Blackhawks Daily: Utah Officially Has Its Team; Hawks Drop Finale

It is official. The Chicago Blackhawks are going to have a new-look division rival. The Arizona Coyotes roster is going to become that of the new Utah team based in Salt Lake City. We do not know the nickname of the team or what their colors will be.

We do know that the Coyotes are just now an inactive team. Their stats, logos, records, and everything else will remain with the organization as long as their owner has a building plan ready for them within five years. They will need an expansion draft for that.

It is not a relocation or an expansion. It is more of a hybrid because of all the reasons listed above. Still, this is very sad for the fans in the Arizona market as their team is going to be gone for a while. Only time will tell for how long.

This team is going to be very good soon. They have been developing a lot of young talent lately and it was all starting to come together down the stretch this year. Now, they’ll all play for the Utah organization starting next season.

In addition to this huge news, the NHL finished its regular season on Thursday night. All of the matchups for the first round are set. With all of the MVP candidates, the crazy races, and all of the incredible stories that went down this season, it was one of the greatest regular seasons of all time.

Does that mean we are in store for one of the greatest postseasons of all time? That is certainly possible with how good these teams are. It feels like all 16 teams could pull a rabbit out of their hat and win the Stanley Cup. It is going to be glorious.

Blackhawks In Case You Missed It

• The Chicago Blackhawks are very excited about Gavin Hayes as he projects to be a very good pro someday.
• The Chicago Blackhawks are going to have the Winter Classic on New Year’s Eve. That could be a turning point for the franchise.
• There are a lot of lessons to be learned by the Chicago Blackhawks as the 2024-25 season is coming to an end.

Hockey Now Playoff Focus

• Boston Hockey Now: The Boston Bruins need this unsung hero to help them shut down Auston Matthews in the playoffs.
• Florida Hockey Now: The Florida Panthers are a little bit different since the last time they played the Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs.
• Nashville Hockey Now: The Nashville Predators are going to the playoffs. Because of this surprise, Andrew Brunette deserves some Jack Adams love.
• Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Jeff Carter calls it a career following the Pittsburg Penguins’ elimination. He has been a wonderful player.