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NFL star likes the ring of 'KC Coyotes' for NHL team
NFL QB Patrick Mahomes USA Today

NFL superstar likes the ring of 'KC Coyotes' should NHL team move

Earlier this week, voters in Arizona rejected the Coyotes' plan to build a new arena in Tempe, leaving in doubt the future of the NHL team in the desert.

Would a move to Kansas City make sense? Chiefs superstar QB Patrick Mahomes endorses the idea.

Bill Daly, the deputy commissioner for the NHL, told ESPN that the team plans to play next season in Mullett Arena, a 5,000-seat venue at Arizona State that falls far shy of the capacity for an NHL arena. (Per The Hockey News, capacities for NHL arenas range from 15,000 to a little more than 21,000.) 

The Coyotes have endured multiple scandals, ownership changes and arena issues -- all of which have damaged the relationship between the organization and its fans in the Phoenix metro area.

Beyond next season, the long-term future for the team seems murky, though both the NHL and team itself say they are committed to sticking it out in Arizona.

If the team does move, Kansas City would be a great landing spot. The city already has an NHL-ready arena with T-Mobile Center and the team could stay in the Western Conference.

Mahomes, who is only 27 years old, already has stakes in the Kansas City Royals, Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer and the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League. It is not out of the question that if the Coyotes did somehow end up in Kansas City, Mahomes could become part of the ownership group.

Another option for the Coyotes could be Salt Lake City, which is already home to the Utah Jazz.  Andy Strickland of Bally Sports has reported that it "appears to be the focus for the Arizona Coyotes internally among hockey [operations]" while noting discussions are in "early" stages.

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