BREAKING: It's over. Multiple sources confirm to @PHNX_Sports that Alex Meruelo is walking away from his ownership of the Coyotes.

[CBJWerenski8]

Good for Yotes fans

 

[SomeDude]

Finally some good news for Arizona hockey

 

[HolyCrap]

As expected. Other than one poster here everyone pretty much knew this was coming.

 

[Half Clapper]

f*** this guy and his punk son!

 

[BobRossColton]

Probably shouldn't have even involved himself the team..

 

[FoxYou727]

The NHL has to stop expanding for a while. There isn't enough talent in the league.

Oh absolutely with how expensive not only hockey is but just the cost of living in general we realistically need to wait another decade or so before we expand. The NHL also needs to expand their Asian foot print mainly China Japan and Korea

f*** this guy and his punk son!

The twitter account and the Kachina was the only saving grace for that team

 

[Deen]

They should ban him from going to Utah games.

 

[eojsmada]

Finally. I figured it was over when his statement was about pursuing legal moves, rather than just getting the permit. But now we can finally put the whole Meruelo saga to bed and the NHL can actually take their time and find a proper owner to build an arena and bring a team back, if that is possible. The NHL would have to find someone who is well loved in the Phoenix area to bring a team back there.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

Probably get a team back quicker without AM than they would've with him bungling things every step of the way.

It'll still likely be at least the 5 years Meruelo has for the rights to the franchise, because it feel like he's going to be petty and put a ridiculous price tag on buying out that term should the NHL try to restart the franchise quickly.

 

[Some Other Flame]

Hell of a grift he pulled off. A billion dollar payday while putting up barely a hundred something million for the Coyotes some years back.

Bettman ends up looking even more clowny than usual

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

I just can't see a team going back to Arizona before Houston. The Houston market is so apetizing.

 

[Drumman44]

So do we still have to officially sit out the waiting period until the rights expire or can the search begin for a competent ownership group?

 

[Dead Coyote]

f***ing finally. Hope this slug never raises his head out of the dirt again and we never see him have anything to do with hockey again. f*** the Meruelo's. f*** you for losing us our team. You managed to do what every owner before you failed to. f*** you forever.

 

[FoxYou727]

I just can't see a team going back to Arizona before Houston. The Houston market is so apetizing.

Houston and Atlanta will get a team before Arizona. After Arizona becomes the 35th we will probably get a 36th, I'm guessing either Quebec City, or Hartford are the front runners for the east

So do we still have to officially sit out the waiting period until the rights expire or can the search begin for a competent ownership group?

I think we will find out soon... but Houston and Atlanta are getting the next 2 that is for sure

 

[MVP Zacha]

I would like to seriously like to apologize to all Coyotes fans, you deserved better. I hope you get an expansion team at some point and the team will thrive with an owner that actually cares about supporting a team in AZ, not just making a quick buck.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

So does the inactive Coyotes franchise still exist, or is Utah going absorb its history?

 

[JasonDemersWasOkay]

There could be no better headline for the future of hockey in arizona. The most inept owner in the history of North American professional sports.

 

[GoldenSeal]

IMO It wouldn't have mattered. The Yotes with their bankruptcies and other nonsense has totally poisoned the NHL pool for all of Arizona. I'd consider keeping them in the Southwest like New Mexico or even 'deep south' (San Diego) California.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

I can think of a billion reasons why he did this.

He played them & made off very well in the process

 

[ICanMotteBelieveIt]

Pull the plug already.

 

[CraigBillington]

I'm sure a lot of people wish he'd done this a year or two ago. I don't love the idea of the NHL expanding further, but to give the Arizona fans their team back, I'm perfectly ok with it.

Yup, I would like to hope that if another ownership group with some good will in the Phoenix community stepped up, things would be better

 

[StreetHawk]

It'll still likely be at least the 5 years Meruelo has for the rights to the franchise, because it feel like he's going to be petty and put a ridiculous price tag on buying out that term should the NHL try to restart the franchise quickly.

Why bother..... ATL is working on a plan and new arena. So, no rush. Houston, could have a team tomorrow as the arena is ready to go. They are dependent on Fertitia paying the price they want.

There is no rush to add AZ back in. What the NHL should do is keep the lines of communication with the Suns majority owner Ishiba open to gage his interest in the NHL. Probably better off with 1 arena between the 2 clubs.

 

[ICanMotteBelieveIt]

I'm sure a lot of people wish he'd done this a year or two ago. I don't love the idea of the NHL expanding further, but to give the Arizona fans their team back, I'm perfectly ok with it.

Stop it.

They tried for ages and they never managed to get it to work.

It's finally over.

 

[CraigBillington]

It'll still likely be at least the 5 years Meruelo has for the rights to the franchise, because it feel like he's going to be petty and put a ridiculous price tag on buying out that term should the NHL try to restart the franchise quickly.

Would he though? Depends on the terms I guess, like if he just gives up the rights and walks away, I figure the league would become the proprietor

 

[nickp91]

Alex Meruelo and John Fisher got to be the worst owners in sports