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SALT LAKE CITY — In June 2022, Clayton Keller pleaded his team's case to the Tempe City Council.
"I speak for myself, my family, my teammates when we say that we love living here and being a part of this community," the star forward said as part of a presentation to try and push a new arena deal forward for the Arizona Coyotes.
The plan was to fill an old garbage dump with a new entertainment district featuring a new arena and luxury apartments. The Tempe mayor called it the "best deal in sports." The Tempe voting base (already spurned by other stadium antics pulled by the Arizona Diamondbacks) shot down the proposal.
That saga — more than the wins, goals, assists, or anything else — defined Keller's time in Arizona. There were rumors of the four-time All-Star's willingness to stick with the Coyotes and constant supply of relocation speculation.
"There were a lot of long days and discussions about the team there," he said.
He left it at that; no use prying open old wounds.
You likely know the rest of the story by now: Jazz owner Ryan Smith swooped in to buy the assets of the Coyotes franchise and established a new team in Utah.
It's a new team that has provided some ease for the players. Instead of fielding questions about arena deals on Wednesday during media day, Hockey Club players talked about the offseason acquisitions. Instead of focusing on playing at a college rink, they could speak highly about their younger teammates. In short, they could focus on hockey.
That was a relief.
"With Arizona, a lot of things were up in the air with the arena situation," forward Lawson Crouse said. "It's clear we now have a home. We can move on from all those distractions and just go play hockey. And we're really looking forward to doing that."
That starts on Thursday when the team convenes for training camp at the Utah Olympic Oval.
That venue, alone, represents the difference between life in Arizona and life in Utah.
The Oval wasn't made to be an NHL practice facility, but In five months, Smith and his team turned it into that — even if it will only be used for a single season.
That type of commitment wasn't there in the desert.
"They put up a facility for one season for us," defenseman Sean Durzi said. "And it's world-class, state of the art in five months. If that doesn't scream commitment, I don't know what does."
After being relegated to a college arena during the final seasons in Arizona, some additional resources are appreciated. The team has broken ground on a permanent practice facility that will be ready in the fall of 2025, and a new locker room at the Delta Center is being finished up for this season.
"We loved our time in Arizona, but we're looking forward to this new chapter," forward Nick Schmaltz said. "I think you can see how all-in this town and this state and the ownership is for this team. I think they're doing everything they can. They're building practice facilities, they're redoing the rink here in a matter of months, so it's pretty impressive how much work they've done. We really appreciate all that just to get us ready for this year."
It's not just the new locker rooms or new offices or new facilities that have caused the excitement, it's the people.
Head coach Andre Tourigny hasn't yet gotten used to fans greeting him in restaurants to express how excited they are the team is in town.
"It makes us feel good," he said. "You want to deliver for those people."
And Crouse, who welcomed a newborn this summer as part of an already hectic offseason, said he's already felt embraced by the fan base.
"I love my neighborhood. My neighbors are great," he said. "Everyone I talk to seems to be so excited for hockey to be here, and I'm extremely happy and honored to be a part of that."
The former Coyotes are no longer pleading their case to stick around. They have found a home in Utah.
"We're super excited to be here and grow this franchise," Keller said.
