The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024), the Pacific Division (1998–2020) in the Western Conference, and the West Division (2020–2021). [1] The team started out as a charter member of the World Hockey Association (WHA), and were named the Winnipeg Jets. The WHA then merged with the NHL in 1979, the Jets relocated to Phoenix in 1996, and were renamed the Phoenix Coyotes. [2] Having first played at America West Arena, [2] the Coyotes have played their home games at the Gila River Arena, formerly named the Glendale Arena and the Jobing.com Arena, since 2003. [3] The Coyotes are owned by IceArizona. [4]
There have been seven head coaches for the Coyotes team. The team's first head coach was Don Hay, who coached for one season. Dave Tippett is the team's all-time leader for the most regular season games coached (622), the most regular season game wins (282), the most regular season points (647), the most playoff games coached (27), and the most playoff game wins (12). Tippett was the head coach of the Coyotes from the 2009–10 season until the end of 2016–17 season. [5] The Jack Adams Award has been awarded twice to a Coyotes' coach; Bob Francis for the 2001–02 season and Tippett for the 2009–10 season. [6] None of the Coyotes coaches have been elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder, [7] though Wayne Gretzky has been elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player in 1999. [8] Francis and Gretzky have each spent their entire NHL head coaching careers with the Coyotes. Rick Tocchet served as head coach from 2017 to 2021. [9] [10] The team's current head coach is Andre Tourigny, who was named to the position on July 1, 2021. [11] Tourigny coached the Coyotes until he was transferred to the Utah Hockey Club, along with the rest of the Coyotes staff and players, at the end of the 2023–24 season.
# | Number of coaches [a] |
GC | Games coached |
W | Wins = 2 points |
L | Losses = 0 points |
T | Ties = 1 point |
OT | Overtime/shootout losses = 1 point [b] |
PTS | Points |
Win% | Winning percentage |
* | Spent entire NHL head coaching career with the Coyotes |
Note: Statistics are correct through the 2023–24 season.
# | Name | Term [c] | Regular season | Playoffs | Achievements | Reference | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GC | W | L | T/OT | PTS | Win% | GC | W | L | Win% | |||||
1 | Don Hay | 1996–1997 | 82 | 38 | 37 | 7 | 83 | .506 | 7 | 3 | 4 | .429 | [12] | |
2 | Jim Schoenfeld | 1997–1999 | 164 | 74 | 66 | 24 | 172 | .524 | 13 | 5 | 8 | .385 | [13] | |
3 | Bob Francis* | 1999–2004 | 390 | 165 | 144 | 81 | 411 | .527 | 10 | 2 | 8 | .200 | 2001–02 Jack Adams Award winner [6] | [14] |
4 | Rick Bowness | 2004 | 20 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 10 | .250 | — | — | — | — | [15] | |
5 | Wayne Gretzky* | 2005–2009 | 328 | 143 | 161 | 24 | 310 | .473 | — | — | — | — | [16] | |
6 | Dave Tippett | 2009–2017 | 622 | 282 | 257 | 83 | 647 | .520 | 27 | 12 | 15 | .444 | 2009–10 Jack Adams Award winner [6] | [17] |
7 | Rick Tocchet | 2017–2021 | 290 | 125 | 131 | 34 | 284 | .490 | 9 | 4 | 5 | .444 | [18] | |
8 | Andre Tourigny* | 2021–2024 | 246 | 89 | 131 | 26 | 204 | .415 | — | — | — | — | [19] |
The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division, the Pacific Division (1998–2020) in the Western Conference, and the West Division (2020–2021). They played at America West Arena in downtown Phoenix from 1996 to 2003, at Glendale's Gila River Arena from 2003 to 2022, and at Mullett Arena in Tempe from 2022 to 2024. The organization was established on December 27, 1971, as the Winnipeg Jets, a charter franchise of the World Hockey Association (WHA). After seven WHA seasons they were one of four organizations enfranchised by the NHL on June 22, 1979, when the WHA ceased operations. Due to financial troubles, the Jets were sold to American owners who moved the team to Phoenix on July 1, 1996, where they were renamed the Phoenix Coyotes. The franchise was renamed the Arizona Coyotes on June 27, 2014. Alex Meruelo became the majority owner on July 29, 2019, later becoming the franchise's sole owner following the arrest of minority owner Andrew Barroway.
David G. Tippett is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach and player.
Janet Marie Gretzky is an American actress. She is married to retired ice hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky.
Richard Tocchet is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the sixth round, 121st overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. Tocchet has also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, and Phoenix Coyotes. He formerly served as the head coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Arizona Coyotes, and has experience as an analyst for both Comcast SportsNet and NHL on TNT. Tocchet won the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year in 2024
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the other conference. It began on October 4, with the regular season ending on April 12. The Stanley Cup playoffs ended on June 12, with the Pittsburgh Penguins taking the Stanley Cup over the defending champion Detroit Red Wings. The Montreal Canadiens hosted the 57th NHL All-Star Game at the Bell Centre on January 25, 2009, as part of the Canadiens' 100th season celebration.
The 2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season was the franchise's 34th season overall, 27th season in the National Hockey League and tenth season in Phoenix. Retired player Wayne Gretzky was named coach. The Coyotes missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League (NHL). It ran from October 1, 2009—including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs running to June 9, 2010. A mid-season break from February 15 to February 28 occurred to allow participation of NHL players in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Because of the Winter Olympics break, there was no NHL All-Star Game for 2010. The Stanley Cup Finals saw the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in six games, for their first championship since the 1960–61 season.
André Tourigny is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach who is the head coach for the Utah Hockey Club of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously served as head coach of the Arizona Coyotes and an assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche.
Benoit Groulx is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is currently serving as the head coach of Traktor Chelyabinsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Groulx is formerly the head coach of the Rochester Americans and Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, along with being the former head coach and general manager for the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL.