PHOENIX – For most NHL fan bases, hatred is earned through playoff losses, dirty hits, or decades of rivalry. In Arizona, it happened through relocation. According to RotoWire’s map of every state’s most hated NHL team, Arizona chose the Utah Mammoth.
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Apr 17, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Coyotes fans bang on the glass during the final minute of the game against the Edmonton Oilers at Mullett Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Utah Mammoth is the most ‘hated’ team in Arizona after Coyotes departure:
@RotoWireNHL posted their most ‘hated’ NHL team in every state.
The Utah Mammoth are only listed once, in Arizona.#NHL #Coyotes #Mammoth pic.twitter.com/qNOmjH0WnW
— Ben Bliklen (@benbliklen) May 18, 2026
The Mammoth haven’t had enough time to build traditional hockey animosity across North America. Yet in Arizona, the Mammoth already occupies emotional real estate usually reserved for division rivals. To Arizona fans, the Mammoth are not an expansion team; they are the visible reminder of what was taken away.
Apr 14, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz (8) celebrates with right wing Clayton Keller (9) and center Logan Cooley (92) after scoring a goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the third period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
The Coyotes’ 2024 relocation to Salt Lake City ended nearly three decades of unstable but deeply personal hockey history in the desert. Nationally, the move became another business headline about arena disputes and franchise economics. Locally, it felt closer to betrayal. Fans who defended hockey in Arizona for years suddenly watched their team rebranded, repackaged, and celebrated somewhere else. That emotional tie explains why Arizona stands alone on the map.
Apr 17, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Coyotes fans cheer as Josh Doan (91), Aku Raty (85) Matias Maccelli
(63) Nick Schmaltz (8) Alexander Kerfoot (15) react following the final game as the Arizona Coyotes against the Edmonton Oilers at Mullett Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
What makes this story bigger than hockey is what it reveals about modern fandom. Teams often underestimate how deeply identity becomes attached to a logo, jersey, or city name. The Mammoth might not have taken the full IP and logo, but inherited the Coyotes’ players and infrastructure. Which comes with inherited unresolved resentment.
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Reporter Benjamin Bliklen covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @BenBliklen
