SHIFTING SANDS: The Kachina Brand Story - History of the Arizona Coyotes

After years of ownership rollercoasters, relocation threats, and last-minute saves, time finally ran out on the Arizona Coyotes.
The team was declared inactive on April 18, 2023 as a new NHL franchise was established in Utah. Left behind is a unique sports brand with a unique story. In this video, see how it all came to be, how it evolved, and how it was ultimately undone.
▪️ CHAPTERS ▪️
00:00 - Intro
02:02 - Chapter 1: The Cycle Begins
07:20 - Chapter 2: New Era, New Look
12:43 - Chapter 3: Kachina Comeback
18:46 - Epilogue: Phoenix Rising
SHIFTING SANDS is a special presentation of Icethetics, encapsulating the branding history of the Arizona Coyotes NHL franchise.
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[@dubh_glas95]

That ending line went hard. I'm not even a coyotes fan and I have tears in my eyes. It's so sad. I have family in Casa Grande and they kept trying to get me to move there due to affordable housing and better economy... Now idk if I can. I live in an area where I can see 5-6 different hockey teams and only have to drive 5 hours tops

[@michaelclemens3766]

“In order for the Phoenix to rise from the ashes, there first have to be ashes” that nearly put a tear in my eye and I’m a Devils fan. Masterclass video.

[@Becksy_93]

Great video and fantastic storytelling once again! Not gonna lie, you got me a bit emotional again there, just like the announcement and their last game already had, especially with the bitter-sweet yet hopeful ending. It’s a bit funny cause I don’t really care about the coyotes but as a fellow sports fan who happens to be European the thought of someone just taking my team and moving it elsewhere is so strange, baffling, frightening and enraging to me that I can’t help but feel for them. My favorite sports team from my home city has been trying to get approval to build a new stadium for years now and even just that, the stadium being at a different place in the same city, is a intensely discussed idea that makes people feel a lot of things. I couldn’t ever imagine losing my team like that. (Also I do know it’s quite normal for the US). So thanks for giving the special coyotes brand the goodbye it deserved! Can’t wait to see all your speculating and reporting on the new Utah brand!

[@icethetics]

Thanks for all the kind words, Becksy! And thanks for your support of the channel over the years! I feel like I can never say that enough.

[@BrokTheLoneWolf]

Thsnkyou for this! As a coyotes fan this is therapeutic. I love all their brands. In my opinion they never missed.

[@icethetics]

💙

[@worldrummer]

I kmow I'm alone on this, but i feel the Gretzky era rebrand was one of the best in modern sports history. They went from a confusing mess of a roller hockey jersey to something simple, dignified, and intimidating.

[@hrd2imagin]

Agree those uniforms were so clean.

[@user-fj5os6jw4o]

Interesting that at the press conference announcing Meruelo as the new owner - his jersey number is 24...the year he loses the team.

[@icethetics]

Right? I thought that was a crazy coincidence. It was reported that he chose 24 because it’s his wedding anniversary.

[@JD200_]

@@icetheticsHope his marriage is working out better

[@Just-Jack18]

Chris, I don't even know what to say at this point. Your storytelling is simply breathtaking!

[@icethetics]

Thank you for the kind words, Jack!

[@codedecode878]

wow, this was great! i just started getting into the Coyotes, and now they're gone! damn man.

[@carsbykris]

Beautiful video. I was a huge Coyotes fan from their first season in Phoenix through 2003 when I sort of fell out of touch with hockey, but I have always had a spot in my heart for the Kachina jerseys. I have a small collection of their early jerseys and will probably hang on to them for the rest of my life. Hopefully we see the team reemerge in the future and this current team thrives in their new home.

[@KOZMOGRAFX]

SOLID video, Chris. You put the "pro" in "production", man! On a side note, I played on a co-ed team that wore the dark red howling coyote jersey for a decade. It may not have been beloved in Arizona, but it evokes a lot of great memories for me because that co-ed team was a riot. Second side note... when those simple red jerseys were revealed, I actually thought that it was Gretzky's nod to the Soviet Red Army team of 1972... in the same way that he wore that Jofa bucket for his entire career.

