Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
The Arizona Coyotes reportedly informed their players ahead of Friday night’s game in Edmonton that the franchise will be moving to Salt Lake City, Utah, next season.
Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports was the first to report the news on X (formerly Twitter) and Emily Kaplan of ESPN confirmed Morgan’s report.
General manager Bill Armstrong met with players to confirm the rumors that had spread throughout the week. He also reportedly told them that the NHL is facilitating the sale of the franchise to Ryan and Ashley Smith, owners of the NBA’s Utah Jazz.
Sources told ESPN that an announcement is expected next week and could be as soon as April 17, the date of the Coyotes final game at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona.
“We’ve just tried to focus on hockey,” said Coyotes forward Clayton Keller after Friday’s morning skate. “Since I’ve played in Arizona, there’s always been a lot of rumors and stuff like that so I think we’ve tried to do the best we can to focus on hockey.
“Throughout this whole time, there hasn’t been a ton of discussion on what’s going on.”
Coyotes players and staff are expected to visit Utah in the coming weeks, most likely after the season finale to check out the city and facilities.
The current plan is to have them play at the newly renovated Delta Center, which is owned by Smith and is also home to the Jazz. However, the NHL has reportedly told Smith that the arena needs NHL-specific upgrades to be considered a permanent home for the franchise.
Per multiple sources, the Coyotes have been informed that relocation to Salt Lake City is real. — Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) April 13, 2024
Now hearing it could actually be announced on April 17; the date of the Coyotes’ final game at home vs. Edmonton.
It’s going to be quite an atmosphere that night at Mullett Arena.
The NHL isn’t completely shutting the door on the Phoenix market either and the door is being left open for owner Alex Meruelo to own a team in the future with the Coyotes brand.
Mereulo has been on a quest to find a permanent home for his team which has been playing on the campus of Arizona State. He has been eyeing a plot in the Phoenix area and intends to win a state-run land auction for it on June 27.
Previous reports said the new arena wouldn’t be ready until 2027 and according to ESPN’s sources, the NHL grew skeptical of the timeline and decided it needed a better solution for next season which has led the franchise to Utah.
Meruelo bought the team in July 2019 for $425 million, and it was valued recently by Sportico at $675 million, by far the lowest of the NHL’s current 32 teams.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
The NFL’s legal tampering window is officially open, and it didn’t take long for the Arizona Cardinals to get in the mix.
A running list of the new names and familiar faces coming to Arizona in 2026:
Kendrick Bourne
The former San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots wide receiver brings another body to Arizona’s wide receivers room that includes Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr.
He’s got plenty of familiarity with new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur from their time together in San Francisco (2017-20). Bourne also spent a year with expected Cardinals starter Jacoby Brissett in 2024 with the Patriots.
The wide receiver caught 37 passes for 551 yards in 16 games played (eight starts) last year.
He’s now on board for two years in Arizona.
Isaac Seumalo
The guard spent the past three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers after a seven-season stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.
He’s started 104 out of 125 games played and has spent time at both left and right guard during his NFL career.
According to Next Gen Stats, the guard allowed a 3.7% pressure rate last year. That was the lowest rate among all eligible guards in 2025.
Gardner Minshew
Minshew agreed to terms on a one-year deal on Monday.
He’s expected to back up expected starter Jacoby Brissett in 2026, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.
Coming off his seventh NFL season and first with the Kansas City Chiefs, Minshew appeared in four games (one start) last year. He completed 46.2% of his throws for 37 yards and an interception.
Before landing with the Chiefs, Minshew spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders (2024), Indianapolis Colts (2023), Philadelphia Eagles (2021-22) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2019-20).
RB Tyler Allgeier
Allgeier comes over to Arizona on a reported two-year contract.
Before agreeing to terms on the $12.25 million deal with Arizona on Monday, Allgeier played four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.
He ran for 514 yards and eight touchdowns on 143 carries last year, while adding another 14 catches for 96 yards.
While he worked mostly behind Bijan Robinson the past three years, Allgeier did surpass the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie in 2022.
L.J. Collier
Collier is back on a one-year deal.
The defensive lineman appeared in four games in 2025 due to a knee injury suffered in Week 2.
He recorded six tackles and two QB hits in what was his third season with the team.
Roy Lopez
After a one-year stint with the Detroit Lions, Lopez is back with his hometown team on a reported two-year deal.
In 17 games played last year, he recorded two sacks, four tackles for loss and a pass defensed.
Before his time in Detroit, Lopez spent two seasons with Arizona from 2023-24. During that span, he registered a sack, six tackles for loss, three passes defensed and a forced fumble in 30 games played (21 starts).
K Chad Ryland
Ryland is back on a one-year deal, the team announced.
