Huge Coyotes Relocation Update - Players & Staff Feel Betrayed + New Utah Team to Add Top Players? 

Let me know your thoughts on the latest developments

Meruelo intentionally shorted the bills at Gila River Arena to force an eviction. They weren't making headway on a move to Tempe, so he did it to force the issue, assuming Tempe would happen quickly. He, instead, got resistance from construction unions, since he planned on using his own contractors for the project. They outspent the Yotes 4-1 in neg advertising to sway the vote. Absolute bone-headed move. Too cheap to pony up a couple of million to, at least match, the advertising. I understand why the NHL would be severely skeptical of promises to build a multi-billion dollar site, and it appears after a deep-dive into Meruelo's biz practices, they finally saw the writing on the wall that this was nothing but empty promises. It breaks my heart as a Yotes fan

I can tell you from personal experience Ryan Smith is a awesome guy. He's type that you never know he's a billionaire. Plays ball at local Y. Helps homeless. Young kids. Those Coyotes players are gonna like him.

Yes I live Glendale Az . Had season tickets for 6-7 years during the white out days (years ) .This team has had too many owners, GM and coaches to ever be successful. Even the Great Wayne (99) didn’t make it happen. Very sad to see the team leave after all the years in Glendale, Tempe but now I know how the fans in Winnipeg must have felt when the team came to Phoenix. Not sure who my new favorite team will be to follow but I know not Las Vegas 👎 maybe Dallas or Colorado or because I am from Detroit maybe old school team . Just FYI I was at the first Phx Coyotes game I think 🤔 my tickets were $35-40 each back then . Hold on to your seats as when I tried to buy tickets to the last game for two (all on resale) they ranged from $1300 to the highest $10,000 for two . Resale prices are insane and I hope some day a Rattlesnake bites them in a$$! Actually I think this might be the best for the team and wish them well in the future !!! Ken

Coyotes staff etc feeling "betrayed" is bullshit. If they wanna feelbetrayedthen feel betrayed by your state and citizens. The NHL did all it could to be there, and it was THE PEOPLE AND GOVT of Arizona that made it clear they do Not want a team.

About time this mess was cleared up, black eye for the NHL in years, should have moved to Quebec or even Hartford

kudos to the various levels of Government in Arizona..... No more welfare money to pay for the office space of rich owners and players. Pay for your own rink

The coyotes have never made a penny of profit in their entire existence. They lose millions every year. You can't run a business like this for ever. Likely why they kept changing owners. They eventually all got tired of shelling out millions of their own cash to support a losing team. This move should have happened 10 years ago...

The only reason the NHL is allowing the current owner to potentially bring back the Coyotes as an expansion team is because they want to be able to get the team out of there quickly without getting sued by him and holding up the process. So they appease him and leave the door open but they know damn well in 5 years time he isn't going to have bought land, put in sewage, water, built a brand new NHL caliber arena and tick all the boxes. They for sure don't actually intend to have that be a thing.

Coyotes ownership always been a joke. I think the NHL is sick of murelo and want to move on.

It's a mindset Mike. Some businessman are always trying to get over. They constantly feel like they're over paying or getting ripped off. I knew Merullo was like that--if he could get away with stiffing someone he would. It doesn't mean he didn't have the money. The NHL has their own reasons for paying him 1 billion. They want to keep the franchise value up. That's a billion each (practically) for two not so great markets Ottawa and Phoenix. That's how they will rationalize the crazy franchise fees they are going to charge. You have a lot of integrity in business. Others like former Presidents use bankruptcy as a weapon to pay less to the entities owned. One thing not clear that if Merullo builds a stadium what is his franchise fee to get the Coyotes back?

The ownership had me duped too. Terrible of them to cheer lead, mislead, gaslight while all the while behaving as they apparently have been behind the scenes. I would never want them anywhere near an NHL team again.

As a Jets fan, 2 months ago everyone was baselessly saying that Winnipeg was going to relocate. Bettman had to put the rumours to rest and address that it was complete BS. I told people then that it was the yotes that were moving next and I was ridiculed for telling it like it is. Fast forward to today & I feel vindicated. Best of luck in Utah Yotes

Man,oh,man--this whole thing is heating up fast--Looks like Salt Lake City is going to happen.