[@BretKenworthy]

Great video as always. Their OG green third jersey will always be one of my favorites.

[@icethetics]

Thanks Bret!

[@benderbendingrodriguez420]

Truly sad when we lose one of our franchises. Hopefully the Coyotes can come back better and more howling than ever. God bless you fans who stayed strong these 25+ years. Amazing job as always

[@scottNNJ]

Well done Chris, as always. My biggest takeaway comes from the ending: when a team does ultimately rise from those ashes, you should absolutely be the one to make the hype video.

[@PlebWRLD]

I actually love the coyotes jerseys so much. Real shame what happened to the coyotes. Great video like always man, ur such a great story teller

[@icethetics]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@hadjiioke]

As a child I relocated from Detroit to Phoenix, and when the Jets relocated to Phoenix, I was super excited to have a renewed chance to see my still favorite Red Wings a few times a year. I went to almost every Red Wings game, and it felt like being at Joe Louis Arena as the stands were packed with Red Wings fans. I always felt that the rebrand from the Kachina logo to the brick red ones was an attempt to hide us Wings fans by blending their fans in. Visually it worked, but they couldn't hide the volume of our cheers.

[@michaeli.5691]

Incredible, high quality video and storytelling, Chris. Utah has its work cut out for themselves to get a line of jerseys this unique.

[@icethetics]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@bmsports99]

Best video on KZbin period can we see one of these for every nhl team

[@crowblade211]

He does it again! Amazing video and from a depressed Coyotes fan….. Thank you!

[@icethetics]

Glad you enjoyed it! And sorry for your loss. 💙

[@gosabres21]

Another absolutely fantastic video. You have a great talent for putting these together and for telling a story. I’m going to miss the Kachina branding.

[@manzac112]

UrinatingTree was right all along....I may not be someone that supports relocation, but it was the best time for both sides. If a team has 7 owners in 30 years, horrible organizational structure, sent to bankruptcy on multiple occasions, literally have the NHL do everything in their power to keep them in Arizona, being forced to pay rent to play in a 5,000 seat arena of a college team that they can't sell out sometimes, and then have the community vote a toxic landfill over an NHL team, that should be a green flag to go. I always have a firm belief that the Coyotes should have been the ones to go back to Winnipeg instead of the Atlanta Thrashers moving. It sucks and I do hope Arizona gets an expansion team with better ownership in the future.

[@Mateus_Carvalho]

For me, the Coyotes will always be that bizarre team that the NHL flat out refused moving in spite of every problem the franchise ever faced. Rather shocking that they finally gave up, I was almost certain they'd soldier on at a college rink.

[@Lucky2000Zx]

Excellent video man, as a fan I appreciate the refreshing angle of the history of the brand, with all of course all the important moments in their history

[@mason_jar15]

I grew up with this team. My family was season ticket holders when I was a child and it got me to play hockey before health took me out. Hell, we still have our ‘Decade in the Desert’ bag from their 10th anniversary. This team never saw stable ownership, but always had fans waiting for this team to become something worth while. Finally had promise towards that, but moved right before we saw those efforts bear fruit. We’ll get a team again one day. If it’s Meruelo owning it, fine. Not ideal, but better than nothing, especially sonic the NHL will likely being keeping him on a very short leash. All I ask is that his nepotistic son doesn’t lay a single finger on it. He deserves nothing for what he did throughout the whole situation.

[@toddgelineau6536]

Excellent video... as always. As a Whaler fan who was at the Civic Center for their final game I feel the pain of every single Coyotes fan. Hopefully the Coyotes will rise again!

[@JSacAttack]

Amazing video. Ending gave me chills.

[@icethetics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MamutuMali]

What a great video! Amazing work.

[@icethetics]

Thanks a lot!

[@SensWagen]

Icethetics never misses!

