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

[Vegan Knight]

I was rooting for them but many seem to think this is it. Sad to hear, the Coyotes fans have to be some of the most dedicated with everything that has been thrown their way. I'm sorry for many good Coyotes fans here.

Gary Lawless on the Vegas broadcast seemed to say the plan would be for the NHL to own the team on paper and sell them to Smith maybe by next Thursday. He mentioned Meruelo getting 1 billion! A 700 million dollar profit in five years. And Meruelo gets a window to get a team back in Arizona.

Then Smith would buy them for 1.2 billion, recouping the money they pay to Meruelo and a 200 million relocation fee. If those numbers are right I guess it could explain the turn of events.

 

[BB79]

He mentioned Meruelo getting 1 billion! A 700 million dollar profit in five years. And Meruelo gets a window to get a team back in Arizona.

You know what they say, it takes money to make money.

I would imagine Arizona getting another team in the future has to be contigent on getting the new arena built first, or that's nuts.

 

[Doggy]

I once said that we are the Cleveland Browns of the NHL. I didn’t expect to have it be entirely accurate. I’m also still in denial and attempting to use humor to comfort myself.

Not sure there are really many parallels between the Browns and Coyotes relocation situations. Back in the early 1990s, the Browns were recently a success on the field, a rabid fanbase that sold out their stadium weekly and an owner that was offered a brand new stadium paid for with taxpayer money just a few years before he left town but declined the offer. But other than that, yeah, totally similar situations.

The Coyotes situation feels unprecedented. Their saga of the last twenty years has broken a mold that is hopefully never repeated or endured in sports.

It sucks what their fanbase has endured. I hope no other fanbase ever has to go through this again.

 

[These Are The Days]

Close it down. Someone lock the the doors and shut lights off. Wally just ended business for the night

 

[Spring in Fialta]

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.

Sure but it's still not their fault or makes it any less lame for them.

 

[Kevinsane]

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.

I get that, but decades on a yo-yo is pretty hard to take too.

 

[StreetHawk]

I was rooting for them but many seem to think this is it. Sad to hear, the Coyotes fans have to be some of the most dedicated with everything that has been thrown their way. I'm sorry for many good Coyotes fans here.

Gary Lawless on the Vegas broadcast seemed to say the plan would be for the NHL to own the team on paper and sell them to Smith maybe by next Thursday. He mentioned Meruelo getting 1 billion! A 700 million dollar profit in five years. And Meruelo gets a window to get a team back in Arizona.

Then Smith would buy them for 1.2 billion, recouping the money they pay to Meruelo and a 200 million relocation fee. If those numbers are right I guess it could explain the turn of events.

$1,2 bill is more than Pitt, Nash and Ott got for their sale in recent years. Only TB at a $1.4 bill valuation came in higher of the ones that were sold over the past 3 years.

If the NHL was going to take $1.2 bill for the team, little surprised that we haven't heard much more from Fertitia and Houston. He balked at the $650 mill that Seattle paid, but valuations have gone up for all pro sports teams. Figured based on the TB sale and the market size of Houston, he'd be looking at $1.7 billion or more for an expansion team.

Houston, arena is ready to go. SLC, Delta Center is passable for now, but it wouldn't land them an expansion team. The past 6 expansion teams all needed a new arena before the puck was dropped.

 

[Maurice of Orange]

Utah has a temporary hockey arena ready, the 12,600 seat Maverik Center home of the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies.

The arena is owned by the city of West Valley and is 15-20 drive from downtown SLC.

Side note: SLC has a suburb named Glendale.

 

[Aphid]

This relocation feels way different than any of the other ones. The NHL put a ton of time and effort in to keeping that team there in that market for almost two(?) decades. They don't do that for the fun of it. A team will be back at some point. Whether that be with this current owner or a new one that comes along eventually.

I hated the NHL after the Jets left the first time and wanted nothing to do with the product. A couple years later I was back to casually watching again. The hockey fans there will support this new team because this current feeling of anger and bitterness always goes away.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

I was rooting for them but many seem to think this is it. Sad to hear, the Coyotes fans have to be some of the most dedicated with everything that has been thrown their way. I'm sorry for many good Coyotes fans here.

Gary Lawless on the Vegas broadcast seemed to say the plan would be for the NHL to own the team on paper and sell them to Smith maybe by next Thursday. He mentioned Meruelo getting 1 billion! A 700 million dollar profit in five years. And Meruelo gets a window to get a team back in Arizona.

Then Smith would buy them for 1.2 billion, recouping the money they pay to Meruelo and a 200 million relocation fee. If those numbers are right I guess it could explain the turn of events.

I'd say that there will be an opportunity for another team to enter the Arizona market one day. It's big enough and I think it could work out if an expansion team is made from scratch. Both the Golden Knights and Kraken have done very well. It is a real shame the Coyotes turned into such an embarrassing disaster.

 

[Morpheus]

That's the name of the University of Utah teams

They could have two Utes teams:

 

[Dr John Carlson]

I can't put into words how elated I am that I soon won't have to suffer through any more gaslighting from people trying to claim the Coyotes' logo is actually cool.

 

[Vukotal Recall]

I really don't understand all the hate for this move. I think it's a great idea to move the team away from a clearly failing situation over to a massive metropolis of 205,000 people. Why, that's more than Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook combined!

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

If this is it for the Yotes I'll be sad. Have always had a soft spot for them and wanted to see them succeed. Feel really bad for the fans who've had to deal with this bullshit for literal decades.

