The Coyotes wrapped up their 28-year run in Arizona with a triumph, led by Dylan Guenther’s goal and assist in a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.
The Coyotes started strong and finished even stronger at Mullett Arena in their final game before relocating to Salt Lake City.
Liam O’Brien kicked off the farewell match with a goal less than three minutes in, and Sean Durzi sealed it with an empty-netter, giving Coyotes fans a reason to cheer on their way out. Matias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse also found the net, while Connor Ingram made 25 saves for Arizona.
“We wanted to give the fans a good effort in our last game here in Arizona,” said Coyotes forward Clayton Keller.
Sam Carrick and Warren Foegele scored for the Oilers, who are headed to the playoffs. Calvin Pickard made 16 saves in the first of back-to-back games to close out Edmonton’s regular season.
“Emotionally, it was a tough one. We expected the Coyotes to come out strong,” said Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch. “But we’re also focused on the playoffs. We played decently, and sometimes you win games like that.”
For years, the Coyotes and their supporters hoped relocation rumors would remain just that—rumors. However, this week, those rumors became reality when Alex Meruelo agreed to sell the franchise’s hockey operations to Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz, who plans to move the team to Salt Lake City.
While there’s a chance the Coyotes franchise could return in the future if a new arena is built within five years, Wednesday night marked the end of an era in Arizona.
Fans treated it as a farewell party, creating an electric atmosphere unlike any seen during the Coyotes’ time at Mullett Arena.
The players soaked up the energy, delivering big hits and an early goal by O’Brien just over two minutes into the game, igniting the crowd’s excitement.