[@icethetics]

💙

[@samuelgreer1588]

Great Video Chris as always, I love videos like this so please keep doing these videos

[@pikemanadventure5269]

Thank you

[@chrisbc]

Love your vids and this one was great. Would love to see a video like this about the Canucks logo. They have had a very busy history and would make a great topic.

[@petschesno1175]

Awesome video as always! Let’s see if the Yotes make a comeback in the coming five years.

[@icethetics]

Thank you! And even if it isn’t five years, hopefully it’s not long after.

[@quiksilver259]

Truly amazing. Thank you so much for this amazing video

[@icethetics]

Thank you for watching!

[@alexreid1894]

Thank you for this. Extremely well done!

[@icethetics]

Thank you for watching!

[@HoodieDayz]

Absolutely amazing video.

[@icethetics]

Thank you very much!

[@realjamesbowned]

Another great video Chris well done

[@icethetics]

Thank you!

[@Ascared]

This video was so well done

[@icethetics]

Thank you!

[@Codysoberanes]

Great video!

[@johnf6063]

I’m an Islanders fan with no connection to the Coyotes but I felt so bad for their fans. The fact the news was so sudden and there was no playoff run for one last push for memories is saddening. As an Islanders fan, I don’t know if they were ever really going to move, but I remember my team being made fun of as a kid and an easy target growing up in Devils and Rangers country. Rumors of Quebec, Kansas City, and others were always so scary to me. I feel for the people of Arizona.

[@Bramptin]

Another great video guys, you're killing it.

[@icethetics]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@chrm08]

Great video

[@hockeytopplays1288]

Incredible video. Keep going!

[@icethetics]

Thank you!

[@donellweaver5722]

Awesome video Chris really enjoyed it I feel for the Coyotes and their fans of them moving to Utah, and also felt sad when the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg really hope the Coyotes and Thrashers comeback as Coyotes 2.0 and Thrashers 2.0. The Coyotes had nice jerseys the kachina jerseys both of the black and white, their Alternate 3rd jersey in green was a nice jersey as well loved their Reverse Retro 1.0 jersey.

[@aaronhuss3592]

Great video Chris!

[@icethetics]

Thanks, Aaron!

[@Redd-mo5bt]

Chris never disappoints with these videos another great one!!!

[@icethetics]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@devackroyd]

Awesome retrospective! I personally never liked the Kachina, but knowing more about its origin story makes it much more appealing to me, it has some super cool inspiration to it!

[@seen48]

Another dynamite video my man! I was never a fan of the Katchina jersey. I understand the idea behind it and fans of the team loved it. I really liked the howling coyote with the red and black. The Katchina could have always been their third jersey with minor tweaks here and there.

[@AmokCanuck]

You really did a wonderful job on this. I feel like I think this everything I watch your videos, just phenomal. Having a team stolen from you is never easy, i wish we had a more european view of it where the few instances are fought with monumental backlash. If the yotes return I just hope its not with meruelom. That ending... Im not crying, youre crying.

[@icethetics]

Thanks for the compliments! Glad you enjoyed it. 💙

[@LucasGates92]

Great vid Chris. :)

[@icethetics]

Thanks, Lucas! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@IrishFinds]

This one is getting me emotional…

[@excelsior27]

What a very thought-provoking final words in the epilogue!🧠🤓 I did start too late becoming a 'Yotes fan in '23, as I do want such franchises like Florida being all hot tae have a championship-little did I know that it was just that season I get to cheer for them when there was a promising rise for them in the standings. However, even though I'm a devoted Sharks fan, it was good while it lasted. It was a nice story tae tell, and I can agree that it was not just Meruelo, but MANY in management since its inception that the franchise was in trouble. Let's have this be a good reference point for anyone that would want tae own a franchise to be able to have accountability and responsibility in balancing the books, making good decisions in growing the brand, have stability long-term, and overcome such problems that arise before, during, and after the season in ALL involved aspects in business and in competiton while also having the fans first. I liked Kachina Coyote! I did buy one shirt just days after the last game ended, and I'm certain that many others like it so much that more gear featuring it will be sold. SO, the logo will not die, and it will be certain that the team will return soon to the 48th state of the union because it gives it identity-other than the "transplanted" Cardinals, and the generic "Suns." (We can understand the WNBA's Mercury.) We'll see how the Diamondbacks would do as they are threatening to move out and they are facing similar problems like the Coyotes did...

