The NHL is moving the team now formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes to Utah to begin play as a new franchise next season, the league announced Thursday.

Ryan and Ashley Smith of Smith Entertainment Group bought the team and its existing hockey assets for $1.2 billion from Alex Meruelo, sources told ESPN. Meruelo had owned the Coyotes since buying the franchise for $300 million in 2019, but the league lost patience in his ability to find a long-term arena solution in Arizona and facilitated a sale.

Arizona Coyotes players were informed Friday that the team is relocating to Utah, sources told ESPN, confirming a report by PHNX Sports.

Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong met with the players ahead of their game against the Edmonton Oilers to confirm what had been rumored all week: that the NHL is working to facilitate a sale to Ryan and Ashley Smith, owners of the Utah Jazz. The Coyotes will begin playing there next season.

The NHL is preparing a contingency that could relocate the Arizona Coyotes to Utah as soon as next season, sources told ESPN.

Even though the NHL remains convinced a franchise should be in Arizona, the league is skeptical about the Coyotes' newest plan to build an arena in Phoenix, which involved Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo's bid to win a land auction in June.

The NHL has prepared a backup option that would sell the team to Ryan and Ashley Smith, owners of the NBA's Utah Jazz, in a relocation move to Salt Lake City, multiple sources said.

The Arizona Coyotes' future could be decided on June 27, when they will bid on a parcel of land in the hopes of finally securing a site for their new arena.

In March, the Arizona State Land Department Board of Appeals unanimously approved a $68.5 million appraisal of a 95-acre parcel of land in north Phoenix. On Thursday, the department officially posted an auction for that parcel, with the auction set for June 27.

Jonathan Quick made 27 saves for his 392nd NHL win, surpassing Ryan Miller for the most ever by a U.S.-born goaltender, and the New York Rangers became the first team to 50 wins this season with an 8-5 victory against the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena on Saturday.

“You do everything you can to not think about it, but it’s there,” Quick said. “It’s a good feeling to get it over with and get it done and focus on what’s important -- winning the division and winning the conference.”

With his parents at the top of Mullett Arena in a suite, Josh Doan scored two goals, including the go-ahead tally, in his first NHL game, and the Arizona Coyotes defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 on Tuesday night.

Doan, son of the Coyotes' longtime captain and all-time goal leader Shane Doan, scored an unassisted goal in the second period to put Arizona ahead 2-1, backhanding the puck past Columbus netminder Elvis Merzlikins at close range. He scored the winner in the third period, deflecting the puck past Merzlikins right in front of the crease at the 8:29 mark.

"I almost missed it," Shane Doan, speaking on the Coyotes' postgame telecast on Scripps Sports, said of his son's first goal. "It's so cool."

Josh Doan, the son of former Coyotes captain Shane Doan, will make his NHL debut with Arizona on Tuesday night against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Coyotes recalled the 22-year-old forward from AHL Tucson on Monday. He leads the Roadrunners with 46 points (26 goals, 20 assists) through 62 games this season. He leads all AHL rookies in goals.

The Arizona Coyotes' success at an upcoming land auction could determine whether they remain in the greater Phoenix area.

Earlier this month, the Arizona State Land Department Board of Appeals unanimously approved a $68.5 million appraisal of a 95-acre parcel of land in north Phoenix that Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo is expected to bid on as the location for the team's new arena. The land must be advertised publicly now for 10 weeks before the auction can take place, likely in mid-June.

The Arizona Coyotes have the green light to bid on a tract of land in north Phoenix in their yearslong effort to build a new arena.

The Arizona State Land Department board of appeals unanimously approved the $68.5 million appraisal of the 95 acres Thursday. The decision sets the stage for the department to sell the land at auction with a starting price of $68.5 million. The next step is to set an auction date, which must be publicly advertised for 10 weeks.

Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo looked at various potential arena sites around the valley before zeroing in on the tract of land near Scottsdale.

The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2025 seventh round pick from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2027 fifth round pick.

Dumba, 29, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. His contract carries a $3.9 million cap hit, and the Coyotes did not retain any salary.