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Alex Meruelo is calling it quits. Multiple sources told PHNX Sports that ownership addressed Coyotes staff on Monday, telling them that they have no plans to pursue further arena options.
The decision comes in the wake of the Arizona State Land Department’s decision to cancel an auction on Thursday. Meruelo had hoped to win that auction and purchase a 95-acre (110 gross acres) parcel of land and build an entertainment district and an arena that would house his hockey team. With that delayed indefinitely, and considerable political opposition in his path, he sees no viable options that would allow him to reactivate the franchise within the parameters set forth in the $1.2 billion sale of the team to Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith.
Meruelo agreed to sell the team in late April (the sale closed on June 13) after securing an exclusive contractual right to reactivate the franchise within five years of the date of the agreement, and trigger an expansion draft if an arena was built. Reactivation would have required him to pay back the $1 billion that he received from the sale (the other $200 million was distributed to other owners as a relocation fee).
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In my opinion the best hope AZ hockey fans have for getting hockey back inside 10 years, is for one of the Reservations to build an arena (17K seats or bigger) tied to one of their resorts. They would avoid all the local politics and most of the tax issues
Public servant Gallegos may be afraid of her own shadow
Sounds like the over 50 hippies in Tempe are to blame.
The war's over hippies, you're side lost. I suggest you do what your parents did and GET A JOB!
I feel so badly for the Coyotes fans… I know that when we nearly lost the Oilers in the mid- late 90s, it was rough. You all deserve better.
I really wonder how serious Bettman was/is about expanding back into phoenix and going over 32. An expansion team in means you need another in the already team heavy eastern conference, but then you have uneven divisions so you’re really looking at 36. Other than phoenix where do 3 other nhl franchises go?
the owner more then tripled his investment in the team why would he care
Any chance Meruelo goes all in on his Reno Arena / Casino plan?
Sell the team to Quebec and move Detroit back to the west and problem fixed
CM has done a great job covering this ongoing story.
It’s insane how owners want to own a billion dollar franchise but don’t spend a dime on it.
It was blatantly obvious, that when Mereulo sold the team to the NHL, that he folded, but kept the charade up. No surprise by this news. I believe one day, Phoenix has a legitimate shot to be back in the NHL. But yoyr point Brodie, about the vetting of all the owners over the years, was an egregious eyesore, especiallly for Bettman!
Plus this news Mereulo is building an arena in Reno, now? This makes you scratch your head, how truly invested he was in getting the new arena for the Coyotes. If you can't pay team hotel bills, and yet are putting ip a buulding in Reno. This reaks total imcompetance. The Coyotes fans deserve(d) an owner who walks the walk.
Spoiler alert. No. They gone.
With better timing on all this, Utah could've just kept the Coyotes name. It is leaps and bounds better than the voting options 🙄😮💨
As a Utah resident I feel for the Arizona hockey fans with the crappy situation their franchise is in. However, I do think that getting Meruelo out is the best moving forward for getting a team back. Having anyone more personable and trustworthy running the team would help bring better relations with local governments and the valley in general.
After 18 years of working Coyotes gamenights, I can honestly say that Craig Morgan is top level in every aspect. We may have less-than-desirable ownership for some of our AZ based pro sports teams, but the overwhelming majority of the people who cover these teams are exceptionally good at what they do. As fans, we're lucky to have them as people we rely on to make sure we're up-to-date on all that is going on with our favorite local teams.
Maybe the solution is to move the Jets to Arizona, merge the 2 Jets histories since the Jets are facing similar financial issues in 96
The DUMBEST BILLIONAIRE IN THE WORLD! Alex Meruelo. Potential business partners BEWARE OF DEALING WITH THIS CON MAN!
The Smith Group came forward and Bettman "Found" a team in short order. Since the Glendale Arena seems to be out of the question how 'Bout THE MADHOUSE ON MCDOWELL???? Just sayin'
It's a location. The building needs to be torn down and built a brand new facility. The problem again is there's no "Entertainment District" or room for one.
