Per Friedman: Coyotes players told team moving to Utah starting next season (Mod warning post #50)

[Gee Wally]

Yotes --> Utes

Only name that should be considered. Utah Utes

 

[Dead Coyote]

Literally 5 days ago XG came out said that they plan to keep the team in Arizona, plan to win the auction, plan to build an arena and plan to keep the team and not relocate. And that if they don't win the auction, the team will be forced to look at relocating.

In what f***ing world does that make even the slightest sense to do that and then 5 days later come out and say to Frank Seravelli (who has been one of the strongest haters of ARI) that the team is moving before next season?

 

[BCNate]

I think in the very near future they will announce the sale and relocation of the team to Utah, regardless of the land auction. The NHL and NHLPA can't have a team play in a community rec centre for another 3-4 years. I'll be shocked if they aren't is Salt Lake City to start the year. This is eerily similar to when the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg. If PHX can get their shit together for the next round of expansion, I'd think they would have a shot at landing one of the 4 teams.

 

[robertocarlos]

It does seem impossible to get an arena built in 3 years on that untapped land. Time is of the essence. Hence the April 18th date to start getting ready for next season in SLC.

I guess Atlanta and Houston are not ready by next week. SLC is ready.

 

[landfill]

Slc ice punks!

 

[FMichael]

Curious how much of a revenue hit lower alcohol sales would be for a SLC arena. I think SLC is 50% mormon. For sure would have the lowest alcohol sales league wide.

Just sell intermission bibles instead.

 

[The Burdened]

Unlike ever before, the media outlets are really pushing it out there on main stream sites.
Brace for impact.

 

[LPHabsFan]

Literally 5 days ago XG came out said that they plan to keep the team in Arizona, plan to win the auction, plan to build an arena and plan to keep the team and not relocate. And that if they don't win the auction, the team will be forced to look at relocating.

In what f***ing world does that make even the slightest sense to do that and then 5 days later come out and say to Frank Seravelli (who has been one of the strongest haters of ARI) that the team is moving before next season?

Well, either XG wasn't kept in the loop by AM, or, alternatively, he lied.

 

[McPoyle]

Latter Day Skates

 

[MardyBum]

Not a single Coyotes fan has said they can't be moved.

XG literally said if the auction falls through they will be relocated. But all of this reporting that the team is going to be moved BEFORE the auction even happens? That's complete BS.

The Thrashers were announced to be moving to Winnipeg at the end of May/beginning of June, obviously was in the process for a week or two before that.

Everyone in the know of the process said it was a mad rush to get it done. This would be happening a month later. Of course the NHL doesn't want to wait. It sucks the auction wasn't two months earlier.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Who will be the Stockton to Matthews' Malone once he inevitably goes to Utah?

GP Sharks f*** yeah let's go

 

[blueandgoldguy]

This is pretty much exactly what I predicted. Mereulo is a grifter, through and through. He was never actually interested in running a hockey team, as shown by how little money he invested in the on-ice product, stiffing vendors and rent, and being completely unserious about building a new arena.

The whole charade about a new arena was always about selling the team at a profit. Again, he has no interest in creating a viable on-ice product. Once he had approval for whatever hocus-pocus arena plan there was, he was going to sell the team at a massive profit from what he paid for.

Luckily for him, he doesn't have to do that now. The NHL/Ryan Smith are just going to pay him out! This is the dream for Mereulo. Doesn't even have to keep the pretenses of his charade. Just gets the cash.

Yeah, it does seem like Mureulo is the John Fisher (A's owner) or Donald Trump of NHL owners.

 

[Folignos Helmet]

If Utah wanted an expansion start it would be fun to first have a dispersal draft for the yotes roster including draft picks.

Then have an expansion draft.

Would never happen but would be fun.

 

[BB79]

Salt Lake City Salt Licks
Salt Lake City Rust Buckets
Salt Lake City Isotopes (Simpsons nod)

Coyotes have 1 home game left, to be played 1 week from tonight. Will that be it?

 

[CanMerc]

Should have been relocated years ago….

 

[Ted Hoffman]

This is pretty much exactly what I predicted. Mereulo is a grifter, through and through. He was never actually interested in running a hockey team, as shown by how little money he invested in the on-ice product, stiffing vendors and rent, and being completely unserious about building a new arena.

The whole charade about a new arena was always about selling the team at a profit.

Which only works if you can keep the charade going on long enough to sell the team on your terms. If you can't, then you end up with

This sounds more like the NHL trying to convince Meruelo to sell the Coyotes

Which is more on whatever terms the league dictates if it's having to get involved with your charades re: stiffing vendors and rent (and others).

 

[BB79]

John Fisher (A's owner)

He's a trash owner, the absolute worst in all of professional sports. Screw him

 

[Transplanted Caper]

The Arizona feed on Centre Ice for VAN/ARI is, intermittently, playing audio of the broadcast team talking about how to approach tonight's game.

 

[Gnashville]

I know it’s off topic but that scene was the result of Pesci saying “Yute” during a rehearsal and Fred Gwynne (the judge actor) dying laughing saying “what the F is a Yute?” The director added that into the script and it worked perfectly.

 

[joestevens29]

Should have been relocated years ago….

I mean they just moved into mullet arena

 

[Dead Coyote]

Seems likely after watching the PHNX podcast that AM and/or XG have repeatedly lied to the fans and the staff employees that relocation wasn't being brought forward as an option and that the team would be staying in ARI if the land bid succeeded.

It still doesn't make any sense to me after all this has happened that it could happen so quickly and so devoid of any logic, but I know that's never stopped billionaires before. I hope that this isn't true and the team says so or that nothing is announced but that seems unlikely unfortunately.

I can say that if this really is what's going down and AM has ran the team this way that there's not a single chance there will be Arizona fans happy about what he's done and that if he expects the fans and staff members of the team to welcome him back with open arms in 3+ years with a new expansion team, he's dead wrong and completely out of touch with how his fanbase and staff feel.

 

[Kevinsane]

I feel so bad for the true die hard Coyotes fans. Hartford had a die hard core, as did Kansas City, Cleveland, Quebec City, and Atlanta, but nobody has ridden the rollercoaster from hell like the fans in Arizona. They deserved so much better.

 

[MikeyMike01]

Better owners might be able to get it done. The current owners barely campaigned for the Tempe arena proposal

After decades of failure, the Islanders had an arena deal locked up within a year of new owners.

 

[Transplanted Caper]

The Arizona feed on Centre Ice for VAN/ARI is, intermittently, playing audio of the broadcast team talking about how to approach tonight's game.

The actual broadcast has started, but not before audio of someone - Tyson Nash - dropping about ten F-Bombs as he listed various enforcers he played against.

 

[Apex Predator]

I feel so bad for the true die hard Coyotes fans. Hartford had a die hard core, as did Kansas City, Cleveland, Quebec City, and Atlanta, but nobody has ridden the rollercoaster from hell like the fans in Arizona. They deserved so much better.

There fans are the same as all the other fans that lost there team. The difference is they got so many chances to stick around. Asked the other fans if they wish they had that many chances.