[@ThePadillaFilms]

Chris, brilliant video sir.

[@icethetics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@keenanlee-chee5912]

Man, I'm not usually one to cry, especially when it's about the Coyotes, but even though I'm a flames fan, I loved this team, this video just made it a lot more emotional and it needed to be... Well done🥲

[@icethetics]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the journey.

[@TheRyanflanagan]

This is fantastic

[@icethetics]

Thank you, Ryan!

[@ItsGeo_]

As one of the 8 genuine coyotes fans in Arizona, this one is definitely gonna hurt... best of luck in Utah :(

[@MM-iz8fe]

My obligatory appreciation comment. Your hard work and excellent videos don’t go unnoticed

[@icethetics]

So happy to hear you’re enjoying them. Thanks for watching!

[@rileyholden-zc9ip]

I understand the feeling of losing a team via relocation it sucks

[@firedrap]

The Revival Kachina from last years pushed me to return NHL since 90s, due to his incredibile logo design. Unfortunately the team never followed up on its logo's success. Hope to see again a team in Arizona, and the Kachina return in NHL. For now go Roadrunners!

[@shawklan27]

Sucks losing my team man it does make it hard for me to care about the NHL anymore. Atleast I got UK hockey as a great alternative with the Nottingham Panthers being a great club to follow

[@silverbeach85]

OMG I had no idea Gretzky was part of the change of their original and iconic logo to the decapitated head logo.

[@TopNic21]

A cool video idea I would do would be your ranking of jerseys. You seem like a very design smart person so I think it would be cool to see you rank all of the home jerseys in the league before each season, and update the list with the arrival of new ones. I love your content also.

[@billytrespassers3123]

I remember on Twitter when they announced the white kachinas by quoting someone who posted at them “Bring back the white kachinas you cowards!” lol Edit: Excellent video - thanks for giving the Yotes some love

[@nimportepas]

I was there for the night they revealed the new third. Man I can’t explain to you how optimistic I was for this team. It seemed like it was all coming together. Oh well!

[@thejkyle]

It has to be tough to lose your hometown NHL team that you’ve been so invested in. We only have a QMJHL team in my town and I couldn’t imagine losing even that.

[@edwardburek1717]

I'm going to miss the kachina, big time. If hockey returns to Arizona, I am going to be very surprised.

[@deserttrailscout]

Imagine a Third Jersey with an actually Kachina Style Phoenix Bird as the primary logo for the coyotes return to the NHL!!! Gives me chills!

[@KevynKing]

Such a great video, I'm sure it was a lot of work but I'd love to see more history videos like this. Hopefully without a team getting relocated.

[@icethetics]

Thanks! A lot of work for sure, but well worth it, I think.

[@MadMikeSportsYT]

'The story NHL hockey in Phoenix will one day gain the opportunity to mirror the myth for which its city is named. In order for the phoenix to rise from the ashes, there first has to be...ashes.' That hit this Devils fan hard. Ryan Smith laid the ashes on April 18th. Now it's up to Meruelo or someone else to preform the ritual to allow the phoenix to rise once more.

[@Kdn_cs]

19:11 that goes so hard

[@cmpalmer]

Great work. I'm so glad i made the decision last year to see a game at Mullet. Their fans were fantastic and deserve so much better than this.

[@grits207]

It was well past time to move the franchise but I already miss the Coyotes branding. Pro hockey is starving for bold, unique and thoughtful uniforms and if there was one thing the Coyotes usually got right, it was the uniforms. Utah has some massive shoes to fill on that front.

[@sitboaf]

Wonderful exploration, Chris. Hopefully, Kachina is on just pause, and this video isn't an epitaph.

