"Not too happy": Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies gives his honest opinion on Coyotes relocation to Salt Lake City

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Apr 11, 2024 18:29 GMT

The idea of the Arizona Coyotes possibly moving to Salt Lake City has got people feeling all kinds of ways, especially players like Matthew Knies. He's an Arizona native and gives props to the Coyotes for getting him into hockey.

Matthew Knies is now tearing it up with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he took a moment to chat about how the Coyotes shaped his hockey story in a recent interview.

"It's pretty unfortunate. The Coyotes did a lot for me growing up and loved going to the games. And it was a kind of big reason as to why I got into hockey, But yeah, that kind of situation's out of my control. And I'm hopeful that they can stay there 'cause it meant a lot to me. But yeah, I guess we'll have to see what happens."

But with the Coyotes' future up in the air, it's leaving Arizona's hockey scene feeling a bit shaky. Word on the street is that the NHL might be eyeing Salt Lake City as the Coyotes' new digs, sparking talks about what that could mean for the local hockey crew.

Knies made it clear he's rooting for the Coyotes to stay put in Arizona.

Matthew Knies said:

"When I was growing up, it wasn't the hockey hotbed that Colorado or Chicago or Detroit was,"

Yet, he noted the significant strides made in recent years, attributing much of the progress to the presence of the Coyotes.

Despite his optimism, Matthew Knies acknowledged the reality of the situation, recognizing that the fate of the Coyotes ultimately lies beyond his control.

"Again. I hope they can stay there but it's out of my control. Not too really happy about the situation but it is what it is."

The uncertainty surrounding the team's future has left him feeling uneasy, knowing that it could potentially disrupt the momentum of hockey's growth in Arizona.

Apart from Matthew Knies, Coyotes coach and players express worries regarding relocation

Arizona Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny expressed the impact of relocation rumors on his team's performance, stating,

"The first time that rumor came, it was January 24, and that's the day we started a 14-game losing streak, so we cannot pretend it did not affect our team."

He attributed their slump to the uncertainty surrounding the team's future in Arizona. This speculation arose when Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) proposed bringing an NHL franchise to Utah on January 24.

Despite the challenges, the Coyotes managed to secure a 4-3 overtime victory against the Vancouver Canucks.

Forward Logan Cooley emphasized the team's resilience, saying,

"There's no quit in our team all year, whether that was when we were going through that losing streak (or) the arena news. It's a pretty special group we have in there."

Cooley's sentiments reflect the Arizona Coyotes' determination to persevere amidst the ongoing uncertainty. The team faces two more away games before their regular-season finale against the Edmonton Oilers on April 17.