HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said Friday he’s planning to meet with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about the possibility of moving the Arizona Coyotes to Hartford.
Lamont told reporters during a news availability that he has reached out to the NHL and hopes the meeting can take place sometime next week.
“This is a great hockey state and a great hockey town,” Lamont said. “It’s evidenced by the passion we have for the Whalers going back years — still one of the best selling jerseys. I think we can guarantee them a very strong market right here, and a government that’s ready to come and be their partner.”
Talk of a relocation for the Coyotes has taken on steam since voters in Tempe, Arizona this week rejected referendum for an $2.3 billion entertainment district that would allow the franchise to build a new arena there.
Connecticut has not had an NHL team since the Hartford Whalers left for North Carolina in 1997. The state has just one top-tier professional sports franchise, the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, which plays at the Mohegan Sun Arena, a 10,000-seat facility that is not built for hockey.
The possibility of a move to Connecticut is considered a long shot. Hartford’s 48-year-old XL Center, where the Whalers once…