[@icethetics]

That’s my hope. It would really be amazing to get to tell a “Phoenix rising from the ashes” story.

[@tonymuskrat1086]

You know... I kinda thought the story of hockey in the desert just was the NHL trying to jam a puck shaped peg into an Arizona shaped hole... but your video showed me a different side of the story...and maybe in the future the team will come back. Until then, though... stay strong, pack... we will see you again when you rise from the ashes...

[@connorahrens5068]

Great video!!! I will miss the original Phoenix Coyotes. 😢 You should do a Tampa Bay Devil Rays classic logo video!

[@icethetics]

Thank you! A Rays retrospective sounds like fun but I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I only cover hockey.

[@connorahrens5068]

@@icethetics gotchya, well if you’re ever bored I’m sure you would do it justice.

[@kimdufva1523]

Thiis was a really great video of the Yotes so far. Lets see if they ever comback as Yotes again. Im not to sure about it but lets see.

[@icethetics]

Definitely a big question mark. Thanks for watching!

[@stevekorzeniewski6895]

Nice Job ! Was so sad to see the fans crying in the last game.

[@icethetics]

Thanks!

[@Pikabo0]

Slight correction, when the Yotes moved to Reebok edge, they added a brick red shoulder yoke to their white away jerseys. Made it a teeny bit less boring than the previous whites, even without waist striping

[@icethetics]

Yes! I forgot to mention that change. Thanks for adding.

[@SpooksDinat]

I wasn't really a big fan of the Coyotes, but when they brought back the Kachina look back I became a fan of the uniforms, still didn't like the team, but you gotta admit, the jerseys, logos, and so-on definitely was the right thing to do, and it looked sick! Now my big gripe here is with the ownership of the team, and what I believe is the main problem with teams relocating, failing, ect. is basically the incompitence of team owner(s). In this case, not paying rent, hotel fees, questionable GM/staff hirings, ect. I do say that the (inactive) Coyotes should have a new owner IF Alex Meruelo sells, but we'll just have to see what happens 5 years from now.

[@DIDDYKONG916]

Out of all the Coyotes ownership groups. meruelo ranks in the #1 or #2 worst owner for us. He was just hard to work with and an asshole. He caused all the issues under his tender and resulted in the relocation to Utah. If the Coyotes return he needs to be shown the door ASAP.

[@kheldaur2107]

Oh yeah. Finally the embarrasment that is the Coyotes is finished, at least for now. One of the best news regarding NHL in a long time.

[@hollowmade]

Great video as always! Thinking of the ending, wouldn’t it be at least a little bit cool if Utah became the Utah Phoenix with a flaming bird logo? 😅

[@icethetics]

Thanks! And that would definitely be an interesting choice... but probably a little too close to the Coachella Valley Firebirds. You don’t see many NHL teams taking ideas from the minors.

[@levantjbean2712]

The red shoulders were also added to the whites on the rebook edge

[@icethetics]

Good catch. I should’ve mentioned that.

[@ToyStory182]

Whenever I played NHL on playstation 1, I always chose Phoenix. Ladislav Nagy, Shane Doan!!!

[@JaredtheRabbit]

Nagy didn’t play with the team until the series left the PS1.

[@nashnorf]

👏👏👏👏

[@Iliketoboard]

If they want to succeed, they need to team up with the Suns. Watch Saving Sakic and see how they got the Pepsi center to house the two Denver teams. There are currently 10 cities that have a shared stadium for NHL and NBA. It is very arrogant of PHX to think they can have a stand alone hockey stadium. Suns arena is 31 years old. I’m sure they wouldn’t shy away from a new stadium,

[@ggitslificious]

damn they really hired some dude to write the words "Arizona" with a star to dot the i. ill miss the yotes

[@2099Oz]

Even though their logos were always excellent (I like the jumping coyote, I think it's very underrated), I never felt that they nailed their colors. Brick red, black, green, it just never felt like they owned any of them. The purple/orange combo might have been worth a longer look, and I don't even like those two colors.

