It was recently announced that the NHL’s executive committee has approved the move of the Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City, sources confirm. The relocation vote now moves to the entire Board of Governors, which comprises all 32 teams.

When the deal is completed, Arizona’s hockey operations department and players will be rebranded and relocated to Utah in time for the 2024-25 season at a cost of $1.2 billion.

This brings up the question: with the expansion of the NHL rising every season, which city is next to receive an NHL franchise, either by relocation or expansion.

Kansas City has a population of over 450,000 and already hosts the professional NFL, MLB, and MLS teams in the metro area. The Chiefs are the latest NFL dynasty and In addition, the nearby Kansas Jayhawks have one of the biggest and most popular college basketball Programs. With the city and region being a popular sports destination, as well as a booming entertainment city, one would think the NHL would strongly consider moving to Kansas City.

Let’s take a look at some of the pros and co

The Case For Relocating To Kansas City

Kansas City is in the heart of the Midwest, and cities such as Dallas, Chicago, Denver, Minnesota, and of course… St. Louis, would be prime division opponents for a future Kansas City NHL team.

In addition, Kansas City is in the same state as the St. Louis Blues, creating an instant rivalry, and is also relatively close to both the Colorado Avalanche and the Stars, making them an ideal team to play in the Central Division. While they do not have an NBA team either (another future possibility), the city could host an NHL team in T-Mobile Center (formerly known as Sprint Center) which can not only host NHL games, but is located in the middle of the city, making it easily accessible to the residents in the metro area.

The Case Against Relocating To Kansas City

Kansas City already hosted a professional team that never took off in popularity and was forced to relocate. If you don’t remember them, that’s fine. They’re no Hartford Whalers.

During the expansion era of the NHL, the Kansas City Scouts joined in 1974, but with weak attendance numbers and a sports market at the time that struggled in comparison to 2024 standards, the Scouts moved to Denver in 1976, where they played until 1982.

They eventually relocated to New Jersey as the Devils, who still remain in the league today.

This took place over 30 years ago, and it’s easy to think that the city is now prepared for an NHL team, but the previous failure is a red flag for the league. Then again, the Winnipeg Jets relocated once before, and the city was given a “new” Jets team when the Atlanta Thrashers moved.

However, the city doesn’t have an ownership group or corporate interest in bringing an NHL team to the area despite owners that are heavily invested in the region for the Chiefs and Royals respectively.

On top of that, given the recent issues with Jackson County and the stadium issues regarding Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadium, fans may be skeptical embracing the idea of yet another professional sports franchise.

So as of now, the Coyotes are moving to Salt Lake City, and that’s the only NHL move for the moment. But future expansion and/or relocation is inevitable.