General Info

Phoenix Coyotes Hockey Club, a member of the National Hockey League's Western Conference and Pacific Division, began as the Winnipeg Jets. It was in 1995 that the Jets were sold to an investment group that moved the franchise to the Phoenix area. The newly purchased franchise officially unveiled its logo and name in a press conference in Phoenix. After a name-the-team contest, management chose the name 'Phoenix Coyotes' for the franchise. Two years later, the Coyotes played the first ever NHL playoff game in Phoenix -- and won the game. In 2000, NHL Hall of Fame player Wayne Gretzky joined the Coyotes ownership group. The Glendale City Council unanimously approved the final development agreement in 2001 that paved the way for construction of the Coyotes arena. In the inaugural game played at Glendale Arena, the Coyotes produced the largest attended NHL game in Arizona with a capacity crowd of 19,052. The Coyotes have twice gone to the NHL play-offs.