Confirmed with Link: All-Purpose "Days of Our Meruelo" Talk

[Llewzaher]

Easy prediction - Meruelo announces the news to the team employees through an email, then withdraws the land application and from the auction sometime in May.

Bolder prediction - Bettman is shit canned this summer.

Even bolder prediction - The AZ State Land Board is going to sue someone. Not sure who. Maybe AM. Maybe the NHL. But something tells me there is a lawsuit coming.

My prediction..

AM doesn’t allow the league to pressure him into selling.

Watch Lebrun in TSN , he seem to report with intelligence.

He said he was told to be very careful what is said “ we don’t even know if AM will sell and want to start over” he would demand a lot that the league may not be willing to give..

Lots of moving parts

The only thing he said for sure was if they did relocate AZ would move to the top of the expansion list

 

[Llewzaher]

What a turn of events. 20 years ago SLC was PHX’s AHL affiliate. Now it appears AZ could be the farm club for UT. The NHL is hilarious. Only league where Phoenix could be the farm for Salt Lake! Haha.

That doesn’t make sense.. so Ryan Smith who hasn’t bought the team is negotiating with ASU to bring the Roadrunners to Mullet..

There could be some lawsuits happening

 

[Summer Rose]

I'm starting to feel better now about this whole thing after catching up on the highlights of last night's game. I'm still sad overall, though. However, I'm reconsidering what I originally said, which is that I wouldn't follow this team anymore if we move to Utah. I just might. That said, a lot of the passion would be gone...

 

[Llewzaher]

I guess hold out hope that it's the NHL putting pressure on Meruelo and this isn't being pushed by his side. He might just be negotiating and that's what's leaked. Hopefully he's committed to getting it done and holding onto the team and this is all just him ultimately holding the cards despite pressure from the league. If he doesn't want to sell now, what can the league do? They agreed he could be in Mullett Arena for 3+ years and that's what he's been doing up until now. Guess we'll find out for sure in not too long.

I think this is accurate

 

[Mosby]

Is NJ the only other team that has played in 3 markets (Colorado, KC, and NJ)?

 

[Llewzaher]

I wonder also if ST lake is a mistake..

The arena they have now is not ideal, they have a small market.

Makes me think about Winnipeg who is winning now and having attendance issues.

 

[Mosby]

Only 7 miles between the rink for the Utah ECHL team and the basketball stadium. I'd think it would make sense to move the ECHL team, either to Tucson or Mullett, and then the Roadrunners play in the other.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

This is really souring me on the NHL. @The Feckless Puck and @Dirty Old Man are my favorite posters on the whole board.
.

What, nothing for @TheLegend ?

Just kidding. In all seriousness, thank you for your support.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

@The Feckless Puck and @Dirty Old Man are my favorite posters on the whole board.

Well, Imma gonna have to print and frame this post, because that is the first, only, and likely last time I've ever read those words in my long history of social media, dating back to the BBS days. Of course, you had to go and ruin it by lumping me in with that @Dirty Old Man guy...

But seriously, I appreciate your kindness. After the terrible, awful, no good, really bad day we all had yesterday, that makes a surprising amount of difference for me. Thank you.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

That doesn’t make sense.. so Ryan Smith who hasn’t bought the team is negotiating with ASU to bring the Roadrunners to Mullet..

There could be some lawsuits happening

My initial reaction was "what was Tucson Convention Center's deal?", although I guess it's now been what, 7 years?

 

[DustyDangler]

What a turn of events. 20 years ago SLC was PHX’s AHL affiliate. Now it appears AZ could be the farm club for UT. The NHL is hilarious. Only league where Phoenix could be the farm for Salt Lake! Haha.

Cuz...screw Tucson.

 

[Summer Rose]

Cuz...screw Tucson.

As much as I spew towards Tucson due to the ASU-U of A rivalry, they're more like the little brothers of Phoenix. In the context of hockey, we stand united. Long live Tucson's hockey community.

