CXLVIII - Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo had 'productive' meeting with Phoenix mayor

[LPHabsFan]

I will say this, IF the coyotes are moving then a damn well hope someone starts a new thread about the rebirth of the franchise to track what is going on, bc I expect and hope that becomes a new focus, to get the arena and district if needed done so the team can be reborn.

I was very happy when the jets came back, I will be equally happy when the coyotes come back.


I'm not talking about discrediting him today, I'm talking about in the past. They wanted him on their show today bc they know he's right and they acknowledged it in the beginning. They see the writing on the wall. Today was acknowledging in a classy way they were wrong to discredit him in the past...

If it happens, it ain't going to be with AM. He will be gone within a few months.

 

[TheLegend]

It's hard when you are giving the kids a bath and using speech to text ha. My grammar and formatting has been awful today, fully acknowledge it.

Tip of the hat to you (seriously)

I'm playing nurse today to two adults. I had other things planned and caught the news on Twitter and the rest is what it is.

Aside from that you can't cherry pick when you deam someone credible. If you are acknowledging it today than it absolutely plays to comments you made in the past.

"Cherry pick"?? Not really. Up until this point it's all been people making presumptions. After 14 years of dealing with this you tend to not take everything on it's surface. It's only been today where this recent memo to the BoG got leaked has there been any solidity.

It's okay to say your were wrong.

LOL!!!

I've done plenty of that before.

 

[bleedblue94]

Tip of the hat to you (seriously)

I'm playing nurse today to two adults. I had other things planned and caught the news on Twitter and the rest is what it is.

Tip of the hat to you as well. We have gone at it over the past while, but that's a brutal way to get hammered with this while you're trying to "life" life.

 

[bleedblue94]

@TheLegend legit question for you, if the league announces the team is leaving before the final home game, is there anywhere locally that could host the final game that is a bigger venue to host more locals for a send off? Seems like the passionate fan base that at times was alienated due to location would possibly make a showing at that game, just not sure if there is any potential site to make it happen in a short turnaround? I expect the answer is no

 

[sneakytitz]

I feel for any fan base that loses a franchise. The only silver lining may be the chance for a franchise re set in as soon as 5 years.

Solid ownership will be step 1. Maybe Muerelo gets his arena built and proves the naysayers wrong or maybe he is the grifter many have painted him as.

Time will tell but time seems to be ticking on this version of the Coyotes.

That is what Coyotes fans should realize. If this report, or most, or any, of it is correct, they have a path back. Quebec, Winnipeg, Minnesota, Hartford, Atlanta, none of us had that, but they do.

Here is a chance for them to reset, build an arena/complex while not incurring operating costs, and come right back, seemingly stronger than ever, with an expansion draft.

If that doesn't come to pass it's on one man and one man only, but how is that any different from selling the team out right? Would you be more satisfied if he ripped the band aid off right now and said this was it OR do you give him a chance to fix things? No matter what, the Coyotes are, presumably, gone, but perhaps for just now.

 

[aqib]

It's a county law. Harris County actually owns the BB arena, and there is a line in the lease which prohibits the county from helping any competing arena. That basically shuts out a competing arena until you get as far north as...say...The Woodlands (which is in the next county north.)

I get that the county can't help. But if he is willing to do everything in AZ with zero help why not do it in Houston?

 

[sh724]

If this is true it does make sense in a few ways

1) Gets a team in SLC immediately, we know there is interest in bringing an MLB team to SLC and we know there is interest in building a new hockey arena in SLC in order to host the winter Olympics. If the NHL gets a team there ASAP it gives them priority with the legislature to get tax money for a new arena before the legislature gives money for an MLB team

2) Muerelo gets a break from allegedly losing millions of dollars a year and gets a large influx of cash to pay for the land, arena, and ED.

3) There is no rush to get the arena built. While its completely possible to get an arena built in 2-3 years, why rush it if you don't have to? This would let them take a little more time to get the arena, and the supporting ED, done right and fully operational when the team returns

4) Gives PHX the opportunity for a full reset without all of the baggage that the Yotes have amassed over the years.

I really don't believe the reports if AM getting $1B from the sales. It may be that much in "value" but not in cash, meaning that contract amount is probably contingent on bringing the team back in X number of years and stipulates exactly what the "expansion" fee would be if any. There has to be a reason the league is buying the team and reselling it as opposed to AM selling it directly to Smith. Obviously we will never see the actual agreement but its probably going to be a bit more complex of a sales contract than what is typical for an NHL team.

