TUCSON, Ariz. — It's official!
The Tucson Roadrunners are leaving town and headed to the Valley.
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The inevitable news comes as the Coyotes announced their plan to move to Salt Lake City.
The Tucson Roadrunners have been the Coyotes affiliate since 2016, and it appears southern Arizona's hockey franchise is on the move.
Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo, who also owns the Roadrunners, retained rights to the franchise in the team's sale.
Because Meruelo has a lease agreement with Arizona State's Mullett Arena in Tempe, he said in a radio interview on Thursday that he intends to move the Roadrunners to the Valley to fill out that lease agreement.
That would end the Roadrunners' eight-season run at Tucson arena.
News 4 Tucson reached out to The Roadrunners for a statement on the team's relocation and they responded:
"No comment on the sale of the Coyotes from our end, and business as usual moving forward into the final regular season homestand and upcoming playoffs."
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