I had not heard about the unpaid hotel bills, though I am not surprised. It's sad for the employees who have poured their guts into the team, but you can only put so many torniquets on the bleeding. Those of us in SLC do not have ill will towards them. Ideally we wish the turn of events were different and hopefully afyer this would be official, that many Coyotes employees get a chance to stay in the new organiztion, who wish too. We wholeheartedly welcome the team, players and the league. Their is a rabid interest in.the NHL here, and are excited at the potential move here.

Why aren’t they not paying their bills? They can’t sell out a 5000 seat arena for starters😂

lol players and staff feel betrayed? I’m sure all of them would like to get traded off that high school level hockey team 😂

I don't get why they didn't just play their home games at the 12,000 seat Arizona Memorial Coliseum in downtown Phoenix while waiting for the new arena issue to get solved. They have played hockey there since the late 60's and its still a cool venue.

I actually heard some place that Stan Kroenke was interested in purchasing the team if the team move to Salt Lake City. It might have been a rumor. If they move I see a lot of the Coyote players go to other teams as a friendly deal. If they move to Salt Lake City, the Coyotes was in the Central Division. Colorado would move to another division. What was Bettman connection with the Coyotes.

Well that’s not right. NHL was paying the bills a couple of years ago and they went out and acquired players. Now they are moving to a different city and are going to be allowed to plunder the free agent market? Is the NHL really going to allow that?!

If this is all true about Merullo, I don't understand why the NHL would want to work with Merullo again down the road with a new Arizona expansion team...

The Coyotes have been barely signing players and taking on LTIR to reach cap floor. Clearly the guys who have been there along time need a change before moving to SaltLake. Schmaltz,Keller ect aquire top prospects/picks and sign big time free agents like a Lindholm,Guentzel maybe make a deal to get Zegras to play with Cooley,Geekie,Guenther,Simashev,Moser,But,Hrabel,Lamouroux,Doan. A prospect they drafted in 2nd round Duda played last year KHL and this year instead like normal playing CHL/ECHL/AHL. Is playing for Ouaa for Toronto University.

you would be foolish to think the league wasnt putting this plan together for the last year in case they couldnt get an arena deal. the only way the NHL comes back to arizona is if they can find someone other than meruelo to be the owner

Call them the Utah “something” as opposed to the Salt Lake City “something’s”

its over for arizona, they have had their chances. move the damn team

even if team sold and relocates to Utah, could keep an Arizona Coyotes or other team in Arizona going as independent AHL team?

There will not going to be a PhX hockey in the future. The whole sport is shring in popularity

I went to ASU when the Jets moved to Arizona & became the Coyotes. The area fell in love with the team. However for the first decade with all the transplants many of their fans, the yotes were their 2nd favorite team. I & my friends went to games wearing our Kings gear. Even if they weren’t playing the Kings. The problem was moving to Glendale ownership kept making screwing over fans & business associates.

Will all the draft picks Arizona/salt Lake city could do a complete 180 within two seasons

What a sad mess the team in,,just move the team,, start fresh nexts year starting to be a drama

It is what it is! Have to start off by blaming AZ regarding arena deal!

Not betrayed. It is a league with a salary cap. So every player on every team has been betrayed by the NHLPA

Cooley and guenther to boston?

C'mon the Players & Staff had to see this coming I mean this whole fiasco has been going on for 12 years the fact is is no one in Arizona cares about hockey & that took this long for the league to finally realize this completely ridiculous when this team should of been move to Hamilton over decade ago .

Golden Eagles return!

On April 18, Smith Entertainment Group, led by Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake owner Ryan Smith, will purchase the Arizona Coyotes from Alex Meruelo for $1.3 billion, including a relocation fee of $195 million to relocate the Coyotes to Salt Lake City. On June 27, the NHL Board of Governors will approve both the sale and relocation of the Coyotes to Salt Lake City in a 30-2 vote, only Stan Kroenke of the Colorado Avalanche and Bill Foley of the Vegas Golden Knights will vote against it, so next season, the Coyotes will relocate to Salt Lake City after 28 seasons in the Phoenix area and use Delta Center as their temporary home until their new downtown arena is constructed, built, and open in 2026 or 2027.

