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

[PredsHead]

 

[Voight]

If you can't see the difference between how Meruelo operates vs the 31 other teams, I dunno what to tell ya


That's interesting for sure. I always thought XG and AM were pretty intertwined but this would suggest otherwise, with how he's distancing himself professionally from this mess.

If he's not a "Meruelo guy" as I originally thought, having President/CEO of an NHL team is a pretty impressive accomplishment even with this mess that's somewhat over his head.

Just looked at XG's LinkedIn myself.. he's been a Meruelo guy since 2010 working as Chief Investment Officer for Meruelo's investment group... LOL

It's a classic rearranging of the deck chairs on the titanic.

 

[Voight]

Just FYI…. this is affecting more than just the Coyotes.

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I'm sure the NHL/NHLPA will allow players to revise their NTC/NMC lists given the extraordinary circumstances.

Tho I dont recall if anything happened like that In 2011.

 

[Shwan]

That's interesting for sure. I always thought XG and AM were pretty intertwined but this would suggest otherwise, with how he's distancing himself professionally from this mess.

Things that destroy close relationships:

1. Owning the Arizona Coyotes
2. Putting IKEA furniture together
3. Playing Monopoly/Uno

 

[Fidel Astro]

Has there been anything from the league about this yet? A denial or even a no comment?

I remember when the news broke about the Thrashers coming here to Winnipeg, there was that excellent clip of Bettman at a game, looking at something on his phone and frantically shaking his head in frustration.

I don't think there has been a moment like that here (yet), has there?

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

Has there been anything from the league about this yet? A denial or even a no comment?

I remember when the news broke about the Thrashers coming here to Winnipeg, there was that excellent clip of Bettman at a game, looking at something on his phone and frantically shaking his head in frustration.

I don't think there has been a moment like that here (yet), has there?

The legend goes that Bettman called Chipman, complaining about the leak before anything was completely finalized, and Chipman said "you think you've got problems, listen to this:" and stuck his phone out his car window, to the 100s of people who had gathered at portage and main to celebrate that night, and he was happening to drive by.

Probably didn't happen exactly that way, but a great story nonetheless.

 

[TheLegend]

Just what this saga needs, another plot twist.

Wouldn’t be Coyotes if not…

For no particular reason, has anyone checked to see if Andrew Barroway still owns his 5%?

A lot of us were wondering too.

He still has a suite at Mullett and hosted Shane Doan and his family the night John Doan made his debut.

After Josh’s first goal the cameras panned up to the suite and Barroway was standing there behind Shane and his wife celebrating with them.

Yeah…. It was weird. Given how it went down with Barroway choosing not to resign Shane back in 2017

 

[Voight]

Obviously Ive got some reading to do-but can someone give me info on something: what does SLC get in return for taking a current team while Yotes would (essentially) get a do over with expansion in 4 (or however many years)? Is SLC wanting a team that much that they would rather have "bird in hand vs 2 in the bush" type thing? (I also get that Yotes could be harmed if youre telling fanbase that youd be taking 3-4 years off, do you get those fans back assuming everything goes smoothly when they "open up" again.

There's no guarantee he would get an expansion team. May as well take the guaranteed option.

Not to mention as others have said, this a team with tons of assets and infrastructure already in place.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Things that destroy close relationships:

1. Owning the Arizona Coyotes
2. Putting IKEA furniture together
3. Playing Monopoly/Uno

Oh my God, so true.

My nonna was the sweetest, most gentle human being I've ever met but put Uno cards in front of her and she would transform into Vlad The f***ing Impaler.

 

[dj4aces]

It was 2011...

Alex Meruelo says he has 'ample resources' to buy Atlanta Hawks

but then...

Hawks won't be sold to Alex Meruelo

Gotcha. I don't keep up with NBA stuff, I just know the bum made an attempt before becoming a part-owner or investor in the Coyotes.

Let's be honest though, it wasn't the first time the NHL made a bad ownership decision. For as far as they've come in recent years at vetting owners -- first in Vegas, then in Seattle -- I'm afraid it won't be the last.

 

[Shwan]

He still has a suite at Mullett and hosted Shane Doan and his family the night John Doan made his debut.

After Josh’s first goal the cameras panned up to the suite and Barroway was standing there behind Shane and his wife celebrating with them.

I can tell you with confidence Katie Strang noticed that too

 

[Brodie]

my memory might be failing me a bit here but doesn’t this seem a lot more explicitly over than the Thrashers situation did at any point before the official announcement?

 

[MeHateHe]

Oh my God, so true.

My nonna was the sweetest, most gentle human being I've ever met but put Uno cards in front of her and she would transform into Vlad The f***ing Impaler.

