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

[SCP Guy]

Jets went for 170 mil 12 years ago now teams are over a billion… wow

 

[LPHabsFan]

You're probably right but this board loves to crap on other fan bases and wants them to fail or claim they won't work because they get some glee from it.

I feel the reason the NHL came back to Winnipeg, which would be comparable size, is that they really like their owners and wanted them in league (Chipman/Thomson). They like this Ryan Smith buy from Utah and want him in their club. Maybe they have something against the Quebec guy and don't want him and that's mainly the reason for it.

If the NHL wants you in their owners club, they'll find a way to bring you in.

This is 100% one of the biggest reasons and this was confirmed by Gord Miller on a Montreal radio station a little while ago.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

It sure seemed like an honest question.

Well, it was. There was nothing in there making fun of the Coyotes or that could be remotely taken that way. Your brain just jumped to it for God knows what reason. Not like it's an unfair question to ask considering they'd been a long-time dumping ground for these sorts of contracts.

 

[ORRFForever]

Where is Bettman?

 

[Xirik]

Where is Bettman?

I'll do you one better! Who's Bettman?!

 

[Warden of the North]

I'll do you one better! Who's Bettman?!

Why is Bettman?

 

[Heldig]

Well, it was. There was nothing in there making fun of the Coyotes or that could be remotely taken that way. Your brain just jumped to it for God knows what reason. Not like it's an unfair question to ask considering they'd been a long-time dumping ground for these sorts of contracts.

Sure.

And you cant think of any reason, on the day all the speculation comes to fruition, that a fan of the team that is being relocated takes umbrage over your comment?

No need to respond. Clearly you dont see it. and yes, as a Coyotes fan I am probably over sensitive about it.

 

[ORRFForever]

I'll do you one better! Who's Bettman?!

I hate him so.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Big news tomorrow.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Sure.

And you cant think of any reason, on the day all the speculation comes to fruition, that a fan of the team that is being relocated takes umbrage over your comment?

No need to respond. Clearly you dont see it. and yes, as a Coyotes fan I am probably over sensitive about it.

You're the only who did with that weird post of yours. You can erase the probably.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

I know the Grizzlies have been around for a while, but is this going to work?

 

[EpochLink]

Stockton and Malone, press conference tomorrow

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

Winnipeg’s gonna move to Houston.

Think they could split Winnipeg in 2 teams - move half to phx and half to HOU - sell the team twice!

 

[HisIceness]

I know the Grizzlies have been around for a while, but is this going to work?

In my opinion, no.

But I could very well be wrong.

 

[Guttersniped]

is utah gonna build a 16-18k arena? i mean 11-12k doesn't sound like it work longterm

Yes, it’s already been approved.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers have approved a bill that paves the way for a new arena in downtown Salt Lake City that could be the home of the Utah Jazz and a potential National Hockey League team.

Utah senators voted 22-4 Friday to concur with changes that the House of Representatives made to SB272 Thursday night before the House voted 50-20 to approve the measure. The bill now heads to Gov. Spencer Cox's desk for final approval.

Rep. Jon Hawkins, R-Pleasant Grove, the bill's House sponsor, introduced a substitution on Thursday that tweaked the name from a "reinvestment" to a "revitalization" zone. It also adds new language tied to downtown safety concerns, including new public safety, homelessness mitigation, transportation and parking plans for the zone.

However, Hawkins said changes don't alter the essence of the bill. It still sets up the framework for an NBA or NHL owner — such as Ryan Smith and the Smith Entertainment Group — to approach Salt Lake City and the state and agree to a plan to revitalize the area, including a new arena for the Utah Jazz and an NHL franchise.

Utah lawmakers approve downtown NBA/NHL arena bill as they seek 'vibrant' capital

Utah lawmakers have approved a bill that paves the way for improvements to downtown Salt Lake City, including a possible new arena for the Utah Jazz and a potential National Hockey League franchise.

www.ksl.com

 

[Dan Kelly]

Think they could split Winnipeg in 2 teams - move half to phx and half to HOU - sell the team twice!

They'll never go back to the Phoenix area!!

 

[viper0220]

is utah gonna build a 16-18k arena? i mean 11-12k doesn't sound like it work longterm

Salt Lake is getting the 2030 or the 2034 Olympics, IOC badly wants to come to North America.

They will get a new arena, there is speculation that Salt Lake City is guaranteed the Olympics.

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

What a kick into the nuts for Yotes fans. Arizona social media was just sharing renderings of a new stadium and now they are moving.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Salt Lake City Salt

 

[Swervin81]

Utah full time or temporary ? That’s gotta be rough on families and for free agency.

Permanently.

My guess is after Tempe fell through, combined with the litany of other headaches Meruelo has caused, the league wants him out and has been contacting outside suitors and prospective expansion buyers about relocating the Coyotes. Ryan Smith steps in, him and the NHL not only publicly flirt with each other about how much Smith wants a team in SLC, but he's willing to pay out the nose - overpay by at least double/triple what the Coyotes are worth. Meruelo realizes the league wants him out, but knows they have no grounds to force him out legally. He has them over a barrel. So now he's conjuring up this sudden auction and plot for state land in North Phoenix and likely isn't sincere about it - nothing in his track record suggests that he is. But nonetheless, he now has leverage and adds to his leverage. Especially with an auction that is due after the league would be able to relocate them and a league that does not want this tied up in the courts. Meruelo bought the team for $300M several years ago and now stands to sell for $1B. He stands to make $700M in profit for running a team into the ground and being a cheap two-bit grifter through-and-through. And he gets right-of-first-refusal for a new franchise in AZ, rights he no doubt will be keen on flipping for a profit. So at this point, the team is all but packing its bags for SLC while Meruelo tries to play chicken for as long as possible to get a more favorable payout.

Shocking the guy that the NBA turned away because he had red flags visible from space ended up being a total grifter. But this is the same league that allowed the likes of a misogynistic fraudster to own my Leafs from prison, a literal con man who didn't have money to own your Isles, and the f***ing Yakuza to own the expansion Lightning. Clearly, due diligence is not in this league's charter.

 

[viper0220]

My sincere condolences to the Coyotes fanbase that has stayed loyal through this catastrophe, and continued to show up to support your team. It was so unfortunate seeing a long line of mediocre owners and management that ran your team with no regard for the product, or you, the fans that made hockey in the desert possible. You deserved so much better.

Coyotes just need right ownership, that could put good competent management in place.

Some questions:

Is Ryan Smith a good owner or a not good owner?

Will the management survive or will new management be bought in?

What about the scouting staff and stuff like that, will they bring in new?

 

[RetroWinnipeg]

Hello Utah. Welcome to the NHL!

 

[tarheelhockey]

Gutted for the fans who stuck through this nightmare until the bitter end.

The only thing they’ve got going for them is that they’ve been kicked so many times that it might be a relief to get beyond all this.

 

[Spirits]

Can't wait for this to all be over so the rumors of winnipeg moving to Phoenix can start.

Would have to laugh seeing this happen twice in my life haha.

 

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Pretty sure I was in grade 9 when the Jerry Moyes/Jim Balsillie drama hit the news. Crazy to believe it's been 15 years. It feels so, *so* strange after so long to have this come to pass so quickly.

All this time and all this effort and it feels as though the league is just pulling the plug on a whim. It sucks.