The Arizona State Land Department has cancelled the Phoenix land auction

[PainForShane]

Is it just me, or is all this just performative? Does Merulo really want to pursue hockey in Arizona, or has he changed his mind on the viability, and this gives him an out of "well, I tried"?

Just seems odd that with a project of this scope and scale, this type of homework would have been done.

Yeah exactly. No one really knows.

To me (as someone who lives here and as a fan of the team formerly called the Arizona Coyotes) it's laughable / borderline unbelievable that a billionaire with a diverse portfolio of investments (including real estate, btw), wouldn't have hired a few zoning lawyers / PR folks for few hundred thousand. It just doesn't make any sense.

It's also laughable / borderline unbelievable that a guy who inarguably owns a North American sports franchise could be outspent on the Tempe campaign. That was the location that made the most sense, how do you get outspent. Also, how do you not bother to engage in any grassroots anything in a city like Phoenix which is so small that everyone bumps into people at random events (I've met the mayor, former mayor, and the former governor a few times at random thursday night art events with like 50 people, I am nothing special just some guy).

Phoenix is one of the bigger cities in the US but one with very much a city with a small town feel. Meruelo a) didn't do any of the grassroots stuff that's necessary in a place like this to pass a public vote AND ALSO he didn't spend the money on a campaign.

Either way, whatever his big brain plain was, NHL will be rid of him soon. To me (and to be clear, I don't speak for all Zona fans), I am 100% sure that will be what's best for the league in the long term (and likely in the medium term as well).

NEXT DAY EDIT: Coyotes apparently DID hire a zoning lawyer, Nick Wood who is a partner at Snell & Wilmer (legitimate law firm with multiple offices in the southwest). In an April article he was quoted as saying the land would not need rezoning. In the same article, a Phoenix spokesperson was quoted saying the land WOULD need rezoning. Again this was back in April. Either way the situation doesn't pass the smell test.

Arizona Coyotes 'fully committed' to winning June state land auction, building new arena

The president of the Arizona Coyotes says the team’s owner is “fully committed to being the winning bidder” for a roughly 100-acre rectangle in north Phoenix

www.azcentral.com

 

[Jeremy2020]

The fans deserve better.

Don't worry, I'll buy him a beer.

 

[PainForShane]

Don't worry, I'll buy him a beer.

Really?

Obvi Arizona has more than one fan, everyone knows this. But I guess to you it's funny to pretend there is only one person that has ever cared about hockey in Phoenix.

I guess his name is Auston Matthews. Or maybe his name is Paul Bisonnette. Or maybe Shane Doan? Oh wait that's three people.

If you want to clown on the franchise that's fine. Even though the franchise doesn't exist anymore, the fact that you wrote this says more about you than it does about the former franchise. And as a Zona fan, I've seen quite a few clowns post their clown insults -- your post is so low effort and ineffective it doesn't even register.

If you want to continue down this road (and I am all for it), do better.

And also, I'll take your beer. Happy to send you my Venmo details, send me a DM

 

[drede]

So is the team gonna move?

Already has to Utah

 

[ZDH]

Don't worry, I'll buy him a beer.

Don't trigger Shane.

 

[jetsforever]

Arizona has been a dead team walking for a few years now and I'll be honest, I thought the team literally relocating to Utah would be the final nail in the coffin, but maybe this will be instead.

 

[Bizz]

so this means the Coyotes are gone gone?

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Talk about a fanbase that got taken for a ride by a fraudster.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

lmao, Arizona situation reminds me of this Goodfellas clip.

 

[DuklaNation]

Let's be honest, this project was DOA a while ago. We too often take things at face value when the evidence is staring us in the face. Stalling constantly is a red flag for an organization with other motives.

 

[red devil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1805365650782830646

 

[Fatass]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1805365650782830646

So Meurelo would be totally out of hockey? That would be great news to anyone wanting an NHL team again.

 

[red devil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1805374043467792670

 

[Seedtype]

So he is abandoning Phoenix completely then?

 

[NotWendell]

Talk about a fanbase that got taken for a ride by a fraudster.

This isn't as egregious as the Islanders back in the day, but it's certainly a violation of the fans' trust.

 

[robertmac43]

Arizona fans deserve way better….

This isn't as egregious as the Islanders back in the day, but it's certainly a violation of the fans' trust.

The Islanders stuff was bad but at least they still exist

 

[ItWasJustified]

So he is abandoning Phoenix completely then?

It's more like Arizona has done everything in their power to make him abandoning NHL hockey.