You guys need to try Dutch Blitz. I never wanted friends and that's how I got what I wanted.

 

[hockeyguy0022]

Told you. Saskatoon.

AM wants to spite NHL owners now, has temp provisions in writing, doesn't say exclusive to AZ, moves to SK for 5 years lol.

Gary is BTFO lol

Might be the funniest thing possible.

 

[MeHateHe]

AM wants to spite NHL owners now, has temp provisions in writing, doesn't say exclusive to AZ, moves to SK for 5 years lol.

Gary is BTFO lol

Might be the funniest thing possible.

This is the kind of chaos theory stuff we need in the NHL. Real heel-turn shenanigans. Hire Mike Babcock to coach. Wear rainbow-themed uniforms every night. Get Don Cherry to be your game-night host. Make EVERYONE mad at you.

 

[cbcwpg]

I'm sure the NHL/NHLPA will allow players to revise their NTC/NMC lists given the extraordinary circumstances.

Tho I dont recall if anything happened like that In 2011.

IIRC when the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg, all the player contracts came with them. There was nothing in the CBA to allow players to alter their movement / trade clauses based on a relocation. Players are assets of the team and remain so.

Now, that of course doesn't stop any player from requesting a trade and waiving their clauses after the relocation happens.

 

[KevFu]

Things that destroy close relationships:

1. Owning the Arizona Coyotes
2. Putting IKEA furniture together
3. Playing Monopoly/Uno

This reminds me, you know what needs to be normalized? Two TVs side by side.

Every female who enters my place looks at my setup of two large TVs next to each other in the living room and thinks "This is why you're not in a relationship, you live like a man-child and not a civilized adult."

And then a few hours later, we're on the couch together and they're holding the remote and a glass of wine with watching whatever the hell terrible reality show they want to, and they realize that we're spending quality time together, but I'm still watching sports. And they're like "you might be a relationship genius."

 

[MaskedSonja]

There's no guarantee he would get an expansion team. May as well take the guaranteed option.

Not to mention as others have said, this a team with tons of assets and infrastructure already in place.

Yes as Im getting more educated and more info, the more this is certainly making sense. A "yes" now with a "maybe" later, one goes with the yes now and goes from there, agreed.

 

[TheLegend]

Hearing the twist could happen.

(so glad Fugu brought this emoji out)

 

[LT]

The selfish part of me wants the twist to be Fertitta coming in hot and outbidding Ryan Smith

But I suspect the above speculation is more in line with reality, that Meruelo is not going to disappear quietly.

 

[sneakytitz]

my memory might be failing me a bit here but doesn’t this seem a lot more explicitly over than the Thrashers situation did at any point before the official announcement?

As far as leaks and reveals? Yes, but the Thrashers sales rumors and eventual sale happened in the span of one week. For months we were told that the owners were either seeking new investors for the team or finding a local buyer. From what I recall towards the end of the season, a lot of people around town thought Phoenix was going to be sold and we were safe for at least one more year. Then one Monday the local newspaper broke the news that the team owners were talking to True North and by Friday the deal was done and that news was out there by lunch time (I only remember that because I was checking various boards during my lunch break when it was finally informally announced).

 

[Edenjung]

Things that destroy close relationships:

1. Owning the Arizona Coyotes
2. Putting IKEA furniture together
3. Playing Monopoly/Uno

You forgot playing risk together or Mario Kart.

 

[hockeyguy0022]

Hearing the twist could happen.

(so glad Fugu brought this emoji out)

Do you guys actually know what the rumour is?

 

[TheLegend]

Do you guys actually know what the rumour is?

Half the posters here stalk and read the discussion the team board so a lot of them know by now.

Seriously… word is Matt Ishiba… owner of the Phoenix Suns has entered the chat. Has met with Bettman within the past 24-48 hours.

I can’t place much serious in this though.

 

[Brodie]

As far as leaks and reveals? Yes, but the Thrashers sales rumors and eventual sale happened in the span of one week. For months we were told that the owners were either seeking new investors for the team or finding a local buyer. From what I recall towards the end of the season, a lot of people around town thought Phoenix was going to be sold and we were safe for at least one more year. Then one Monday the local newspaper broke the news that the team owners were talking to True North and by Friday the deal was done and that news was out there by lunch time (I only remember that because I was checking various boards during my lunch break when it was finally informally announced).

One of the main things I remember, from the end of that whole saga, was the one writer for maybe ESPN(?) who got played by some con artist he kept calling the Balkan into raising y’all’s hopes… if I remember it right, he actually quit his job and gave up his media career over the guy