2009 Phoenix Coyotes

The 2008-09 season was a disappointing one for the Phoenix Coyotes, who ended up in fourth place in the Pacific Division. The 2009-10 season is starting out under a cloud, after the team filed for bankruptcy in May, though that doesn’t mean the players won’t still be giving their all. In fact, expect especially passionate play from a team that’s determined to prove the naysayers wrong (pundits have predicted a last place finish in their division at the end of the season). Besides the ownership drama, there was plenty going on in the offseason: Joakim Lindstrom, Brian McGrattan, Enver Lisin, Todd Fedoruk, Steve Reinprecht, Garth Murray, Ken Klee, Dmitri Kalinin, Nigel Dawes, Steve Goertzen, David Hale and Brandon Prust are out and Radim Vrbata, Sami Lepisto, Jason LaBarbera, Lauri Korpikoski, Adrian Aucoin, Stefan Meyer, Taylor Pyatt, Jim Vandermeer and Vernon Fiddler were added. Head coach Wayne Gretzky stepped down and was immediately replaced with former Stars coach Dave Tippett. All in all, there’s a lot of question marks for the Coyotes, but that hardly means a boring season. See for yourself how it all plays out with tickets to Jobing.com Arena to see the Phoenix Coyotes in action!

The Winnipeg Jets became charter members of the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1972. With former NHL superstar Bobby Hull as one of the team's coaches, the Jets advanced to the WHA Finals in their first season. They went on to win three WHA championships, in 1976, 1978, and 1979. Following the 1978-79 season, the Jets and three other WHA franchises joined the NHL.

After finishing fifth in its division in its first NHL season, Winnipeg won just 9 of 80 games in the 1980-81 season. In 1981 rookie sensation Dale Hawerchuk, a center, joined the Jets, and in the 1981-82 season the team won 33 games and made its first appearance in the NHL playoffs.

Winnipeg qualified for the playoffs again in 1983 and 1984, but each year the team lost in the first round. In the 1984-85 postseason, the Jets defeated the Calgary Flames in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but were defeated by the eventual NHL-champion Edmonton Oilers in the second.

Goalie Daniel Berthiaume anchored the conference's top-rated defense in the 1986-87 season. The Jets won another first-round playoff series against Calgary only to be again eliminated in the second round by Edmonton. The team qualified for the playoffs in 1988, 1990, 1992, and 1993 but was eliminated in the first round each year. The 1992-93 team was led by right wing Teemu Selanne, who was named NHL rookie of the year after breaking the league record for most goals made (76) and points accumulated (132) by a first-year player. The Jets failed to reach the playoffs in 1994 and 1995.

Following the 1995-96 season, the franchise traded Selanne to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The Jets were also sold to two businessmen, Richard Burke and Steven Gluckstern, who moved the club from Winnipeg to Phoenix and renamed it the Coyotes. The franchise acquired high-scoring center Jeremy Roenick from the Chicago Blackhawks. Roenick and left wing Keith Tkachuk sparked the Coyotes to playoff berths during the first three seasons in Phoenix, but each year the team was eliminated in the first round.

In December 2003, the Coyotes moved into the new Glendale Arena. In October 2006, the venue was renamed Jobing.com Arena for its Phoenix-based sponsor. This attractive and versatile facility also welcomes top-tier concert tours, starring the likes of Metallica, Coldplay, and Carrie Underwood, to name a few. Remember, Coast To Coast is here to help you find great tickets to the Phoenix Coyotes, or to the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, the NBA's Phoenix Suns, or any of the exciting concert or theater events happening in the Valley of the Sun.