It figures to be one last date in the desert for the Arizona Coyotes.
The Coyotes (35-41-5, 75 points) will not only conclude the season with Wednesday’s home clash against the Edmonton Oilers in Tempe, Ariz., but it appears the end of an era.
An announcement is expected soon that the Coyotes will move to Salt Lake City next season. The franchise relocated to Phoenix from Winnipeg in 1996 and played in three different arenas in the area while struggling to make an impact.
“We want to play our last game with class, with respect and give the best effort that crowd can expect,” Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said after Tuesday’s practice. “We want to make sure we are remembered as a group who fought with every last ounce we have in our body.”
Arizona heads into the finale with victories four of its last six games, although it is coming off a 6-5 road loss to the Calgary Flames on Sunday.
The franchise has a bright future with a bevy of young, talented players. However, the relocation appears to have become a necessity after two seasons in the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus while ownership failed to close a deal for a new venue in Tempe.
There always is a possibility an expansion team will bring the NHL back to the desert, with efforts in the works for a new facility in nearby Scottsdale.
For the players, the concern is to leave on a positive note for the fans who have supported the team.
“Arizona is home for me, and the eight years I’ve been here, they’ve been great supporting us through the ups and downs,” Arizona forward Lawson Crouse said, according to The Hockey News. “They mean so much to not only myself but all of my teammates.”
The Oilers, second in the Pacific Division, are kicking off a two-game road trip to conclude the regular season. Edmonton (49-25-6, 104 points) arrives in Arizona after crushing the last-place San Jose Sharks 9-2 on Monday and is gearing up for a potential lengthy playoff run.
To say it has been a wild season in Edmonton would be an understatement. The Oilers won only five of their first 18 games and changed coaches before going on a torrid run to reach having home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Along the way, Edmonton rattled off winning streaks of eight and 16 games.
“We’ve come through some adversity,” defenseman Vincent Desharnais said, according to Postmedia. “It’s good for a team to go through that. Obviously, it wasn’t the start we wanted but we learned a lot from it. We battled back hard.”
A healthy and productive attack helps. The Oilers put that on full display in their final regular-season home game, with captain Connor McDavid becoming only the fourth player in league history to reach 100 assists in a season, joining Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
“It means a lot,” McDavid said. “Those three are obviously three of the greatest players to ever play. To share a little something with them, it means a lot to me.
“It’s been a different type of year, but everybody stuck with it and we’ve put ourselves in a good spot heading into when it matters most.”
–Field Level Media
