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Utah hopes to follow in the footsteps of other NHL teams that have moved on and found success

By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Management at the Utah Hockey Club insists it is an expansion team, and as far as the NHL and the way records are kept, that’s true.

But in a more practical sense, Utah is a relocated franchise.

They are largely the same team that took to the ice last season as the Arizona Coyotes, with the same head coach and general manager.

Utah opens its first season on Tuesday night in Salt Lake City against the Chicago Blackhawks.

If previous relocated franchises are any guide, Utah also fits that definition, as it could be on the verge of becoming an annual playoff contender due to its core of young players. History has favored other teams who changed cities: many clubs won immediately and even won the championship shortly after arriving in their new home.

“I think it was just that when (teams) moved, they were generally bought by larger, wealthier organizations that could support them better than where they were,” said award-winning hockey historian Eric Zweig, who has written several books The NHL wrote about it. “Arizona wasn’t always terrible when they got there. But they never really had stable ownership.

“Other than the Coyotes, there aren’t many organizations left in the NHL that aren’t run by wealthy corporations. I mean, it’s almost impossible not to.”

Ryan and Ashley Smith, who run Smith Entertainment Group, own both the UHC and the NBA’s Utah Jazz and are playing a major role in a redevelopment project in downtown Salt Lake City.

They purchased the club from Alex Meruelo, who unsuccessfully tried to find a new arena in the Phoenix area. The Coyotes played their final two seasons at Arizona State’s arena before being sold. The NHL agreed that Meruelo could retain the Coyotes’ name and intellectual property if another team was assigned to the territory. He has since waived his right to bring the team back.

That’s why Salt Lake relocated a team disguised as an expansion franchise.

“It’s one of the fastest-growing markets in the country,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “It’s a prosperous market. It is a sports-oriented market, especially with regard to winter sports. Ryan had been in contact with me for a few years and was “selling” – I use the word in quotes – Utah as a place that would be great for us.

“He made a lot of promises about what he was going to do and they did everything they had to do and it was incredible. And remember, this all happened in about six weeks, including the fact that the lawyers were drafting documents that no one had ever done before because it was some sort of hybrid transaction.”

One of Arizona’s new additions, general manager Bill Armstrong, has been working on a slow build to make the roster not only competitive but capable of making deep runs in the postseason.

Utah may not be there yet, but Armstrong has put together a team that could at least contend for a playoff spot. And with the NHL postseason often very open, Utah could find success sooner rather than later if it can find a way into the playoffs.

No matter what happens this season, Armstrong is looking to the future and trying to ensure the success continues.

Clayton Keller, the 26-year-old who led the Coyotes with 78 points last season, was named Utah’s first captain. Armstrong complemented the returning players with improved defense, which included trading for two-time Stanley Cup champion Mikhail Sergachev, who is Keller’s age.

“We’re not tied to men who are 35 years old for seven years,” Armstrong said. “We need to grow our group a little organically. There are still some things we have to go through before we can do that. There will come a time when you add the big free agents to kind of round it out.

“But there is more work to be done with our young people to develop further.”

If Armstrong wants to use other clubs that have achieved great success after a change of scenery as an example, he can look at these examples:

– After leaving Atlanta in 1980, the Flames reached the playoffs in 15 of their first 16 seasons in Calgary and won the Cup in 1989.

—The Minnesota North Stars became the Dallas Stars in 1993 and made the playoffs in 12 of their first 14 seasons, winning the Cup in 1999.

—The Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995 and were renamed the Colorado Avalanche. Thanks to the transfer of Eric Lindros, the 1991 No. 1 draft pick, to the Philadelphia Flyers three years earlier, the Avalanche amassed enough talent to win the Cup in Colorado’s first season and again in 2001. Colorado made the playoffs in his first ten seasons.

– In 1997, the Hartford Whalers moved south and became the Carolina Hurricanes. They made the playoffs in three of their first five seasons, reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2002 and won it all in 2006.

Of course, these results are no guarantee of future success, and not every move has been an immediate success.

But the former Coyotes players no longer find themselves at a college rink. They have a wealthy ownership group that has already made moves to advance the franchise and a new fan base that is more than happy to welcome the team.

It’s not a bad place to start, whether it’s an expansion or a relocated team.

“The players who played in Arizona last year are experiencing something – some for the first time – that they’ve never experienced in the NHL, so it’s great,” said Marty Walsh, executive director of the NHL Players Association. “The ownership is committed to making it a success and I think it will be great for the league.”

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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno in New York contributed to this report.

The Associated Press contributed to this article