What happens NEXT for Arizona Coyotes fans?

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The NHL has never wavered about how it values the Arizona market. The league likes the population size, its television audience and its geography in relation to other U.S. teams in the Western Conference. There's also been a significant youth hockey boom in that market during the franchise's time in Arizona. NHL players like the Maple Leafs' Matthews and Knies grew up rooting for the Coyotes.
Read More: www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/3...
Bettman has called the Coyotes "a victim of circumstance" when it comes to their struggles in the market, through ownership issues and their arena plights.
"We believe Arizona and particularly the greater Phoenix area is a good NHL market and a place we want to be," he said in May 2023.
While leaving the door open for Meruelo to own an expansion franchise in a new arena was clearly a way to satisfy him in the relocation gambit, the fact remains that the NHL appears committed to bringing an expansion team back to Arizona. Bettman has been steadfast in saying that the NHL is not currently in an expansion mode, but cities like Houston and Atlanta are also showing significant interest.
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#nhl #hockey #arizona

[@brodiebrazil]

Some other videos you might like: FINAL Arizona Coyotes game: for now OR forever? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoqahH9vqrB_hcU Golden Knights, Mark Stone bending NHL Salary Cap rules AGAIN? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnuniGB5qZiBj9k Arizona & Utah MEDIA cover Coyotes imminent MOVE 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGGmfWd4qNiYfNE San Francisco Giants CONCERNS after 6-10 start? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHXcnGmll7CHqdU My FIRST Drone Flight over San Francisco (4K) 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2aWZZR5mLSeesk These are AMAZING MLB stats... 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXTZenl7oNJ0obc Bryce Harper just wore LAST YEAR's MLB uniform, intentionally? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXeQeZuwqLakpdU Why are the A's keeping Esteury Ruiz in the minors? 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJWZYpSArqiJnK8 Critical Scottsdale Mayor did FLIP on Arizona Coyotes arena project 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4a8eGmsrbaGe5Y Ohtani, Coyotes, MLB Uniforms: HOT vs. SENSIBLE Sports Takes 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3WYm5-InamhaZI LATEST: Arizona Coyotes players informed of MOVE to Utah 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZS6ZZ-oqqqcr7M NBA Players concerned with fan gambling rage 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5CboKKZe9qMrck The Pro Sports "Circle of Trust" 📺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/gailo6d-h8ailas

[@kgroves17]

As an Utah sports fan, I am beyond excited to be getting the NHL in my hometown and am certainly going to be a diehard. It stinks, however, that all that has to come at the expense of the fans in Arizona losing their team. My heart goes out to them - I hope hockey returns to the desert soon. I will be cheering hard for Alex to win the land auction and get the barn built.

[@Rosewood185]

He’s going to run away so far with the cash, it ain’t funny!

[@LegalAmerican4]

I do also feel bad for the fans but at the same time, it's not like the NHL didn't try to force Arizona to want the coyotes and they just voted them down numerous times

[@baconchee]

Gratz man. They got potential. Little Doan is gonna be cool to watch grow. Enjoy :)

[@Ravi-did-it]

As a Utahn you should know Utah is still the desert

[@iron-farmer]

As a Canadian, we aren't mad about SLC / Utah getting a team. Not hearing anything bad about that. Nobody wants to see a team struggle for attendance or venues so hopefully they can do better farther north.

[@dan4346]

I was a Thrasher season ticket holder / super fan from day one until relocation. It sucked so badly to see them move so I feel horrible for the Coyotes fans. Also listening to other fans applaud the team moving to a ‘real’ hockey market stung. As a Canadian I was glad the moved to Winnipeg though (Quebec City would have been fine too). Watching the Jets play their first game felt like watching my wife get railed by another guy. I spent the entire summer of 2011 lamenting the loss of my beloved hockey team. In the fall of 2011 however was the airline crash killing almost the entire Yaroslavl Lokomotiv hockey hockey team. This event immediately changed my perspective on what ‘losing your hockey team’ can really mean. It sobered me right up.

[@moonglow630]

I remember that crash. It was horrible. Still, having your team abandon you hurts.

