Mullett Arena. Partial home of the Arizona Coyotes. That is what seems to be the problem. With just 4,600 seats, it was built for a college hockey team, not an NHL team. Things aren’t going very well for the Arizona Coyotes, who hope to stay in Arizona but need a new home after the embarrassing Tempe defeat. You remember… the one that had an entertainment district including a brand new arena and was voted down last year in May. The organization has assured all of its loyal fans that they are working hard to find another site. So far, that’s all we have heard are words of encouragement without any concrete plans.
We are fully committed to Arizona & hope to share exciting news with all of you soon. Arizona is home & the future is incredibly bright here. https://t.co/aGemICtfxG
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) February 2, 2024
NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh Blasts Arizona Coyotes Ownership
NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh did not mince words in his press conference today when he spoke about the Arizona Coyotes: pic.twitter.com/cSvJCrZOMu
— Leah Merrall (@leahmerrall) February 2, 2024
Walsh added, “The next deadline for me is tomorrow. It’s now. It’s right now. The last conversation I had with the commissioner was that the owner was looking at a piece of land in the Arizona area. I’m not sure where that stands. I have my personal concerns about that ever happening. There was a piece of land in Mesa. There was a piece of land in Phoenix. There were three ballot questions in Tempe. None that came to fruition.”
If Alex Meruelo doesn’t feel some heat from that, he is out of touch. One can see Walsh’s point of view. He is looking out for the players. He has no power to force things to happen in Arizona. What he is doing is applying pressure to the Meruelo ownership to get something done. Coyotes fans are waiting patiently.
He also added that if the Coyotes don’t have a concrete arena plan in place by the end of the season, a move to Utah would be “absolutely” supported by the players – even the ones who would be uprooted mid-contract. He said a Utah franchise could “be another Vegas Golden Knights or Seattle Kraken.” Where he gathers that opinion is unknown. Salt Lake City and the surrounding area rank 27th in population, with 1.26 million residents. It has a national TV market ranking of 27th. Compare that to Phoenix, with 4.95 million people, ranking 11th in the TV market.
Gary Bettman’s Take
Bettman held a press conference prior to the NHL All-Star weekend festivities. He did comment on the Coyotes arena situation.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman addresses the Arizona Coyotes’ arena search: pic.twitter.com/Moz69cDScy
— Leah Merrall (@leahmerrall) February 2, 2024
Gary Bettman on the league’s next steps if the Meruelo group cannot secure an arena solution in Arizona soon: pic.twitter.com/bmSWUbkwjh
— Leah Merrall (@leahmerrall) February 2, 2024
Bettman made it clear that he is not considering expansion at this time, and he has heard interest from Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Houston, Kansas City, and even Cincinnati.
So, there you have it… Walsh seems dead against keeping the Coyotes in Arizona, while Bettman is sticking to his unfailing support for the team. If Bettman’s estimate that something will be announced in the next “few” weeks holds true, it could certainly relieve some of the rumors of relocation floating around.
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It’s Complicated
Land deals are not a simple venture. If it is state land, an auction must be held. No word of that yet. Meruelo wants to make money; he’s a billionaire, so there is no surprise there. What must be considered is that the Meruelo, like many sports franchise owners, has little hockey experience. Neither does Xavier Gutierrez, his President and spokesman. Their lack of hockey knowledge is quite evident. The main thing here is, can they put together a deal to build a hockey arena and do it fast? Maybe they lack the revenue, but supposedly, they had private investors. Maybe they should hire a true hockey person, say someone like Shane Doan. No, he left and went to Toronto. They had their chance and now should seek someone else who can be a consultant on hockey.
When Meruelo started his empire of wealth, he bought some pizza places. Certainly, he hired some people who knew about the food industry. Now, he needs to hire someone who knows the hockey industry.
For now, we just WAIT… we should be quite skilled at that by now.
Any time there is a land auction in Arizona there is lots of interest. The land the Coyotes have identified is well known and very attractive and there will be a lot of interest. Anyone thinking this is a slam dunk is crazy.