HARTFORD, Conn. — The NHL’s Arizona Coyotes may soon have a new home, and Gov. Ned Lamont and Mayor Luke Bronin would like it to be Hartford.
Voters in Arizona rejected a proposal for a new arena in Tempe on Tuesday, leaving the future of the franchise in doubt. After the vote, Lamont reached out to the NHL and requested a meeting with Commissioner Gary Bettman, according to Lamont’s press secretary David Bednarz.
“Governor Lamont has reached out to the NHL and requested [the meeting] because he wants to emphasize how serious Hartford and Connecticut are about hosting a team. The governor believes this is a great market for the NHL, particularly because Connecticut has thousands of hockey fans who remain passionate about the beloved Whalers and are ready and eager to support and rally behind a team. The governor looks forward to highlighting these points with league officials.”