 

[DustyDangler]

It’s wild that the NHL seems to be giving up on a 15 year fight in Arizona over needing to add 1 more year at Mullett. Of all the things over which to say “enough is enough”.

For the players, help me understand why they may not like SLC? Climate is nice and topography is a bit similar to Arizona. Yes, it’s not Scottsdale but it’s probably still a better city to live in than half of the other NHL cities. Anyone who wants out over this should be traded to Buffalo, Ottawa, etc.

They will love it or, at least roll with it, for all the reasons you stated.

 

[AZDesertKnight]

I would have absolutely ZERO interest in following anything related to this franchise to the point that I'd actively hope Josh Doan turns bust along with all of the other players on the team.

%^& em all.

I cheer for the team because they're in this city, my home I've never been a "player" fan. I cheer for the location.

 

[DustyDangler]

I wonder also if ST lake is a mistake..

The arena they have now is not ideal, they have a small market.

Makes me think about Winnipeg who is winning now and having attendance issues.

They are really just moving the problem and possibly exacerbating it. SLC is Buffalo, Winnipeg type market. Phoenix is San Jose, Detroit range.

Imagine Buffalo having a NHL & NBA team. SLC wants NHL, NBA & MLB.

I would have absolutely ZERO interest in following anything related to this franchise to the point that I'd actively hope Josh Doan turns bust along with all of the other players on the team.

%^& em all.

I cheer for the team because they're in this city, my home I've never been a "player" fan. I cheer for the location.

I would be opposed to wishing ill to players who have nothing to do with this clown show.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

As much as I spew towards Tucson due to the ASU-U of A rivalry, they're more like the little brothers of Phoenix. In the context of hockey, we stand united. Long live Tucson's hockey community.

Yeah for a while the Chandler rink was the closest one to Tucson, and we had plenty of worthy beer league opponents and even a teammate or two from down there.

 

[Summer Rose]

Yeah for a while the Chandler rink was the closest one to Tucson, and we had plenty of worthy beer league opponents and even a teammate or two from down there.

I still remember us meeting at the Chandler rink once when I officiated one of your games!

 

[Hockeyville USA]

They are really just moving the problem and possibly exacerbating it. SLC is Buffalo, Winnipeg type market. Phoenix is San Jose, Detroit range.

Imagine Buffalo having a NHL & NBA team. SLC wants NHL, NBA & MLB.


I would be opposed to wishing ill to players who have nothing to do with this clown show.

The NHL is betting on Ryan Smith and the hope that Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem Combined Statistical Area (2.7 million people per Wikipedia) continues to grow and grows at the rate of places like Orlando, San Antonio, Nashville (which is what Frank compared it to on PHNX yesterday).

2.7 million isn't much smaller than Denver Metro (3 million), but SLC/Utah doesn't have a huge hockey history nor supports hockey on a grassroots level en masse. With it being a Jazz market, just not sure how well the locals will support Utah NHL if they aren't a juggernaut right off the bat or at least consistently solid/interesting.

 

[rt]

I would have absolutely ZERO interest in following anything related to this franchise to the point that I'd actively hope Josh Doan turns bust along with all of the other players on the team.

%^& em all.

I cheer for the team because they're in this city, my home I've never been a "player" fan. I cheer for the location.

I watch a lot more junior hockey than pro hockey. There are junior teams I can’t help but love and be a bit of a fan of. It’ll come easy to me.

Only 7 miles between the rink for the Utah ECHL team and the basketball stadium. I'd think it would make sense to move the ECHL team, either to Tucson or Mullett, and then the Roadrunners play in the other.

Put the Cheese Toast team in Tucson (Gila Monsters please), and the Runners at Mullett.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

Well, Imma gonna have to print and frame this post, because that is the first, only, and likely last time I've ever read those words in my long history of social media, dating back to the BBS days. Of course, you had to go and ruin it by lumping me in with that @Dirty Old Man guy...