 

[BB79]

I really don't understand all the hate for this move. I think it's a great idea to move the team away from a clearly failing situation over to a massive metropolis of 205,000 people. Why, that's more than Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook combined!

Ogdenville alone could probably draw more than 4,600 fans a night

 

[Empoleon8771]

I really don't understand all the hate for this move. I think it's a great idea to move the team away from a clearly failing situation over to a massive metropolis of 205,000 people. Why, that's more than Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook combined!

Salt Lake City's metro population is about 1.25 million. It has about the same population as metro Memphis and Buffalo.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

I feel bad for the fans. There's an amazing and resilient group of fans in Arizona. They deserve better.

 

[CraigBillington]

I really don't understand all the hate for this move. I think it's a great idea to move the team away from a clearly failing situation over to a massive metropolis of 205,000 people. Why, that's more than Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook combined!

Yes because all the residents of the metro area live in the City itself. By this logic, vancouver's 600,000 people should also be an issue.

 

[BlueSeal]

Meruelo is running a very smart play right now.

He makes it public that he's looking for buyers, but I bet he's looking for buyers who want to buy a part of the team, not the whole. The new buyers, or partners in this case, would come on board and help with the bid on the land. Even if the potential 'buyers' aren't hockey folks, there is a ton of money to be made on so many levels in this and it's a fantastic opportunity if they can get the land and a buyer coming onboard would make the difference.

I don't see how this doesn't work. The Yotes are staying.

 

[Reality Check]

This feels like 20 years in the making.

 

[Empoleon8771]

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.

What's likely going on here is that the NHL is stepping in and saying "we are not okay with the Coyotes continuing to play in Mullett Arena until the new arena is finished", so they're trying to force Meruelo to sell the team to them so they can sell the team to a buyer who will move them to Salt Lake City.

I completely believe that Meruelo was sincere about building an arena in Phoenix at the location of the land auction. That's why I believe he'll still buy the land and Phoenix will get an expansion team awarded as soon as the rink is done. This is the NHL stepping in and saying "enough is enough". The NHL does not want the Coyotes in Arizona until they get their arena situation sorted out, that is what is going on here.

This point needs to be emphasized: this situation is not "Meruelo moving the Coyotes to Salt Lake City". This is "NHL is trying to strongarm Meruelo into selling the team to an owner that will move them to Salt Lake City". Meruelo could be completely sincere while the NHL is stepping in and saying "your time is up".

Meruelo is running a very smart play right now.

He makes it public that he's looking for buyers, but I bet he's looking for buyers who want to buy a part of the team, not the whole. The new buyers, or partners in this case, would come on board and help with the bid on the land. Even if the potential 'buyers' aren't hockey folks, there is a ton of money to be made on so many levels in this and it's a fantastic opportunity if they can get the land and a buyer coming onboard would make the difference.

I don't see how this doesn't work. The Yotes are staying.

This has nothing to do with why the Coyotes are rumored to be moving to Salt Lake City.

 

[robertocarlos]

Then Smith would buy them for 1.2 billion, recouping the money they pay to Meruelo and a 200 million relocation fee. If those numbers are right I guess it could explain the turn of events.

Seems about $200 million too much. Meruelo should be happy with $800 million, which is a split between the $1 billion he turned down and the Forbes $600 million.

 

[BlueSeal]

What's likely going on here is that the NHL is stepping in and saying "we are not okay with the Coyotes continuing to play in Mullett Arena until the new arena is finished", so they're trying to force Meruelo to sell the team to them so they can sell the team to a buyer who will move them to Salt Lake City.

I completely believe that Meruelo was sincere about building an arena in Phoenix at the location of the land auction. That's why I believe he'll still buy the land and Phoenix will get an expansion team awarded as soon as the rink is done. This is the NHL stepping in and saying "enough is enough". The NHL does not want the Coyotes in Arizona until they get their arena situation sorted out, that is what is going on here.

This point needs to be emphasized: this situation is not "Meruelo moving the Coyotes to Salt Lake City". This is "NHL is trying to strongarm Meruelo into selling the team to an owner that will move them to Salt Lake City". Meruelo could be completely sincere while the NHL is stepping in and saying "your time is up".



This has nothing to do with why the Coyotes are rumored to be moving to Salt Lake City.

I have an odd view about it and say that it has everything to do with it.

I think the moving to SLC is a ploy for Meruelo to get in a 'buyer' to help him win the land deal. Then the NHL can't do zip. That land deal is worth more than any other deal on the table or any other location he can move to, now. So Meruelo will play the game and get the 'buyer' he needs and take the entire board.

Bettman is a stubborn man, he doesn't want the Yotes to move, if the NHL really wanted them out, they would have been, at this point, decades ago.

I think the NHL is using this situation to gauge interest and feasibility for possibly areas for new franchises, especially if what we're hearing about places like Atlanta is really a possibility.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I have an odd view about it and say that it has everything to do with it.

I think the moving to SLC is a ploy for Meruelo to get in a 'buyer' to help him win the land deal. Then the NHL can't do zip. That land deal is worth more than any other deal on the table or any other location he can move to, now. So Meruelo will play the game and get the 'buyer' he needs and take the entire board.

Bettman is a stubborn man, he doesn't want the Yotes to move, if the NHL really wanted them out, they would have been, at this point, decades ago.

I think the NHL is using this situation to gauge interest and feasibility for possibly areas for new franchises, especially if what we're hearing about places like Atlanta is really a possibility.

This take is going to age like milk.

 

[MrHeiskanen]

Who knew trading for LTIR players with low salary for draft picks for 10 years wouldn't work. Who knew that was a failing strategy.