In the 1970s, an upstart hockey league called the World Hockey Association (WHA) attempted to challenge the NHL. The WHA folded in 1979, and the NHL absorbed some of its teams, including the Winnipeg Jets, who became the Coyotes after relocating to Phoenix. The Jets, whose roster featured Bobby Hull — the WHA’s biggest star — won three WHA championships, including the last WHA title.

After they joined the NHL, the Jets played in Winnipeg until 1996. Though they never made it past the second round of the NHL playoffs, the Jets still had some memorable years in Winnipeg. In the 1992-93 season, Finnish rookie Teemu Selanne scored 76 goals—a rookie record that’s not likely to ever be broken.

The Jets left Winnipeg following the 1995-96 season and became the Phoenix Coyotes the next year, following a trend that saw the NHL expand into several unconventional, warm-weather markets. The Coyotes set out to prove that hockey could work in the desert. The league has been committed to keeping the Coyotes in Arizona and even intervened to save the team from bankruptcy until it could find a new owner.

In the Coyotes’ early years, players like Jeremy Roenick, Shane Doan and Keith Tkachuk introduced Arizona to the game of hockey. The team was fairly successful during its first few years in Phoenix: they made the playoffs in four consecutive seasons but were not able to win a playoff series. The team was also successful after hiring Dave Tippet to take over as head coach before the 2009-10 season. Tippet led the club to four consecutive playoff berths, and in 2012 the Coyotes won the first NHL playoff series in the history of the franchise.

The Coyotes changed their name and became the Arizona Coyotes before the 2014-2015 season. They play at Gila River Arena in Glendale, AZ. The arena is 25-30 minute drive from Downtown Phoenix.