The Jets could have moved to Salt Lake City instead of the Coyotes

Utah’s new team kicks off its season in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night, against the Chicago Blackhawks. To mark the occasion, a story about the team’s move surfaced on the Journal de Montréal website.

Stéphane Cadorette spoke with Jay Stevens, an analyst on KSL Sports and for the Puck Report podcast. Stevens has been recognized as one of the only hockey analysts in the Salt Lake City area for years.

We now know the story of the Arizona Coyotes moving to Utah, but Stevens revealed to Cadorette that if it wasn’t the Coyotes, it could have been the Winnipeg Jets.

It could have been a team other than the Arizona Coyotes… @SCadoretteJDQ https://t.co/bweA4GWqHQ

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) October 8, 2024

Stevens has become quite close to the new owner of the Utah team, Ryan Smith, and it was Smith who explained this situation to him. Smith reportedly told Stevens that the NHL was planning to offer him an expansion team in the next two to five years, but that if the plan changed, Utah would either get the Coyotes or the Jets.

Seen like that, it’s pretty surprising, but is it really?

Last season, the Jets were in dire straits, with some excellent players like Connor Hellebuyck, who went on to win the Vézina Trophy. When you have trouble drawing crowds even with a good team on the ice, there’s a problem.

It got so intense that Jets owner Mark Chipman explained that the situation had to change.

In fact, as Stevens explained to Cadorette, the Jets wouldn’t have moved as early as the Coyotes, but it was a situation that could have happened in later years.

Stevens also told Cadorette how he knew the NHL was coming to Utah. In April, he had a meeting scheduled with Ryan Smith, only for Smith to cancel at the last second. His explanation? He was off to buy his NHL team!

The Jets will have to right the ship in the coming seasons. Now that the Coyotes no longer attract most of the attention, they will be scrutinized by the NHL.

After winning the Stanley Cup, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice predicted a Stanley Cup victory for the Jets this season. Let’s just say it could be a good solution to attract fans to their amphitheatre.

Overtime

– Tavares and the Maple Leafs are trying to agree on a new contract.

LeBrun on Tavares/Leafs contract talks (Insider Trading): “There have been contract talks, there’s been back and forth between Tavares’ camp led by agent Pat Brisson and the Leafs front office”

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) October 9, 2024