[@73Ambassador]

I was a Jets 1.0 fan and now a 2.0 fan. Sorry for Atlantas loss but I can tell you that I felt that pain back in 1996 when the Jets were ripped away from us to Phoenix so I understand 100%. Hopefully Atlanta gets a team back like we did. And AZ too.

[@tromedl]

I hate all the fans that celebrate other fans' misery.

[@flibbidyx2]

The Tucson Roadrunners are the AHL affiliate of the team that is now moving to Utah. Meanwhile, the Utah Grizzlies are the ECHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche....

[@bretts2356]

Regarding local hockey in Phoenix- the NHL leaving is not a certain death knell. Since the Thrashers left Atlanta, the local leagues have grown. We got a couple of new rinks and at least 1 new junior club.

[@willp.8120]

There is no excuse for the league to be in the likes of Columbus and Las Vegas and not Atlanta. It is just ridiculous.

[@RosylaStreamingNetwork]

Alex Meruelo was NOT at the arena tonight for their last game. If that's not a slap in the face, I don't know what is.

[@rileyholden-zc9ip]

As a fan i know the feeling of losing a team via relocation it hurts

[@djexpo6655]

Crazy that I saw the Coyotes in Melbourne, Australia before the season started and that was their final season, as we know it. I joked Gary made them go after Vancouver refused.

[@IronSikh44]

Brodie I watch your drops everyday. Love the format. Very succinct reporting and you capture the essence of the story. Great points in this one about youth hockey and hockey fans in the Phoenix area. I was at the game where Josh Doan got his first 2 goals. There are many great fans in that city. They deserve another franchise that should be run to the standard the fans deserve.

[@brodiebrazil]

Thanks Bob!

[@baconchee]

as a decades long hockey fan, and a yotes fan as long as the kings werent in town.. as someone who went to 30+ home games one season, i can say without any doubt that i give zero sh!ts about hockey in PHX if its still under the ownership of the mierdas. Really left a bad taste in my mouth and no way Id continue to support the same facilitators of this effery..

[@jean-philippematte3701]

I remember when the Nordiques left Quebec City in 1995, not because of lack of revenues and arena, they left because the ownership group weren’t ready to gamble their money in a league without salary cap and hockey revenues redistribution, wich are in place now. The whole community was devastated. Then the wound slowly started to heal, until the Stanley Cup playoffs, where the Avalanche, our former team, won the Stanley Cup. That was a major blow to a traditional hockey market, from 1996 to 2003 I fully gave up on NHL hockey. I feel for people of Arizona, losing your team sucks, but at least they have commitments from the league to get a team back, even if the team had no home for the last few years, went bankrupt, had several scandals related to ownership…but in my hometown, Quebec City, new potential ownership invested in a brand new state of the art arena, they have deep pockets and their own sports network and the league keeps saying no, wich is really frustrating. The local junior team sold out 18,000 seats in the last playoffs, hockey in Quebec City is a religion and the NHL is more focused on new markets and revenues than the fans…good luck Arizona

[@Music2Die4]

The Roadrunners will have better support in Tucson than in Phoenix...... Coyotes fans will opt for ASU over a Meruelo-owned AHL team.

[@therush420]

They still make merchandise for the Whalers and Nordiques, don’t see why the Coyotes would be any different.

[@alyssapowell1799]

One of the challenges with youth hockey in areas where there are limited ice rinks is that there is competition for ice time during the limited amount of time after school. I'm in Southern California, and there are people (especially parents) involved in the major youth teams who don't care how many kids are playing ice hockey. They don't see any value in a 12 year old who can't skate taking ice time away from skilled 12 year olds. They feel more skilled 12 year olds are lost due to not getting ice time after school and instead having to get up at 6am to go to the rink, so they quit and start playing lacrosse or basketball. Getting those new to hockey to show up at a rink at 6am is impossible. The argument is that more kids will want to play hockey if there are draft picks and superstars from the region - so putting all their resources into a limited number of potential NHL players is the goal - and this is happening in some areas of Southern California where the best ice time is going to support those top-tier players and girls and older new players aren't seen as important. But in terms of growth of hockey, older kids and teens playing and learning the sport is crucial. My cousin played hockey in Scottsdale in the 1980s. He's not some star player, he's a hockey fan (now in Colorado). There are only a few players who will make the NHL, but to support an NHL team there needs to be more hockey fans. And playing hockey is one of the best ways for people to gain hockey knowledge and love of the sports.