Ryland went through plenty of struggles last season after a having a career year in 2024. His accuracy dropped from 87.5% in 2024 to 75.8% last season. He was especially inconsistent from 40 yards and on, compiling a 13-of-20 mark (65%). Inside 40 yards, though, Ryland was 12-of-13 (92.3%).
Arizona brought in kicker Josh Karty late in the year (more on him later), but Ryland never gave up his role and appeared in all 17 games.
A one-year deal isn’t going to break the bank by any means.
P Blake Gillikin
The Cardinals must feel pretty good about where Gillikin is at in his recovering from a back injury last year with their signing of the punter to a one-year deal.
Before he went down five games into the season, the punter was leading the league in yards per punt with 51.7.
Not only that, across his five seasons (65 games) in the NFL, he holds the all-time record for yards per punt at 48.5.
Staying healthy is key for Gillikin, who also missed time in 2024 due to an ankle injury.
RB James Conner
Technically not a free agent, Conner was a potential cut candidate given his contract.
But after reportedly revising his deal, Conner is returning for his sixth season with the Cardinals.
The running back brings plenty of leadership and a bruising running style to the mix.
He’s coming off an abbreviated 2025 (three games) due to an ankle injury but had rushed for a pair of 1,000-yard seasons the two years prior. He scored at least seven rushing touchdowns each season from 2022-24.
CB Sean Murphy-Bunting
Much like Conner, Murphy-Bunting was another prime cut candidate due to his contract but reportedly revised his deal with Arizona as well.
Murphy-Bunting has a lot to prove after missing all of 2025 due to an injury suffered away from the team facility.
In his first season with the Cardinals, the cornerback recorded 52 tackles, three interceptions, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles across 15 starts.
Arizona Duke and Michigan lead race for top seeds in March Madness
Arizona, Duke, and Michigan hold strong as top contenders for men’s March Madness number one seeds with UConn and Houston battling for the final spot.
The Arizona men’s basketball team went 29-2 overall and 16-2 in the Big 12, winning the conference’s regular season title.
The Wildcats were rewarded for their dominance in the Big 12’s men’s basketball awards, which were announced on March 9.
Arizona’s Jaden Bradley was named the Big 12 Player of the Year, while Tobe Awaka earned the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year award and coach Tommy Lloyd earned Coach of the Year accolades.
Bradley averaged 13.4 points and 4.6 assists. Awaka was the nation’s leading rebounder off the bench, averaging 9.7 rebounds and 9.9 points when entering the game as a reserve. Lloyd led Arizona to its first Big 12 regular-season title.
Arizona State was completely shut out of the awards, with Moe Odum not receiving honorable mention honors despite averaging 17.1 points per game and 5.9 assists per game for the Sun Devils.
All-Big 12 First Team
All-Big 12 Second Team
All-Big 12 Third Team
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention:
All-Defensive Team
A tie resulted in an extra position on the team
All-Freshman Team
All-Newcomer Team
*- unanimous selection
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today. Sign up for azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don’t miss a thing.
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The average price of regular gasoline in Arizona surged more than 30 cents in just a few days, according to AAA, leaving the state’s average at around $3.84 per gallon as of Sunday. The national average stands at $3.45.
Arizona is now one of the most expensive states in the country to fill up, topping the national average by nearly 40 cents.
AAA said the war in Iran is affecting crude oil prices, which are now trading at more than $100 per barrel. Arizona’s Family also reported a slowdown in a major ship channel in the Middle East, adding further pressure to the market.
A seasonal factor is also contributing to the spike. The transition to summer-blend gasoline, which is required in spring, is driving prices higher as well.
Drivers at a central Phoenix gas station said they were caught off guard by the rapid increase.
“I was appalled,” one driver said.
“It was ridiculous,” said another.
“That is a lot, especially in such a short period of time,” said Andrea Webb.
The gas station attendant said some drivers are limiting how much they spend per fill-up, putting in only $10 to $20 at a time. Others said they are actively searching for the lowest posted price.
“I feel like I’m always on the hunt for whatever is the cheapest gas,” said Bailey Mitchell. “This was $4.09 versus $4.15, so I’ll take it.”
Not all drivers said they are cutting back.
“I’m gonna bite the bullet. I need gas in my car. I’ll fill it up,” said Webb.
ASU professor of supply chain management, Hitendra Chaturvedi, said oil prices could approach $130 per barrel if the war in Iran continues. That scenario could push Arizona gas prices close to $6 per gallon, the professor said. No timeline was given.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2026 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
Setting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
AM showers Sunday in Maryland
Florida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
Pa. man found guilty of raping teen girl who he took to Mexico
Keith Olbermann under fire for calling Lou Holtz a ‘scumbag’ after legendary coach’s death
Giants will hold 2026 training camp in West Virginia
Mamdani’s response to Trump’s Iran strike sparks conservative backlash: ‘Rooting for the ayatollah’