Arizona could be back in the cards for the NHL in their expansion plans.

According to Craig Morgan of AZ Hockey Insider, in speaking with NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, there is interest in having an NHL franchise return to the Phoenix area, where the recently disbanded Coyotes organization has not played since 2022.

This development comes from the NHL’s announcement of potential expansion, which has highlighted a team from Houston or Austin, Texas, joining, or maybe even Atlanta getting a team again. Back in late June of 2025, the NHL announced a six-month process to discuss the possibility of expanding a second team into Texas. This 33rd NHL Franchise would require a new arena regardless, and an agreement with the owner of Italian soccer club AS Roma and English Premier League club Everton, Dan Friedkin, was made to explore an approximate a $3.5 billion investment plus an expansion fee.

“I don’t think there’s any news necessarily,” Daly said of Arizona’s bid. “You’re aware and we’re aware, more importantly, that there’s interest among a number of people in Arizona to bring an NHL franchise back to the Phoenix area. I think we’ve been open and honest about the fact that given the right circumstances, we continue to think Arizona would be a good market for an NHL team and a successful market for an NHL team.

So, hope for a return to Arizona is possible and not off the cards. Back in April of 2024, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reported that a return to Arizona wouldn’t require approval from the Board of Governors. By building a full-size arena, Arizona could have a team back with the NHL Deputy Commissioner stating, “[Meruelo] has already been approved as an NHL owner.” The Coyotes will continue forward as an “inactive” franchise in the NHL’s eyes.

Formerly, the franchise resided in what was then the Gila River Arena in Glendale before changing to the Arizona Coyotes in 2014 and then moving to Tempe to play the final two years of the team’s history at Mullett Arena, home of the Arizona State Sun Devils D1 hockey program. The team had been pushing to build a new arena since their lease ended after the 2021-22 season. The ownership group, led by Alex Meruelo, was unable to find a new plot of land to build a rink before time ran out.

Smith Entertainment Group, led by Ryan Smith, purchased the rights and hockey operations of the Arizona Coyotes for $1.2 billion and brought both to Salt Lake City, where the Utah Mammoth now reside.

In October of 2025, Elliotte Friedman announced that the next NHL expansion fee could reach $2B, which would severely exceed what the Seattle Kraken ($650MM) paid and the Vegas Golden Knights ($500MM) paid. If the NHL gets another franchise, regardless of where, it would be the biggest professional sports league in North America.

The Coyotes, originally a relocation team in 1996 from the Winnipeg Jets, would notably be one of the few teams given another chance in the modern NHL, like Winnipeg (Jets: 1979-1996, 2011-Present) and Atlanta (Flames: 1972-1980, Thrashers: 1999-2011).