 

[jkrdevil]

Friedman said on the PHNX podcast there's been rumblings back well before the trade deadline. Said it has been off and on for months.

I doubt the Scottsdale mayor's Op-Ed had anything to do with it.

This has probably been in the works from the league side since they lost the vote last year. It was a matter of coaxing an off ramp for AZ ownership who didn’t want to give up and getting the ducks in a row.

 

[jkrdevil]

I get that the county can't help. But if he is willing to do everything in AZ with zero help why not do it in Houston?

Because Texas is a different state. His other business interest are also in Arizona and the SW U.S. Specifically, owning the Coyotes in Arizona enables him to get a sports book license for his hospitality venues in Arizona. You don’t get that building it in Texas.

 

[Voight]

I feel for any fan base that loses a franchise. The only silver lining may be the chance for a franchise re set in as soon as 5 years.

Solid ownership will be step 1. Maybe Muerelo gets his arena built and proves the naysayers wrong or maybe he is the grifter many have painted him as.

Time will tell but time seems to be ticking on this version of the Coyotes.

If Meurelo isn't interested when/if an expansion team is offered, the league could try their luck with Mat Ishbia. Not sure if he'd be willing to pay 1bn+ but if the league is deadset on having a team in Phoenix maybe they'll lower the fee (which would only happen if they weren't already preceded by another market)

 

[GKJ]

Not sure why they can’t stay in Tucson

 

[LadyStanley]

Hmmm

Major problem with Tucson arena is that they have to vacate for weeks for big conventions.

 

[jkrdevil]

Not sure why they can’t stay in Tucson

Well they still have a lease at Mullet…

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Bingo!

Houston could definitely support another arena. They're in the same league as LA, NYC, and Chicago these days. But other factors are at hand. Besides, the latest renovations to the Toyota Center make it more than NHL ready which torpedoes things beyond the most cavalier of private investors, which AM ain't.

remember regarding Harris County as well.... Fertitta and the family have the controlling rights, if not the naming rights at the University of Houston's basketball arena.... it's why it's called the Fertitta Center, it's also why the Wild relocated the Aeros to Iowa after the lease was cancelled at Toyota Center and bought out Chuck Watson's ownership piece

 

[bleedblue94]

Not sure why they can’t stay in Tucson

Strategic to keep the coyote fans "involved" in hockey. The league is just asking for incredible backlash though.

 

[ORRFForever]

Quebec City passed over, AGAIN. Shame on the NHL.

 

[Colt 55]

Logged back in for the first time in almost a decade just to see what thread number this was up to.

 

[Ernie]

Not sure why they can’t stay in Tucson

What's hilarious is that this would be the 2nd smallest AHL arena. It's amazing that the NHL allowed this nonsense to go on as long as it did, total bush league.

 

[LT]

remember regarding Harris County as well.... Fertitta and the family have the controlling rights, if not the naming rights at the University of Houston's basketball arena.... it's why it's called the Fertitta Center, it's also why the Wild relocated the Aeros to Iowa after the lease was cancelled at Toyota Center and bought out Chuck Watson's ownership piece

The Aeros were relocated before Fertitta bought the Rockets.

Les Alexander owned the team then and had control of Toyota Center. He was hemorraging money and wanted the ice in the arena gone, so he upped the fees more than sixfold that he was charging for the Aeros to play there.

 

[red devil]

Quebec City passed over, AGAIN. Shame on the NHL.

Who is the multi billionaire, ready to bring an NHL team Quebec City?

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

This just reeks of a Atlanta to WPG part II

IIRC here there was little to nothing surronding atlanta then boom. Totally similar situation

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Not sure why they can’t stay in Tucson

You would think they would be the perfect team for the canes to buy and the SLC club could pair up with the established and stable (from an ownership perspective) Chicago Wolves.

 

[GKJ]

You would think they would be the perfect team for the canes to buy and the SLC club could pair up with the established and stable (from an ownership perspective) Chicago Wolves.

I don’t think I would think that at all with all the prospects involved.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

You would think they would be the perfect team for the canes to buy and the SLC club could pair up with the established and stable (from an ownership perspective) Chicago Wolves.

IT'S A WONDER THE AHL Doesn't seize the Wolves for failing to follow bylaws...... it's what the ECHL did w/ Newfoundland and terminated the franchise.... but remember AZ/SLC owns the franchise there

 

[Headshot77]

You would think they would be the perfect team for the canes to buy and the SLC club could pair up with the established and stable (from an ownership perspective) Chicago Wolves.

Honestly the AHL might need to expand to (number of NHL franchises)+2 because the Wolves and Bears don't exactly play nice.