Fans of the NHL's Arizona Coyotes were left heartbroken after the team they had supported with dedication for nearly three decades was relocated to Salt Lake City beginning with the 2024-2025 season. Of course, it's was not the first time sports fans have had to deal with the news that their favorite team is no longer to be based in their home city. And Coyotes fans would know that well!
The Arizona Coyotes were the Phoenix Coyotes from 1996 to 2014 (they were renamed when, under new ownership, they continued to play in the state but outside Phoenix). But true hockey fans will recall the team was previously the Winnipeg Jets from 1972 to 1996. Fortunately, Winnipeg got their team back in 2011, but that was after the Atlanta Thrashers folded and relocated, too.
Indeed, since the 1940s, dozens of sports franchises across North America have made the decision to relocate, usually to be rebranded as a result. But what are some of the more high-profile and controversial moves that have taken place over the last several decades or so? Click through and discover the cities that lost sports franchises.