The Coyotes organization has missed two deadlines in their search for a new arena in the Phoenix area, NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh told reporters on Friday from All-Star weekend in Toronto (via Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN). In his press availability, Walsh said he’s “extremely concerned” and “disappointed” with the team’s ownership and claimed owner Alex Meruelo has “refused to engage with the [NHLPA] on numerous fronts,” per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.
Those statements from Walsh run in contrast to what NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said earlier in the day, claiming he was “reasonably confident” that Meruelo would present a plan for an NHL-quality arena in the Phoenix metro area within a reasonable time frame (via Johnston). Previous anticipated dates for a concrete announcement regarding an arena plan included New Year’s Day and this weekend’s All-Star game, neither of which carried any significant updates.
Coyotes President and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez told Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports in December that the team anticipated an announcement of their chosen area site by the end of the 2023 calendar year “or shortly thereafter.” At the time, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the deal, expected to be for a parcel of land within Phoenix city limits close to the suburb of Scottsdale, was close to being finalized.
Arizona is in its second season using Mullett Arena as its full-time home, where it’s the secondary tenant to Arizona State University’s men’s hockey program. It has a capacity of just 4,600 seats for NHL games.
The current collective bargaining agreement does not award players any avenues for action against the Coyotes, Walsh said (via Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman). Arizona’s first plan for a new arena and entertainment district, a parcel of land in Tempe near Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, was struck down by voters in a May 2023 referendum.
Time is quickly running out for Meruelo to present a long-term plan for a Phoenix-area home. Salt Lake City-based Smith Entertainment Group, owners of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, expressed written intent for an expansion franchise last month. That market is a geographically logical place for relocation and could house the Coyotes franchise as soon as next season.
Please end this 28 year charade for the Love of God!!!!
Houston.
Would love to see the Houston Aeros back Wilf.
Nope. it’s a pipe dream but I would love the Nordiques back. I love the colours the logo and oh yeah Sakic, Sundin, forsberg, Hextall, stastny, Mike hough, like I swear almost every good player from the 90s was drafted by or played on the Nordiques. I’m a prairie boy I don’t like the frenchies but I love the Nordiques
F. O. L. D. FOLD.
Meruelo is a con artist and Gutierrez is a shill. Time for the NHL to move in, buy them out and move the team out of AZ.
Why the hell does the NHL keep a money losing team in Arizona all these years… Gary only knows! Should have moved them to LV. They should now go to Utah!
The answer should be clear, Bettman is a self absorbed ego maniac and he can’t stand the idea of being wrong or apologizing publicly!
As a resident of Tucson, even I’m tired of this debacle. Move the team!!
Stop the BS and move them to SLC
This team makes me think of the film “The Money Pit”. Buttman keeps trying to polish this frozen turd, but it’s still a turd that does nothing but eat revenue. No one should be surprised. All things come to an end and this mismanaged fraudster operation ran its course long ago. Move the team.
The players should refuse to allow their escrow to fund the Yotes! Buttman and the board of Governors need to move this team, with NEW responsible owners to SLC or Houston!
Wish it was Portland over Salt Lake…
If the Yotes aren’t your team, please refrain from commenting. We’ve only been a shit show for 28 years. But the Leafs, ….
Portland wouldn’t be a bad choice.
“Those statements from Walsh run in contrast to what NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said earlier in the day, claiming he was “reasonably confident” that Meruelo would present a plan for an NHL-quality arena in the Phoenix metro area within a reasonable time frame”
Thank you, @Josh, for clarifying the timeline there. I was watching “Gerry” spew that garbage in real time, but didn’t know when Walsh had done the about-face on what Bettman said.
Boots Del Biaggio & John Spano approve of this message!
Just move the team to Salt Lake already and end this failure in the desert. The idea was novel, but it didn’t work out.
All I think of gary talking about small canadian crowds during covid. imagine this happening in Ottawa or Winnipeg team is gone 10-15 years ago.
Phoenix arena plan will be released shortly, only if we’re going by geologic time
@deepseamonster32 – It will become known as the Garyozoic Era. :) Different kind of dinosaur, but still a dinosaur.
I am laughing so hard at all you bitter losers. The Yotes aren’t going anywhere snowflakes.
Me, I’m not so much laughing at you as boggling at the very concept of you. Talk about a bitter loser, go look in the mirror.