jets' blue, white and red; when the franchise moved into the now Jobing.com Arena, the banners (along with that of Hawerchuk) were replaced by lettering in Coyotes' typeface in the Coyotes' Ring of Honor at the west end of the arena. Furthermore, Hull, Hawerchuk, and Steen, all played for the first Winnipeg franchise long before the move to Arizona. Numminen is the only player with a number retired by the Jets/Coyotes to play for both the Jets and the Coyotes (and the only one to have played for the latter).
First-round draft picks
Note: This list does not include selections of the Winnipeg Jets.Team scoring leaders
Note: This list includes scoring of the original Winnipeg Jets, including WHA seasons.- These are the top-ten point-scorers in team history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season from stats at NHL.com, last updated 2010/11.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Coyotes player
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
| Dale Hawerchuk Dale Hawerchuk Dale Hawerchuk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons. He won the NHL's Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 1982 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility in 2001... |
C | 713 | 379 | 550 | 929 | 1.30 |
| Thomas Steen Thomas Steen Thomas Steen is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player and coach. Steen is the current city councillor for the Winnipeg ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan. Steen played professional ice hockey in the Elitserien, National Hockey League and Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-Hockey career:Steen was born... |
RW | 950 | 264 | 553 | 817 | .86 |
| Shane Doan Shane Doan Shane Albert Doan is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and captain of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . Doan is the longest tenured player on the club, having played all fourteen of his NHL seasons with the original Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise... * |
RW | 1119 | 296 | 442 | 738 | .66 |
| Bobby Hull Bobby Hull Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning... |
LW | 429 | 307 | 341 | 648 | 1.51 |
| Keith Tkachuk Keith Tkachuk Keith Matthew Tkachuk is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played for four teams and three franchises in his 19-year career. He is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points.- Playing career :Tkachuk began... |
C | 640 | 323 | 300 | 623 | .97 |
| Teppo Numminen Teppo Numminen Teppo Kalevi Numminen is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League. He is currently an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres.-Playing career:... |
D | 1098 | 108 | 426 | 534 | .49 |
| Paul MacLean | RW | 527 | 248 | 270 | 518 | .98 |
| Ulf Nilsson Ulf Nilsson Ulf "Lill-Pröjsarn" Gösta Nilsson is a former professional ice hockey player who played for the Winnipeg Jets, the New York Rangers, the Springfield Indians and the Tulsa Oilers. Part of the first major wave of Europeans to star in North American hockey, he was a major star in the WHA from 1974 to... |
C | 300 | 140 | 344 | 484 | 1.61 |
| Anders Hedberg Anders Hedberg Anders Hedberg is a retired former professional ice hockey player who was one of the first European-born players to make an impact in North America... |
RW | 286 | 236 | 222 | 458 | 1.60 |
| Willy Lindstrom Willy Lindström Willy Lindström is a Swedish former ice hockey player for the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins. In Sweden he played for Västra Frölunda HC and Brynäs IF. He won two Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers in 1984 and 1985.In 1975, Lindström signed a contract as a free agent... |
RW | 604 | 220 | 229 | 449 | .74 |
NHL awards and trophies
Jack Adams AwardJack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
- Bob Francis: 2001–02
- Dave TippettDave TippettDavid G. Tippett is a National Hockey League head coach, currently of the Phoenix Coyotes. He is the 6th person to be the head coach of the Coyotes, and the 21st coach in the Phoenix Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise. He is the former head coach of the Dallas Stars...
: 2009–102009–10 NHL seasonThe 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
Team records
Note: This list does not include seasons of the Winnipeg Jets.- Most goals in a season: Keith TkachukKeith TkachukKeith Matthew Tkachuk is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played for four teams and three franchises in his 19-year career. He is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points.- Playing career :Tkachuk began...
, 52 (1996–97). - Most assists in a season: Shane DoanShane DoanShane Albert Doan is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and captain of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . Doan is the longest tenured player on the club, having played all fourteen of his NHL seasons with the original Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise...
, 48 (1998–99). - Most points in a season: Keith TkachukKeith TkachukKeith Matthew Tkachuk is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played for four teams and three franchises in his 19-year career. He is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points.- Playing career :Tkachuk began...
, 86 (1996–97). - Most penalty minutes in a season: Daniel CarcilloDaniel CarcilloDaniel Carcillo is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, 324 (2007–08). - Most points in a season, defenseman: Keith YandleKeith YandleKeith Yandle is an American ice hockey defenseman and alternate captain for the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes.-Amateur:...
, 59 (2010–11). - Most points in a season, rookie: Peter Mueller, 54 (2007–08).
- Most wins in a season: Ilya BryzgalovIlya BryzgalovIlya Nikolayevich Bryzgalov is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League after being acquired by the team on June 7, 2011. He was selected in the second round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, 44th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In...
, 42 (2009–102009–10 NHL seasonThe 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
).
Team captains
In the NHL, each team may select a captainCaptain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
. Along with the two alternate captains, they have the "privilege of discussing with the referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game". Captains are required to wear the letter "C" on their uniform for identification, which is 3 inches (7.6 cm) high.
Note: This list does not include captains from the Winnipeg Jets (NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
& WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
).
- Keith TkachukKeith TkachukKeith Matthew Tkachuk is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played for four teams and three franchises in his 19-year career. He is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points.- Playing career :Tkachuk began...
, 1996–2001 - Teppo NumminenTeppo NumminenTeppo Kalevi Numminen is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League. He is currently an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres.-Playing career:...
, 2001–03 - Shane DoanShane DoanShane Albert Doan is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and captain of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . Doan is the longest tenured player on the club, having played all fourteen of his NHL seasons with the original Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise...
, 2003– present
See also
- Winnipeg Jets
- World Hockey AssociationWorld Hockey AssociationThe World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
- List of NHL players
- List of NHL seasons