Arizona Coyotes 2018-19 season photo gallery

Richard Morin | The Republic | azcentral.com

Patrick Breen/The Republic

The Arizona Coyotes will be moving to the Central Division prior to the 2021-22 season, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed on Tuesday.

As part of the NHL Board of Governors' announcement to award the league's 32nd franchise to Seattle, the group also approved a realignment package that calls for the Coyotes to move into the Central, making way for the unnamed Seattle team to play in the Pacific Division.

"We are happy to welcome Seattle as the NHL's 32nd franchise as the NHL continues to grow the game of hockey throughout North America," Coyotes President and CEO Ahron Cohen said in a release. "We will work with the League to ensure a smooth transition into the Central Division in time for the 2021-22 season, and we appreciate the League's willingness to assist with logistics and scheduling to make travel as easy as possible between our home in Phoenix and the other Central destinations."

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Currently, there are seven teams in the Central and eight in the Pacific, so simply adding Seattle to the Pacific would make the Western Conference extremely lopsided.

Although the situation is less than ideal for the Coyotes, it is the simplest solution for the NHL to facilitate Seattle's arrival. While some have suggested the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers should move to the Central and either the Colorado Avalanche or Dallas Stars move to the Pacific, the fact remains that it is easier to move one team than three.

However, the situation does create a rather brutal travel schedule for the Coyotes.

Instead of routinely playing teams in close proximity, such as the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks, the Coyotes' closest opponent in the Central will be Colorado (817 miles) and Dallas (1,075).

Perhaps at some point the NHL will abandon division play and move to 16-team conferences. Until then, however, the Coyotes seem to have drawn the short straw.

"Our fans should take comfort in knowing they will continue to see us play our Pacific Division rivals multiple times a year — including squaring off with Vegas for desert bragging rights while also getting to see new rivalries with some legacy franchises," Cohen said.

"Regardless of what division we are in, our goals remain the same: win on the ice against whomever they put in front of us on the schedule, build Coyotes fandom throughout the entire State of Arizona, and positively impact our Arizona community."