Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo wanted to make it clear that is very much still his title when he joinedArizona Sportsfollowing the official sale of the franchise and it being relocated.
Meruelo clarified several times in his exclusive interview withBurns & Gambo that he still owns the team. The Coyotes are “inactive” and per the league agreement, he will have five years to reactivate the Coyotes if he is able to get an arena up and running within that window.
Meruelo states he never had any intentions to sell the team. He had a meeting with the NHL on March 6 and reiterated the lack of desire to sell before the league asked Meruelo if he can tell his players he knows when he can expect to have an arena built.
“I looked at them and stared and said, ‘No,'” Meruelo said.
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As far as how the Coyotes arrived here and what went wrong, Meruelo initially focused on time before his tenure.
“Look, I would say it really starts from the beginning,” Meruelo said. “There’s not one mistake. It starts from the beginning. They come here and play in Phoenix arena and there were so many obstructed views of seats that they had to relocate to Glendale.
“Glendale was another mistake because it was so far away from the public and the fans that they could never generate the attendance that was necessary. So that was another failure. It just didn’t work.”
Meruelo then admitted in arena negotiations he thought the other side was bluffing.
“I was kicked out of the arena,” he said. “They asked me to sign for 20 years and I said I wouldn’t do that and when I said no they said they would kick me out. I didn’t think they would do it and they did. They thought for sure I would never have enough time to relocate it to another city.”
Meruelo cites that thought from Desert Diamond Arena as wrong, noting the amount of success the Coyotes have had financially in Tempe compared to Glendale defies that notion. Meruelo fails to clarify this was not in a permanent home, thus putting the franchise in a situation where it had to relocate to another state and be sold.
As far as the permanent Tempe arena vote not passing, Meruelo offered his perspective on why that did not work.
“When the public does not understand and they believe all you gotta say it’s a billionaire tax, help or giving free money to a billionaire, they don’t go for it,” Meruelo said. “And even though it’s not true, I’m not asking for anything, I wasn’t asking for any tax abatements or help from the public — for whatever reason they didn’t understand that and didn’t accept it.”
The owner focused intently on his upcoming efforts to come through on a new arena, and thus, create a rebirth of the Coyotes franchise as a future expansion team. What this is unable to cover is 1) how it wipes the history of the Coyotes and attaches it to another franchise, 2) the five-year gap of no NHL hockey in Arizona and 3) the Coyotes’ inability to reap the benefits of a promising young roster via a teardown rebuild done over the last few seasons.
How does Meruelo feel for the fans in terms of that downside and losing some of their favorite players?
“It’s horrible. I apologize,” Meruelo said. “It’s something that I tried at every cost to avoid and what I take solace in is understanding that (what’s) more [important] is the career of these players. To keep them here in a campus facility for 3-4 years was not right. I had to come to a realization. … It’s not fair to them or their families.”
Meruelo called the players his “kids” and cited how they were hand-picked for the organization, labeling those conversations ahead of the move as “gut-wrenching.”
He said he remains committed to the Coyotes in Arizona.
“My goal is to do what has to be done from Day 1, is build the Coyotes a facility, an arena they should be proud of that they can call their house, their home,” he said.
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FAQs
“Look, I would say it really starts from the beginning,” Meruelo said. “There's not one mistake. It starts from the beginning. They come here and play in Phoenix arena and there were so many obstructed views of seats that they had to relocate to Glendale.
Have the Arizona Coyotes ever won? ›
Arizona Coyotes
The Coyotes have made nine playoff appearances since moving to Arizona, with only one coming in the last decade. They haven't qualified for the playoffs since 2020, when they lost in the first round to the Colorado Avalanche. The Coyotes have never reached the Stanley Cup Final.
What happened to Arizona Coyotes? ›
The Arizona Coyotes are officially headed to Salt Lake City. The NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously Thursday to approve a $1.2 billion sale from Alex Meruelo to Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith, clearing the way for the franchise's move to Utah next season.
Are Coyotes a problem in Arizona? ›
Coyotes are generally not a threat to human health and safety. Coyotes are among the most commonly seen wild animals in Arizona. They occur throughout the community wherever substantial open areas remain (mountain preserves, golf courses, larger blocks of undeveloped land, etc.).
