Arizona Coyotes Owner Alex Meruelo: We Need to Hear From You

It was an eventful day back on August 1, 2019. The new Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo held a press conference to announce he purchased the team. Take a look at it, since that has been the ONLY press conference Mr. Meruelo has conducted since purchasing the team almost four years ago. Why is that? Well, he brought on a very skilled executive named Xavier Gutierrez. He was named the President/CEO of the team on June 8, 2020. He replaced Aaron Cohen who had been in that role since 2017.

 For Some Reason, We Only Hear From Xavier Gutierrez

While it is a certainty that Mr. Meruelo trusts Xavier Gutierrez to handle most all executive duties, it would still be nice to hear from the owner once in a while. Now, he could be a silent owner. Or, he could also be a very busy man who doesn’t micromanage his staff. Gutierrez was there to announce the plans for a new entertainment district in Tempe which was to include a new 16,000-seat hockey arena. The entire organization was overconfident that the Tempe vote would go their way. It didn’t. And, have we heard from Alex Meruelo on why that happened? No. The buck stops at his desk. Their marketing to promote the arena project fell way short. The opposition outspent the team and that was unfortunate seeing that the owner is very wealthy.

A press conference by the owner after the failed vote would have been the least he could have done to silence the numerous rumors floating around about the team needing to relocate. He stated in his press conference that he is keeping the team in Arizona. Now, a press release given by Gutierrez reiterated that, but wouldn’t it have been much better for the owner to speak? Fans here have been jacked around for so long, it’s no wonder they have become the laughingstock of the NHL. Meruelo can correct that, but will he?

The Time to Hear From the Owner is NOW

With free agency staring us in the eye on July 1st, if the fans and supporters of the Yotes don’t hear from Mr. Meruelo, what are they to think? Maybe he’s reconsidering not selling the team and having it relocated. Who knows?  Until he takes the first step of being more transparent about the franchises’ future, there will always be doubts. There will always be naysayers claiming that hockey doesn’t work in the desert and that the team is Gary Bettman’s personal vendetta to keep them in Arizona.

Certainly with all the speculation of where to build an arena since the Tempe failed vote, one would think that the owner can get out there and lead the charge and let the fanbase know what’s going on. They will most definitely need to address the situation before the new season begins this fall. If there is no concrete arena plan in place by then, the NHL (and the team’s ally Bettman) may be looking at how to relocate the team. The only positive about delaying moving the team is the league wants to keep possible relocation destinations open for expansion. That $750 million to $1 billion expansion fee goes to all the owners.

Could Adding a Hockey Mind Like Shane Doan Help?

It seems that Gutierrez has a full plate, and while he is a gifted businessman, he is not a hockey man. Someone like Doan could take over the hockey operations part of the team and allow Gutierrez to do his thing. It has been well documented that Doan would like more responsibility in a role with the team. Having two presidents on the team is not a bad idea. Doan is Mr. Coyote and has a huge following. Perhaps he could convince Mr. Meruelo to hold a press conference once in a blue moon. He knows the heart of the team and can contribute his viewpoints as a former player.

It almost seems that Meruelo is only interested in financing the team’s expenses. He needs to get more involved. He needs to feel the heart of the fans. Without communication from him, things are assumed, and that’s just an endless task to correct falsities. If he runs his other businesses in this manner, it’s amazing that he is as successful as he is.

Final Thoughts

As some site locations where the Coyotes can hang their skates have been talked about, nothing new has been released. A site at Fiesta Mall in Mesa sounds promising. It still makes everyone crazy wondering what exactly was the team’s Plan B? Again, the guy owning the team is leaving us all in the dark, and it doesn’t seem to be changing. Okay, you own the team, and you have qualified people running it, that doesn’t mean you should disappear and not have public press conferences once a year even… right?

The saga of the Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo may soon reveal their future. But even if it was decided that the team was relocating, will we hear from Mr. Meruelo or his main man Gutierrez? You decide.