The Arizona Coyotes and general manager Bill Armstrong have agreed to a multiyear contract extension, the team announced Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The terms of the contract extension were not disclosed.
- Armstrong has been GM of the Coyotes since Sept. 17, 2020. The Coyotes have missed the playoffs in all three seasons with Armstrong as GM.
- The Coyotes finished with a 28-40-14 record in 2022-23 and picked sixth in the 2023 NHL Draft, selecting Russian defenseman Dmitri Simashev.
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) September 6, 2023
Backstory
Armstrong, 53, is a former defenseman, playing nine seasons in the American Hockey League and International Hockey League. Following his playing career, Armstrong coached the AHL’s Providence Bruins and ECHL’s Trenton Titans for two seasons with each team.
Prior to joining the Coyotes, Armstrong was the St. Louis Blues’ assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting. He played a role in the Blues winning the Stanley Cup in 2018-19.
During Armstrong’s Coyotes tenure, the franchise had to change arenas. In August 2021, the city of Glendale, Ariz., informed the Coyotes it would opt out of its joint lease agreement for Gila River Arena, essentially forcing the team out of the building following the 2021-2022 season. The Coyotes played their final game at Gila River Arena on April 29, 2022.
The Coyotes currently play at Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena in Tempe, Ariz. On May 17, voters in Tempe rejected an entertainment district proposal that included plans to construct a new home arena for the Coyotes. In August, the team said it was attempting to purchase land in Mesa, Ariz., as a potential site for a new arena.
Required reading
(Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
