The Phoenix Coyotes will become the Arizona Coyotes starting next season, team President and CEO Anthony LeBlanc announced this week. The change is primarily reflect the fact that the team plays their home games in Glendale and was part of the deal to keep the team in Arizona rather than relocating for a better (aka colder) hockey town.
“Becoming the Arizona Coyotes makes sense for us since we play our games in Glendale and the city is such a great partner of ours. We also want to be recognized as not just the hockey team for Glendale or Phoenix, but the team for the entire state of Arizona and the Southwest. We hope that the name ‘Arizona’ will encourage more fans from all over the state, not just the valley, to embrace and support our team.”
It’s an interesting change, but not an earth-shattering one. The team won’t be changing their jerseys either, which is like passing up free money….so, yeah, the Arizona Coyotes are off to a great start.
[h/t Deadspin]
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