Arizona Coyotes Return Is Still A Possibility

Acquiring a suitable owner has been the downfall of the Arizona Coyotes’ past. That was clearly apparent with the clown show ownership headed by one Alex Meruelo. It seems he was only looking out for himself and his ambitions to begin a gambling side business by owning the hockey team. Calling his reign as owner a complete failure is an understatement.

Meruelo may have had excellent success running his other businesses (banking, real estate, media, restaurants, food, and casinos). On March 27, 2023, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that Meruelo would become the sole owner of the Arizona Coyotes. This occurred after Andrew Barroway was indefinitely banned from the league after being arrested for the alleged strangulation of his wife. Meruelo had no clue how to run a hockey team.

All in all, Meruelo got paid handsomely for $1 billion by selling the team to the NHL. In turn, Ryan Smith then purchased the team from the NHL and relocated it to Salt Lake City, Utah. Smith is an example of a qualified owner who gets things done.

Finding an adequate arena site has also been a debacle for Arizona. The Coyotes were literally evicted from Gila River Arena. Arizona was then forced to play in the Arizona State University Mullett Arena (4,600 seats) with hopes of building their own arena in Tempe, Arizona. Meruelo had falsely thought that a public vote to approve a new arena would pass, when it failed. The 110-acre arena site was to be auctioned off, but Meruelo showed his ineptitude by failing to acquire a Special Use Permit required by the state.

Competition For An Expansion Team Is Heavy

Cities like Houston, Atlanta, and even Quebec have been mentioned as NHL expansion sites. Does the Phoenix market stand a chance? Goodyear City Council member Trey Terry summed it up best.

“People on the outside look at it and say, ‘Well, why are you going to give them another chance? It already failed there,’” he said. “Arizona as a hockey market did not fail. Arizona’s an incredible hockey market, and I have seen that firsthand. If an ownership group is identified that fits the criteria the NHL is looking for, and they identify a rink location, a financing plan, and the politicians show that they’re willing to do what’s necessary to support the process, this market will stand up very well.

“But whatever we do with this committee, I don’t think we should focus on speed. We should focus on putting together a package that’s attractive to the league to come back, and if that takes a little longer, then so be it. I think it needs to come back the right way and be in the right hands, and be in the right location. If that’s the case, I’m 100 percent confident that it’ll do very well.”

End Of My Arizona Coyotes Return Rant

Taking away this writer’s team was sad. It still is. While the hopes of this committee reviving the franchise are a start, there is still a long road ahead. If politics don’t stand in the way, there could be NHL hockey back in Arizona within, say… five years. The NHL is doing well as a business, and adding more teams is just a matter of time.

Yet Coyotes’ fans are accustomed to disappointment. They await an owner who is committed to reinstating a major sport back to the Valley and state. It won’t be easy, but there are lots of loyal hockey fans remaining in the area looking forward to attending and following their revived Arizona team.

Sure, it’s fine watching former Coyotes players like Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, and Logan Cooley play in Utah. We, though, want our own team again!