when did the arizona coyotes become a team
December 27, 1971
title: Arizona Coyotes text: operations, they were one of four franchises absorbed into the National Hockey League and then granted membership on June 22, 1979. The Jets moved to Phoenix on July 1, 1996, and were renamed the Phoenix Coyotes. The NHL took ownership of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise in 2009 after owner Jerry Moyes turned it over to the league after declaring bankruptcy. Spending several years finding prospective owners who would not move the franchise out of Metro Phoenix, the NHL completed the sale of the Coyotes to IceArizona Acquisition Co., LLC., led by Andrew Barroway, on August 5, 2013. On June 27, title: Arizona Coyotes text: At the end of the 2016–17 season, Barroway bought-out the rest of the IceArizona ownership group and became the sole owner of the franchise. Following the transfer, former IceArizona CEO Anthony LeBlanc and the director of hockey operations Gary Drummond both left the organization. On June 19, 2017, the Coyotes opted not to re-sign long time captain Shane Doan, who had been with the franchise since they were the Winnipeg Jets. The Coyotes left Doan a standing offer to remain with the team in a non-playing role. On June 22, 2017, head coach Dave Tippett would also leave his positions title: Arizona Coyotes text: within the Coyotes after eight seasons, and would be succeeded by Rick Tocchet on July 11, 2017. On December 4, 2018, it was announced that the team will move to the Central Division in 2021, changing divisions for the first time since relocating to Arizona, as part of a league realignment following the addition of Seattle expansion team. The team previously played in the Central Division for the first two seasons, following their relocation from Winnipeg in 1996. With the relocation program, a (public) team naming voting process was being held, with "Coyotes" defeating "Scorpions" amongst the finalists. Both coyotes title: Arizona Coyotes text: Arizona Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Coyotes first played at America West Arena in downtown Phoenix, before moving to Glendale's Gila River Arena in 2003. In 2021, the Coyotes are scheduled to move to the Central Division when an expansion team in Seattle joins the league. The Coyotes were founded on December 27, 1971, as the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association (WHA). After the WHA had ceased title: Arizona Coyotes text: 2014, the team changed its geographic name from "Phoenix" to "Arizona", and modified its secondary logo. On June 26, 2015, the team introduced updated jerseys for the 2015–16 NHL season. The Coyotes continue to be at odds with the city of Glendale and the use of Gila River Arena, but has signed a lease through the 2018–19 season. The team began play as the Winnipeg Jets, one of the founding franchises in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Jets were the most successful team in the short-lived WHA, winning the Avco World Trophy, the league's championship trophy, three times and