RWJC Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 Alex Meruelo To Relinquish Ownership Of Coyotes June 25th, 2024 at 10:54am CST • By Josh Erickson Alex Meruelo, the owner of the inactive Coyotes franchise, informed staff yesterday that he’s walking away from the club, PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports. The news comes less than a week after the Arizona State Land Department canceled an auction for a parcel of land Meruelo intended to use for a new arena for the franchise, which was officially deactivated this month after its hockey operations were sold to the Salt Lake City-based Smith Entertainment Group. Meruelo told Coyotes staff yesterday that the franchise has “no plans to pursue further arena options” after the canceled auction, per Morgan. The City of Phoenix attested that Meruelo’s group did not attain the zoning permits necessary to acquire the land in time for the auction. The news brings a swift end to the initial plan NHL commissioner Gary Bettman laid out in April when he announced the initiation of the transfer of the Coyotes’ hockey ops to SEG, which would then establish a new franchise – the Utah Hockey Club. Meruelo received a reported $1B for Arizona’s players, reserve list, draft picks and front office staff, which he would then pay back to the league as an expansion fee if he was able to construct a new arena within five years. That plan hinged on a contingency of Meruelo having an arena at least halfway built by the end of 2027, which is now impossible without the already last-ditch effort for the parcel of land in question in North Phoenix. Meruelo retained the branding rights to the Coyotes and ownership of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners as part of the sale. It’s unclear if he’s able to transfer the Yotes name and logo to a new owner, who could then try again to establish an expansion franchise in the Phoenix area. As for the Roadrunners, which will remain the minor-league affiliate of the Utah Hockey Club next season, they’ll play all of their home games in Tucson next season. A plan announced last month would have seen the Roadrunners play six regular-season home games out of the 4,600-capacity Mullett Arena on Arizona State University’s campus in Tempe, where the Coyotes played for the past two seasons. However, in line with the cancellation of the auction, that’s no longer the case. Notably, Morgan reports there are “at least two groups with interest in bringing an expansion team back to Arizona.” However, without a dedicated arena, the timeline for expansion back to the state is likely extended past the five-year window of exclusivity initially afforded to Meruelo. https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2024/06/alex-meruelo-to-relinquish-ownership-of-coyotes.html#ref=home 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6of1_halfdozenofother Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 9 minutes ago, RWJC said: Notably, Morgan reports there are “at least two groups with interest in bringing an expansion team back to Arizona.” However, without a dedicated arena, the timeline for expansion back to the state is likely extended past the five-year window of exclusivity initially afforded to Meruelo. Give it up, Buttman. Your failed experiment at having hockey flourish in the desert failed, and it'll keep failing until you recognize that it's a failure and fail off into the sunset, you failed ambulance chaser. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tas Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 1 minute ago, 6of1_halfdozenofother said: Give it up, Buttman. Your failed experiment at having hockey flourish in the desert failed, and it'll keep failing until you recognize that it's a failure and fail off into the sunset, you failed ambulance chaser. if it can succeed in florida, and carolina, and california, and texas, and and and, there's no reason it can't succeed in arizona. they need the right ownership and the right location and a successful team. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6of1_halfdozenofother Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 Just now, tas said: they need the right ownership and the right location and a successful team. good luck with that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tas Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 (edited) 5 minutes ago, 6of1_halfdozenofother said: good luck with that one. if they get an expansion team with the new format, I like their chances. edit: eventually. state governments change and land development opportunities change with them. I'm more concerned about the league's determination to try atlanta for a 3rd time, it even that might work out now under more favourable conditions. Edited June 25 by tas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EternalCanuckFan Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 Watch them try to juice the expansion draft rules when the new ARI team comes in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuck73_3 Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 47 minutes ago, 6of1_halfdozenofother said: Give it up, Buttman. Your failed experiment at having hockey flourish in the desert failed, and it'll keep failing until you recognize that it's a failure and fail off into the sunset, you failed ambulance chaser. Like Atlanta the issue is flawed ownership not the city. In Atlanta it was indiiferent owners that only bought the team for the Hawks and the Arena. in Arizona it has been incompetence. We're already seeing NHL Players from Arizona Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coconuts Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 Great news for the Coyotes if they ever come back, if there was ever a bumbling idiot of an owner it was this guy. The Coyotes fans who did actually exist deserved better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 YAY!!! THEY'RE DEAD!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 It's crazy that with the shit Meruelo did (not paying taxes, etc.) that he somehow managed to make money on the franchise. He payed a somewhere between $300M-$425M for the team and got payed $1B by the NHL... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeremyCuddles Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 Those 5 years really came and went. This goof really screwed over that organization. And was rewarded with a billion dollars. Rich people really suffer no consequences. Lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWJC Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 19 minutes ago, JeremyCuddles said: Those 5 years really came and went. This goof really screwed over that organization. And was rewarded with a billion dollars. Rich people really suffer no consequences. Lol. How much ya think Gary made in kickbacks? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6of1_halfdozenofother Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 11 minutes ago, RWJC said: How much ya think Gary made in kickbacks? More than he can count... Spoiler 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coconuts Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6of1_halfdozenofother Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 47 minutes ago, Coconuts said: Shoulda left Buttman behind in the desert with nothing but his toothbrush (because hey, with all the toothy smiles he gives, gotta keep them pearly whites pearly white!). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HKSR Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 Hopefully Utah kicks butt and the upper cap limit sky rockets next year just in time for OEL's bad buyout years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickenspear Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 Utah should buy the Coyotes' trademark rights for their AHL team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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