NHL Expects Coyotes to Play at Arizona State's Mullett Arena for 2023-24 Season

The Arizona Coyotes intend to continue playing at Arizona State University's Mullett Arena during the 2023-24 season after plans to build a new rink in Tempe were rejected by voters on Tuesday, team president and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

"I don't envision a scenario in which the Coyotes are not playing in Mullett Arena next season," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly added.

The Coyotes moved to Mullett Arena for the 2022-23 season after playing at Gila River Arena in Glendale from 2003-2022. The city of Glendale ended its lease with the team after the 2021-22 season.

The Coyotes' plan was to build a $2.1 billion entertainment district in Tempe on city-owned land at Rio Salado Parkway and Priest Drive. The project included a 16,000-seat arena, practice rink, retail space, 1,600 apartments, two hotels and a theatre.

According to Wyshynski, the Coyotes "had been optimistic" about the vote entering Tuesday, but a little more than 56 percent of voters responded "no" on the three ballot propositions needed for the project to be approved.

Gutierrez said in a statement Tuesday:

"We are very disappointed Tempe voters did not approve Propositions 301, 302, and 303. As Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said, it was the best sports deal in Arizona history. The Coyotes wish to thank everyone who supported our efforts and voted yes. So many community leaders stepped up and became our advocates and for that we are truly grateful. We also wish to thank the countless volunteers who worked so hard to try and make the Tempe Entertainment District a reality and the Tempe City Council for their support as well. While we wanted a different outcome, we remain grateful to all those who volunteered their time and talent.

"What is next for the franchise will be evaluated by our owners and the National Hockey League over the coming weeks."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also said in a statement that the league is "terribly disappointed" by the results of the voting.

With the project being rejected by voters, the franchise's status in Arizona has been vaulted into question. While relocation has been dismissed ahead of the 2023-24 season, the club's long-term future remains unclear.

A Coyotes source told Wyshynski that there's "no Plan B" for keeping the team in Arizona for the long haul.

The Coyotes have been one of the NHL's most disappointing franchises, having made the playoffs just once in the last 11 seasons, and could highly benefit from relocation.

Fans are now speculating about where the team could be relocated to, including cities such as Houston, Salt Lake City, Kansas City and Quebec City.