New NHL team marks coming-of-age moment for Salt Lake City as a pro sports hub

SALT LAKE CITY — To casual sports fans and people outside northern Utah, it may look like an NHL team fell into Salt Lake City’s lap in the span of two weeks. But local organizers say the Arizona Coyotes ‘ relocation to Utah is the product of a yearslong effort to beckon professional hockey and other elite sports to the fast-growing capital city.The move announced Thursday marks a coming-of-age moment for Salt Lake City as a pro sports hub in the Mountain West, giving the midsize market…