Like Oakland, the two sides played hardball, and both lost teams. Some will applaud, and others cry.
if the NHL wants to actually grow up and get better TV ratings to get more money instead of fleecing fans and putting out an embarrassing product they'll need to relocate teams to Atlanta, Houston, and Phoenix as those are HUGE markets. Plus relocate about 16 minor league teams to bigger markets. Expansion is a loser. If its so good the other leagues would have 40 plus teams by now.
When the Expos moved to DC, people asked me if I would follow them. Uh…no. No freaking way.
I've been a valley resident for 20yrs, and Craig is the absolute go-to sports guru. Cards fans are lucky to have him join the group.
What do you mean by this competing interest with the Suns? Whats that have to do with the Coyotes?
Let's face it, the Valley had an anemic enthusiasm for NHL hockey. Even the media lacked covering the Coyotes. We are all to blame. Hockey at the highest level in Phoenix is gone for good.
The original sin that doomed the franchise was the sale by Richard Burke to Steve Ellman AFTER a deal for an arena had already been struck with Scottsdale at Scottsdale Rd and McDowell (the Los Arcos site). The two started squabbling, and Burke bailed and sold his share to Ellman, who'd struck his own deal with Glendale to build up the arena and a surrounding shopping and entertainment district (sound familiar?) on the west side. Thus began the long slide into ownership and arena hell.
NO az. is not returning. Time for the nhl to stop beating the az. drum to death and focus on fresh newer markets with fan bases. Or return to qc who had a fan base nhl walked out on. Or try sd a new market when they get their arena. Merulo is a con man who played nhl and got what he wanted-a $700,000 mil. profit on his $300,000 mil. buy. A $ billion nhl gave him to go away no strings attatched to do nothing. He had no incentive to do anything so why blame him for walking out? nhl blew it enabling this mess to go on way too long and could have cut their losses long ago. And az. had their chance to step up and show they wanted nhl and failed with a big NO to that. Good riddance to merulo and az.
Yes, but the expansion team needs a new identity, new colors and a new nickname. This is all the more reason as to why the Utah team should've taken the Coyotes moniker with them.
He took the money and ran. I believe this guy never truly intended to do anything
The building in Glendale was fine for hockey, I was at a game there once. The team would still be in AZ if they were still there. Unfortunately the team’s ownership burnt their bridge with the Glendale council.
Stupidity and arrogance cost the city the NHL.
Worst NHL owner ever?
How come I never fail and receive a truckload of cash?
might it be better to dissolve Arizona Coyotes and start an expansion team from scratch?
I really pray 🙏 to GOD! the Coyotes come back to AZ. It’s so unfair to the fans 🏒 💔 😢
It’s amazing how you have to lose a team to give a shit about the team.
What I would like to see is an Arena deal in Flagstaff where it's cooler than in the Valley. Since this team went from Phoenix Coyotes to Arizona Coyotes. Them failing as a team in the Valley shouldn't wreck any hope in the future of a NHL team returning to Arizona. Just build the Arena some where else in AZ!
The crazy thing is just insert any sport league into this story amd it still holds. Baseball for Hockey or Football. Insert Fisher for Coyotes owner. It's sad fans & lonh time employees are the ones loosing out every time.
Top notch interview, Brodie. I love how you consistently consider the fans' perspective in your questions and remarks.
Joseph Bonnano might have told Y'all to "forget about it"
The simple answer is NO
I dont think the nhl wanted or think Alex Meruelo would get a arena on time and I think the nhl are happy about what happened and I think Alex meruelo did not have as much money as he looked like he had I think he realized he did not have the money to do what he said he wanted to do
So, the big question is…will Alex simply retaliate against the State of Arizona by holding his brand and location hostage or will the NHL step in and respond to the hostage situation? This challenge could last for years if not decades depending on how infuriated Alex is.