But seriously, I appreciate your kindness. After the terrible, awful, no good, really bad day we all had yesterday, that makes a surprising amount of difference for me. Thank you.

Yeah all these years you think you're "just a guy" on the internet, not really noticed, then a comment like that comes along.

The only thing worse would have been if yesterday's chaos would have happened on Monday, my birthday. (Instead it happened on Dylan Guenther's, and he had what, 4 points?)

 

[rt]

I wonder also if ST lake is a mistake..

The arena they have now is not ideal, they have a small market.

Makes me think about Winnipeg who is winning now and having attendance issues.

I agree completely. Doing a fly by night, slap dash, rush job of a relocations, barely held together by bandaids, bubble gum and bailing wire does not seem like a way to treat a billion dollar asset, either. Feels like a very bad beginning to me. Like the Jets to AWA but even worse.

So much of this decision feels incredibly short sighted and honestly like the choices people make when they’re overly eager (Smith) and overly exhausted (Board of Governors).

Not only does this choice hurt me and hurt this community. I think it’s a mistake. Pure and simple. A big mistake.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

I’m glad that the team remained for all the years I was a full time resident. Life goes on. Hard to feel the same passion against relocation living half the year in NH now.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I would have absolutely ZERO interest in following anything related to this franchise to the point that I'd actively hope Josh Doan turns bust along with all of the other players on the team.

%^& em all.

I cheer for the team because they're in this city, my home I've never been a "player" fan. I cheer for the location.

I'm a home team fan primarily as well. But while I might be able to eventually forget about Cooley and Guenther and Maccelli, I won't forget nor will I cheer against Josh Doan. The Doans were the only Coyotes player family to be proactive in defending our market over the past quarter century. Many ex-Coyotes live here and contribute to the hockey culture, but Shane Doan did more than anyone else in the world to try and keep hockey in Arizona at times. Add to that, the Doans are the absolute epitome of class - and I admire them in all possible ways (even religiously, and I'm no longer anywhere close to religious). So I will follow Josh's career no matter where he goes and hope he ends up in the HoF someday.

The NHL is betting on Ryan Smith and the hope that Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem Combined Statistical Area (2.7 million people per Wikipedia) continues to grow and grows at the rate of places like Orlando, San Antonio, Nashville (which is what Frank compared it to on PHNX yesterday).

2.7 million isn't much smaller than Denver Metro (3 million), but SLC/Utah doesn't have a huge hockey history nor supports hockey on a grassroots level en masse. With it being a Jazz market, just not sure how well the locals will support Utah NHL if they aren't a juggernaut right off the bat or at least consistently solid/interesting.

The Salt Lake Valley is already close to critical capacity in terms of population. Provo might as well be in another state when it comes to "Salt Lake" sports teams - even with the FrontRunner connecting the cities, Provo is a college town and very few of those students bother with anything more than the occasional Jazz game or the annual BYU/UofU challenge game. If they're hoping for a big influx of STH from Provo, just know it's less likely than building a STH base in Gilbert for an arena in Glendale - Provo is farther away from SLC than Gilbert is from Phoenix, and during rush hour on the 15 it's a dead stop for HOURS. Good luck with that.

 

[rt]

Yeah all these years you think you're "just a guy" on the internet, not really noticed, then a comment like that comes along.

The only thing worse would have been if yesterday's chaos would have happened on Monday, my birthday. (Instead it happened on Dylan Guenther's, and he had what, 4 points?)

I also think you guys are great, for what it’s worth.

I know I’m special on this forum. I promise I’m on more ignore lists than any user in the history of F40. Shout out to the real ones who can still see this post!!!!

 

[Summer Rose]

I also think you guys are great, for what it’s worth.

I know I’m special on this forum. I promise I’m on more ignore lists than any user in the history of F40. Shout out to the real ones who can still see this post!!!!

You're one of my favorite posters here.