The Arizona Coyotes bid farewell to their desert home with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on April 17, closing the curtain on a 28-year run in Arizona before embarking on a new chapter of NHL hockey in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Despite the loss, at least one Edmonton player, center/wing Derek Ryan, was happy about the Coyotes’ move to Utah—for obvious and personal reasons.
He’s excited for Coyotes’ move because he knows people in the Beehive State are passionate sports fans and hockey will now be a more prevalent sport in Utah. He also has family living in the area.
But what Ryan is most thrilled about is the opportunity to play hockey in the state where his Latter-day Saint faith is the predominant religion.
“It will be awesome,” he told the Church News. “I’m happy that more members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be exposed to NHL hockey.”
Read more about Ryan’s conversion, family, and hockey career at Church News.
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Do you know of other Latter-day Saints playing in the NHL? Let us know by emailing editor@ldsliving.com.