[@silverbeach85]

I wish they kept the name, just being called Utah Coyotes and using the same logo. It's also so sad it happened right when they recovered their old uniforms and logo.

[@0yal569]

shifting sands is a good title but honestly i love the “phoenix rising” title

[@icethetics]

I hope I can make "Phoenix Rising" the title when they eventually get a team back.

[@someloser2847]

The 2015 jerseys are what the 2003 jerseys should have been

[@Dancingfb18]

It’s kinda interesting how the fans didn’t like the Coyotes name at first, sorta similar to how current Utah fans are reacting to the proposed names.

[@icethetics]

Almost every team seems to have that story, right? People hate the name at first because it’s something new. But it never takes too long for fans to fully adopt and love it.

[@bgrace94]

7:50 - “the first question Gretzky had: ‘can we change the uniforms?’” What an absolute bum.

[@DavidTupper-li5ju]

Refreshing to see a you tube video about the arizona coyotes that seems like it was done by a professional story teller - coyotes podcasts were mostly horrible in the past

[@RamonGJ]

Hopefully we will see the Kachina once again

[@dmoran1093]

I do hope arizona gets the coyotes back. Alex may not be the best owner but i think he is the only hope. Just hope nobody else is eyeing that land and politics dosent get in the way

[@brizzybones7377]

In other words don’t let gretz change a teams jerseys lol

[@icethetics]

haha we can all learn important lessons. 😅

[@reiodion6256]

The worst part is if they hadn’t completely shit every pair of pants they’ve ever worn the second half of this season and they made the playoffs even if they got swept it’d have probably kept the team there and they’d have the best playoff atmosphere.

[@saviorlegend]

I have a feeling it's because they almost made it into the playoffs that caused them to relocate sooner than the already agreed upon 3 years in Mullet with the option for a 4th. Just think of all the lost revenue if the Coyotes made it into the playoffs due to Mullets' limited seating. GMs didn't want that.

[@charliem9831]

Sadly, with the owner who he is, I don’t think the Coyotes will return. The owner seems more than a little shady

[@icethetics]

Yeah, it’s possible they don’t return to him but maybe somewhere down the road. Too big a market for the NHL to stay away forever.

[@aidanmclaren4910]

THE RIVER RATS!!!!!!!!

[@icethetics]

an easter egg!

[@brenthrax]

Great vid but never liked the Kachina, better in theory than execution.

[@chickenalaking1319]

Same. I really disliked the 90's overuse of black in team colors. I liked the Gretzky era uniforms that replaced them.

[@JiminysCricket]

Chris, you really are a master storyteller. You've managed to tug at the heartstrings of fans that never existed and create deep, rich team story & history out of thin air! I'd been to several Coyotes games...my in-laws and I would play "spot the jersey", a game where we'd keep a running total of jerseys that'd been worn to the game but not belong to either team on the ice; we got to 27 one game. These were not hockey fans. Land owners in Scottsdale stand to make way more money by adding a section to an existing gated community then becoming landlords to a flakey NHL team. Time to let them go and stop stringing the tiny handful of diehards along.

[@icethetics]

Thanks for the kind words. I do hope the future of this franchise sees it in the hands of the right people one day.

[@saviorlegend]

This guy has 1 personal anecdote about Coyotes not having any fans. So it must be true. Pack it up boy's. It will never work cuz 1 guy said he saw some different jerseys.

[@jotaemept99]

I honestly believe if Alex Meruelo finally learn from his past mistakes and builds a new arena in North Phoenix, hockey will work in the desert just like in the rest of the american sun belt. I hope the Arizona Coyotes a proper comeback to the NHL along with Houston (Aeros?), Atlanta (Thrashers) and Quebec (Nordiques). However to be realistic I do recognize it is a tougher task for Quebec. A small and french speaking region/market which I highly doubt the english-speaking players will make the effort of learning the language unless the team relies on french/bilingual canadians and europeans. I would love to see the Nordiques back but at the same time I have one foot back because of these roadblocks the they may face specially with bigger and more profitable markets down south.