Here is a little description of each team in the tourney:
- ’11-’12 Phoenix Coyotes (42-27-13, 97 points (1st in Pacific), Lost in Conference Final)
- ’09-’10 Phoenix Coyotes (50-25-7, 107 points (2nd in Pacific), Lost in Conference Quarterfinal)
- ’98-’99 Phoenix Coyotes (39-31-12, 90 points (2nd in Pacific), Lost in Conference Quarterfinal)
- ’96-’97 Phoenix Coyotes (38-37-7, 83 points (3rd in Central), Lost in Conference Quarterfinal)
- ’97-’98 Phoenix Coyotes (35-35-12, 82 points (4th in Central), Lost in Conference Quarterfinal)
- ’01-’02 Phoenix Coyotes (40-27-9-6, 95 points (2nd in Pacific), Lost in Conference Quarterfinal)
- ’99-’00 Phoenix Coyotes (39-31-8-4, 90 points (3rd in Pacific), Lost in Conference Quarterfinal)
- ’10-’11 Phoenix Coyotes (43-26-13, 99 points (2nd in Pacific), Lost in Conference Quarterfinal)
The ’11-’12 Phoenix Coyotes were the 30th seed in the inaugural Ultimate NHL Playoff. They were eliminated in the First Round by the 35th-seeded ’08-’09 Wild in six games.
Players to Watch:
- RW – Shane Doan – One of the last remaining original Winnipeg Jets, Doan has served as captain of this franchise for a very long time. Over 18 seasons, he has posted 361 goals, 520 assists and 881 points, which are all franchise records, by far.
- C – Keith Tkachuk – Tkachuk was the franchises first captain. He was a point-per-game player for the Yotes as he posted 334 points in 332 games played. He spent five seasons with the team, but the last four was injury-ridden as he never played more than 70 games in a season.
- D – Teppo Numminen – In the early days of the franchise, Numminen was the team’s best defenseman. In seven seasons as a Coyote, Numminen appeared in 551 games, which is third-most in franchise history. The ’97-’98 season was his best as he posted 11 goals, 40 assists and 51 points in 82 games played and was a +25.
The tournament begins on tomorrow! The 1st Round will carry over into Wednesday and the Semifinal Round will take place on Thursday with the Final on Friday.