The NHL still wants one former market back, but two cities are ahead of it, per Elliotte Friedman
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Elliotte Friedman says the NHL still wants Arizona back, but Phoenix trails Houston and Atlanta in the expansion pecking order.
The NHL hasn't given up on Arizona.
According to Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts, the league still wants to put a team back in the Phoenix market someday, even after the Coyotes relocated to Utah in 2024.
But wanting something and prioritizing it are two different things.
Insider account NHLRumourReport on X laid out where Phoenix actually sits in the expansion pecking order right now, and it's not at the front of the line.
Elliotte Friedman: Re NHL expansion/relocation: "I do think they wanna go back to Arizona."
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NHLRR: "Phoenix appears to be behind Houston and Atlanta in the expansion pecking order, but remains a city the NHL clearly wants to return to."
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NHLRR: "Phoenix appears to be behind Houston and Atlanta in the expansion pecking order, but remains a city the NHL clearly wants to return to."
Houston and Atlanta come first
Right now Houston and Atlanta appear to be the league's top two targets for expansion, largely because of their size as television markets and the leverage that gives the NHL heading into its next US broadcast rights negotiations.
Both cities check boxes Phoenix simply can't right now, mainly a modern arena situation already in place and no recent history of a franchise packing up and leaving town.
That doesn't mean Arizona is out of the picture entirely.
It just means Phoenix is stuck waiting behind two markets the league currently values more in the short term.
Why Arizona still matters to the NHL
Phoenix remains one of the largest metro areas in the entire country, and the league has made it clear in the past that it doesn't want to walk away from that kind of market for good.
If expansion or relocation talks eventually turn to a third or fourth city, Arizona is expected to be right in that conversation.
For now, fans in the Valley will have to watch Houston and Atlanta move first.
Whether Phoenix ever gets another shot at hockey depends on how quickly those two situations play out over the next couple of years, and how badly a new ownership group actually wants back in.
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