The Arizona State Land Department has cancelled a June 27 land auction that the Arizona Coyotes\' owner was counting on to reactivate his dormant NHL franchise.
In April, the NHL\'s board of governors approved the establishment of a franchise in Utah, with Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo transferring his team\'s hockey assets -- from the roster and draft picks to the hockey operations department -- to Smith Entertainment Group while retaining the team\'s intellectual property.
Via ESPN.com