Oilers a fitting opponent for what could be Coyotes' last game in Arizona
This is almost certainly it: Wednesday night marks the Arizona Coyotes' final game of their season — and potentially their last in the southwestern U.S. state as multiple reports over the last week say the National Hockey League franchise is moving to Utah.
In at least a couple of ways, it's fitting the Edmonton Oilers will be the Coyotes' final opponent before the Desert Dogs shed their Kachina-styled uniforms for whatever hues and themes may await them in Salt Lake City.
The franchises have long been rivals, stretching back to their early-1970s beginnings in the World Hockey Association as the Alberta Oilers and the original Winnipeg Jets.
They were the last two squads standing in the WHA's final campaign as the Jets beat the Oilers for the Avco Cup championship.
Both teams made the jump to the NHL in 1979 as division mates in the Smythe Division, facing each other in the playoffs throughout the 1980s — with the Oilers winning each time (including a come-from-behind series win in 1990).
The Jets left the Oilers' division in 1993 after league expansion led to the realignment of teams, but 20 years later — and following Winnipeg's move to Phoenix in 1996 — the franchises were reunited in the expanded Pacific Division for 2013-14.
For a few years at least. The Coyotes moved to the Central Division — once again after the league expanded — for 2021-22.
Now, back in the present, one could expect the Coyotes — who are not playoff bound this season — to rise to the occasion Wednesday to give fans at their home Mullett Arena a rousing sendoff.
But while the Oilers are resting some players and giving others more ice time in preparation for the post-season, Edmonton forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins says that doesn't mean his team will be taking it easy.
"We want to build and maintain our habits and play the right way," Nugent-Hopkins told media following Wednesday's morning skate.
"It doesn't really matter what's on the line. It's every time you go out there, you want you want to play the right way. You don't want to let anything slip."
He said he's enjoyed travelling to Arizona for games over his career "and we'll see what happens in the future," he said, perhaps in acknowledgement of rumours the NHL wants to bring an expansion franchise back to the area.
"I definitely think it's been growing a lot," he said.
"The fanbase has been growing ... they've had some good teams in the past where they've had the 'White Out' (fans all dress in white during playoffs) and they really got into it when they have made the playoffs back in Glendale. They filled that arena and it was loud. There were many games that we played there that were loud.
Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny said Tuesday he expects the Oilers will want pay back for last week's Arizona overtime win in Rogers Place.
“We played a hell of a game in Edmonton, and I think they will remember that," he said on the team's website.
"I expect them to know we will have emotion, so it will be a difficult game, but I know we will empty the tank.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Speaker kicks Poilievre out of Commons over unparliamentary comments
Speaker Greg Fergus kicked Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre out of the House of Commons during question period today.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Freeland previews omnibus budget bill, proposed capital gains tax change left out
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
Judge raises threat of jail in hush money trial as he holds Trump in contempt, fines him US$9,000
Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined US$9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. And if he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed.
Court upholds Milwaukee police officer's firing for posting racist memes after Sterling Brown arrest
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a former Milwaukee police officer was properly fired for posting racist memes related to the arrest of an NBA player that triggered a public outcry.
Witness details deadly wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A driver who witnessed a wrong-way police pursuit on Highway 401 moments before a fatal crash said he was hoping the chase would have been called off before lives were lost.