Why did the Coyotes forfeit their pick? ›
The Coyotes were accused of conducting illegal pre-draft testing for more than 20 prospects from the Canadian Hockey League.
Does Gretzky still own the Coyotes? ›
Ownership Involvement
However, the Coyotes faced financial difficulties during Gretzky's tenure, and he eventually resigned as head coach in 2009, which coincided with the team losing its ownership stake when it filed for bankruptcy and was subsequently purchased by the NHL.
What team has never won a Stanley Cup? ›
Among the current 32 active NHL teams, 11 have never won the Stanley Cup, with the oldest of them being the Vancouver Canucks and the Buffalo Sabres (52 seasons). The longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs (55 seasons), breaking a tie with the New York Rangers.
Who currently owns the Arizona Coyotes? ›
Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo and Gary Bettman outline steps for Arizona's next NHL team. PHOENIX - The Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman took to the mic today to answer questions over the team's sudden move to Salt Lake City and what will happen next for fans.
Where will the Arizona Coyotes end up? ›
PHOENIX - The Arizona Coyotes' run in the Grand Canyon State has officially come to an end, at least for now. On April 18, officials with the NHL announced that the team will be moving to Utah, beginning with the 2024-2025 season, as a result of a sale to Jazz owner Ryan Smith.
Will the Arizona Coyotes be sold? ›
The National Hockey League's (NHL) board of governors have approved the sale and relocation of the Arizona Coyotes, paving the way for what will be considered a new team to begin play in Utah next season.
The Arizona Running Hyena (C. americanum arizonae) - found in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and western Mexico, this subspecies is specially adapted to arid desert conditions of the southwest. They mainly prey on prongbucks, mountain deer, Canyon goats, mule deer, prairie springer, pike-horned antelope, and young camels.
Is it legal to shoot coyotes in AZ? ›
laws and policies
Coyotes are classified as predators and have a year-round hunting season. A valid hunting license is required. See Arizona Game and Fish Department Hunting Regulations.
Why shouldn't coyotes be killed? ›
Trapping, relocating or killing coyotes is inhumane and ineffective for the following reasons: Traps/snares are cruel and can cause collateral damage: The most common devices used to capture coyotes are leg-hold traps and neck snares. Both can cause severe injuries, pain and suffering.
Why did the Coyotes get kicked out? ›
The past two seasons, the Coyotes played out of a 4,500-seat college facility after getting kicked out of their former arena following a battle over unpaid arena charges and more than $1.3 million in delinquent tax bills.
When did the Coyotes change their name? ›
Due to financial troubles, the Jets were sold to American owners who moved the team to Phoenix on July 1, 1996, where they were renamed the Phoenix Coyotes. The franchise name changed to the Arizona Coyotes on June 27, 2014. Alex Meruelo became the majority owner on July 29, 2019.
What was the Coyotes draft punishment? ›
The National Hockey League has sanctioned the Arizona Coyotes for violating the NHL's Combine Testing Policy during the 2019-20 season, directing the forfeiture of the Club's 2nd-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and 1st-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
How many wins does Arizona Coyotes have? ›
WESTERN CONFERENCE
| WESTERN CONFERENCE | W-L-OTL |
|---|
| 13 | Coyotes | 36-41-5 |
| 14 | Ducks | 27-50-5 |
| 15 | Blackhawks | 23-53-6 |
| 16 | Sharks | 19-54-9 |
12 more rowsThe Arizona Coyotes have a win percentage of . 447 all-time.
| TEAM | W% | PTS |
|---|
| Winnipeg Jets | .531 | 85 |
| Winnipeg Jets | .394 | 63 |
| Winnipeg Jets | .506 | 81 |
| Winnipeg Jets | .518 | 87 |
24 more rowsDating back to the original expansion year of the NHL, there are 11 active teams that haven't won a Stanley Cup since their inception. The record for the longest drought ever goes to the Toronto Maple Leafs, currently sitting at 55 years since their Cup win in 1967.