Is there any truth to the rumor if Arizona relocates to Utah then Utah and Colorado would go into the pacific Division with Edmonton and Calgary moving into the Central Division ?

The team could have made the playoffs this year with the current lineup. The coach said the other night in Vancouver the 14 game losing streak started the day the Utah rumors started and ownership never addressed the rumors. The team’s play fell off a cliff and it cost them the chance to make the playoffs. I watched several great games at the Mullet this season. Disappointing if they bail on Arizona.

If this happens, as a life long salt Laker, I’m sorry to ALL Phoenix Coyotes Fans, and as A Utahn… for the love of Joseph Smith PLEASE DO NOT CALL THEM the Utah Yeti’s. Being back the “Salt Lake Golden Eagles” but I can see that with Vegas having “Golden” in the name, this could be difficult to have another “Golden” in a hockey name that is down the road (I-15) by 8 hours. But please don’t call them the Utah Yeti’s… that about as horrible as the Seattle Kraken 🤮. How about the “Utah Lakers” but still.. The Salt Lake Golden Eagles, for those of you who don’t know, that was the first hockey team in the Salt Lake Valley to play. they played in the old salt palace. Before I was torn down and Larry H Miller sold the team. But the logo was killer and the colour scheme was amazing. But I have been hearing that tickets will start out at $90 and go up from there… and I can tell you right now that not a lot of people in Utah are going to pay $90 for one ticket. Especially if they have to drive out to the west side of the valley. (i.e. that is where the Utah Grizzlies play.. and nobody from the east side likes to drive out to West Valley. But the Delta Centre is not made for hockey… so I am very interested for team does move to Utah where there are going to play. Because I guarantee you that the cheapest tickets are $90 nobody is going to drive out to the west side of The Salt Lake Valley. I guess Mr Ryan Smith has a conundrum on his hands.

The Truth will out....eventually.😊

Not even a Yotes fan but I’m really sad the best NHL logo will be gone

I feel he must lost a ton of money.its hard to believe that people are surprised they are moving.

I can just imagine the groups of documentarians lining up outside the Netflix office pitching their ideas for the mini series coming out in the fall, regarding this whole debacle. It'll be must see TV! Btw, Meruello makes out like a bandit after all in the end to secure a billion dollars for this stain on the desert floor. Not worth anything close to that. NHL covering their asses and losing again.

Meh, you could see this coming half a country away, so anyone feeling betrayed wasn't paying attention. Arizona has through action or inaction, regardless of what any of the politicians might have said, made it clear they do not want the Coyotes. Having a pro team is a competition with other cities and if you snooze you lose. It is hard to justify staying with the current political situation when SLC wants the team.

It'll be nice to have Salt Lake hosting us while we get our arena built in AZ... 😬😬😬

Bettman should be fired for allowing this situation to happen

Yall are dumb if you change the name. . Best logo in the NHL next to Chicago. KEEP EM THE COYOTES !!!!!

Gee! A self proclaimed Billionaire not paying his bills? Sounds familiar. #theformerguy

A fitting end to an embarrassment of a franchise. Sorry if you live in Phoenix or wherever they play now and you like the team. But this club has been heinously mismanaged for over a decade.

Pro sports....they dont care abt the fans. . All $$$$$$.... Disgusting

Will the Utah players have to wear the magic Mormon underwear under their gear?

Do you just watch Elliot freedman and regurgitate it ??

Betrayed?? Give me a freaking break - this has been an inch away from happening for 10+ years!!! Cry me a freaking river. You're making millions a year - no one gives a shat if you need to move cities to continue playing pro hockey. Quit being a baby. These players and staff can get bent,

For perspective, Donald Trump didn't pay his bills. The standard answer was "Sue me", Little guys like suppliers and employees are the one's left holding the bag. This is why the NHL needs to do a better job vetting owners

Who cares about the team or staff. Boo hoo.

About time, Arizona has been a joke from it's inception

The NHL played woke race card, and I hope its a lesson learned that just cause of race, you shouldn't make it easier.

Theyre finished as an organization

Betrayal? Honestly. This is a green issue. 💸 Sport arena jobs are seasonal. The people in Cleveland tried to make it personal when the Browns left. Then they came back. I didnt see any victims bitching then. 🏒🥂