Arizona Coyotes History

In the United States, ice hockey is one of the key sports, and its regular seasons are watched & enjoyed by hockey fans immensely. The Arizona Coyotes is one of the most eminent national ice hockey teams founded in 1972. The 2021–22 NHL is the 105th NHL season, and the Coyotes will be making a comeback to the Central Division for the first time since the 1997–98 seasons. In this article, let’s take a quick glance at the Arizona Coyotes history.

What is the Arizona Coyotes team known for?

The Arizona Coyotes is a professional ice hockey team that is based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The team is part of the National Hockey League’s Central Division in the Western Conference. In 2003, Arizona moved to Glendale’s Gila River Arena.

Previously known as the Winnipeg Jets, this franchise is known to have won the three prestigious WHA titles in the year 1976, 1978, and 1979. Shane Doan, Keith Tkachuk, Teppo Numminen, Jeremy Roenick, and Sean Burke are among its top players. In 2003, they first played at city officials America West Arena in downtown Phoenix, and later moved to Glendale’s Gila River Arena. 

The team did not qualify for many playoffs season after season from 2016-2021. In 2019-20, it lost in Round1. Due to its sloppy performances, the team has been criticized immensely by fans who love them and want to see them win. As per the number of fans, Arizona Coyotes ranks at number 29 in the NHL team’s popularity.

Arizona Coyotes Team Name & its Mascot

Arizona Coyotes’ history starts with its formation in December 1971, as Winnipeg Jets of World Hockey Association (WHA). They were among the four franchises of NHL after the WHA had wrapped up operations and got membership in June 1979. When the Coyotes moved to Phoenix in July 1996, they have renamed the Phoenix Coyotes. Later a new name was given and now Phoenix became the Arizona Coyotes in June 2014. In July 2019 Alex Meruelo became the owner of Coyotes.

He described it as “an incredible moment for me and my entire family.” Meruelo also said that the Arizona Coyotes team is meant to achieve great things. He is there to help the Arizona Coyotes team thrive in the desert. He is dedicated to providing the “passionate fans, loyal partners and the entire State of Arizona with a team they can be proud of for years to come.”

On July 1, 2021, Andre Tourigny became the head coach of the Arizona Coyotes.

Mascot

Howler was introduced as the mascot for Arizona Coyotes on October 15th, 2015. The Coyotes’ official kid club is known as Howler’s Kids Club. Howler wears the number 96 on his jersey, symbolizing the year when the Winnipeg Jets had moved to Arizona, and the mascot wears an “M” designation. He is known for beating on a bucket to embolden the fans to cheer up and has several outfits in the games.

Arizona Coyotes Uniform History / Phoenix Coyotes Jersey History

• 1996-98: The team’s jersey has different shoulder patches. The one on the right shoulder had PHOENIX COYOTES and the left shoulder had GOALS FOR KIDS.
• 1998-99: A new green jersey came into the picture featuring a desert-scape.
• 2003-04: The jersey was majorly green and had a nighttime desert landscape. The cuff of the sleeves was discontinued in 2003. The jersey underwent a major change; key colors were dropped. Sedona red and white were the major colors. It had a howling coyote head logo. 
• 2007–08: An NHL crest was added below the neck, while the stripes were removed from the lower hem. The PHX patch was moved from right to left shoulder. The three-stripe pattern was added to the sides of the pants.
• 2008–09: On the black jersey, a new alternate coyote logo was added on the front, the primary logo on the right shoulder, and the official seal on the left.
• 2014-15: When the team changed its name to Arizona Coyotes from Phoenix Coyotes jersey history, only the shoulder patch had been changed, changing the PHX at the bottom to AZ.
• 2015-17: The jersey had a more prominent black as primary color than its monochrome predecessors.
• 2017-18: For uniforms, Adidas took over from Reebok.
• 2018-20:  The original Kachina-style black jerseys (Adidas) were brought back.
• 2020-2021 season: Coyotes made their throwback with Kachina uniform for the team’s 25th season in Arizona.     
• 2021-22 season: The white Kachina uniform was brought back to complete its original look.

Special Event Uniforms

• 2021 Reverse Retro: First-ever alternate uniform of Coyotes with purple hue replacing green in the main body of jersey and the socks.
• 2015-17 Heritage Uniform: For 3 seasons, the Coyotes wore their original black Kachina-style uniform.

Top hockey players of the Arizona Coyotes

1. Teppo Numminen – Winnipeg (1988-1996), Phoenix (1996-2003) – 1,098 games, 190 PIM, 426 A, 108 G.

He was a three-time All-Star (1998, 1999, 2000) who played in all situations. In 2010, he was named to the Coyote’s Ring of Honor.

2. Shane Doan – Winnipeg (1995-1996), Phoenix (1996-Present) – 1,198 games, 1,071 PIM, 470 A, 318 G.

 He scored 50 plus points and 20 plus hockey stick goals for 11 of the last 12 seasons. Doan is a two-time All-Star (2004, 2009).

3. Sean Burke – 1999-2003- 97 Wins, 919 Save Percentage, and 2.41 Goals against average.

Burke was a finalist for Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender in the NHL) during his time in Phoenix and finished in the third position for Hart Trophy (NHL MVP) after the 2001-2002 seasons.

4. Keith Tkachuk – Winnipeg (1992-1996), Phoenix (1996-2001) – 640 games, 1,508 PIM, 300 A, 323 G.

He was a captain throughout his time and a five-time All-Star in Phoenix (1997-1999). Tkachuk got the Coyotes Ring of Honor in 2011.

5. Jeremy Roenick – 2 stints (1996-2007) – 454 games, 596 PIM, 257 A, 152 G.

Roenick played in the two All-Star games (1999, 2000) and during his glory years led his team in scoring three times. In 2012, he was awarded into Coyote’s Ring of Honor.

6. Ed Jovanovski – 2006-2011- 332 games, 117 assists, 47 goals, 336 penalty minutes.

He made two All-Star teams (2007, 2008) and recorded the three 30-plus-point seasons whilst he played with the Coyotes.

7. Nikolai Khabibulin – Winnipeg (1995-1996), Phoenix (1996-97 season) – 310 games-126 Wins, .907 Save Percentage, 2.85 Goals against average.

He led the team to the playoffs in three seasons while he played in Phoenix. His quick glove hand with his freakish reflexes allowed him to make numerous saves.

8. Dallas Drake – Winnipeg (1993-1996), Phoenix (1996-2000) – 382 games- 82 Goals, 328 Penalty Minutes, 143 Assists.

Drake was a constant presence on the ice, playing his big minutes on the top two lines and often playing on special teams.

9. Ladislav Nagy – 2000-2007, 321 games played- 312 PIM, 157 A, 92 G.

He was a pass expert, in the net, he could put the puck, and he was an amazing skater. In Phoenix’s franchise history, his total point places him in the 5th rank.

10. Radim Vrbata – 2007-2012- 314 games, 82 PIM, 104 A, 105 G.

He led the Coyotes team in goal scoring (35) and completed with 62 points and a plus-24 rating. However, Vrbata has scored an average of over 52 points and 26 goals consistently in a season in a Coyotes sweater.

To Conclude

It has been a quarter-century of hockey in Arizona. However, the Coyotes players have yet to outreach their ultimate target of the Stanley Cup championship. Its annual revenue in 2021 is 95 million US dollars. Finally, climbing the hockey mountain and subsequently winning it all will not be that easy. There is a plethora of work to do. With new ownership and changes in the team, the team is hungry for wins and giving their best in the upcoming seasons.