[@michaelmarkowski204]

If Phoenix gets another NHL team, I bet the Tucson team is sold (while keeping the Roadrunners name in Arizona) to a group that moves the team out of state (Boise?), and the Roadrunners start from scratch as the Coyotes' AHL affiliate without missing a beat.

[@michaelmarkowski204]

Don't move any of the Roadrunners home games to Phoenix. First, if a big city is used to NHL hockey, it's doubtful an AHL team will be much of an attraction. Second, if it ain't broke, don't fix it - if the Roadrunners have good fan support in Tucson, don't take it away from them just because Phoenix lost their NHL team - they'll likely resent it and may not return. Finally, as Bruiser Brodie pointed out, the AHL affiliate of the Utah team would really go over well with Coyotes fans.

[@BlottyWellRite]

We have a strong RR fan base here in Tucson.

[@ElmerFudd16]

@@BlottyWellRite Is that why their attendance is terrible?

[@BlottyWellRite]

@@ElmerFudd16 I refuse to answer your ridicule

[@ElmerFudd16]

@@BlottyWellRite The Coyotes were in a 4600 seat arena, and outdrawing a playoff Roadrunners team LOL

[@NSUCarlos]

1 or 2 Exhibition games per season would help keep people interested with Vegas, LA, Anaheim, Dallas, and yes even Utah

[@deanhirasawa1414]

Btw Brodie, totally off topic but did you see the smile on Hertl's face the other day when he scored the GWG against the Avs??? Glad to see that Hertl smile is back, just like the good ol days down at the Shark Tank!!!

[@kevinflaherty6028]

Its a highly populated market phoenix,but theres no interest in building exceptable arena,and salt lake smaller market surprised they got team.

[@brianwong7901]

Brodie, I really like your knowledge of this story. Just curious, is this similar to what the Oakland franchise is going through? Thank you for sharing your thoughts/ knowledge on this

[@brodiebrazil]

It’s similar enough but nowhere near identical. If that makes sense? Equally bad for both fan bases.

[@pierremartin2107]

Alex Meruelo owns the Grand Sierra resort in Reno and he announced plans to expand the resort and build a 10,000 seat Arena on his property with the UNR Basketball team as tenants. Perhaps he moves the Roadrunners to Reno which is much closer than Tucson to Salt Lake City. Just a theory.

[@Adamweber518]

Meruelo owns the Coyotes name and trademark. He also owns the Roadrunners. Would it be crazy to consider temporarily rebranding the Roadrunners as the Coyotes, playing in the AHL? Keep fans cheering on the brand and wearing the merchandise, keep kids and families engaging with Howler, all while providing access at more family friendly prices? Then if (hopefully when) the Coyotes come back to the NHL it would be a really fun and exciting transition.

[@kamalporter706]

Hmm interesting

[@moonytheloony6516]

I sure hope not. Roadrunners is a fantastic name.

[@valleydog9102]

A number of AHL teams already share the names of their NHL parent clubs, so I don't see that rebranding crazy at all. I do like the Roadrunners name though.

[@georgehand]

That actually doesn’t sound far fetched as Hartford did it for a brief period when they were known as the Connecticut Whale as a nod to the whalers

[@JonDoe-ln6nl]

Yeah, but one team (Whalers) were the HUNTERS and the other (Whale) were the PREY. I always thought it was odd. Maybe it should have been the Harpoons!

[@TroyCroteau]

I would like to hear what Austin Matthews thinks says about growing up in Arizona and thinks of them moving to Utah and the future hopes of getting an expansion team

[@edmundgonzalez8731]

As Coyotes fans, The Wife and I went to the very first home game, first year sweaters (in white for the White Out) both our cars have Coyotes license plates and multiple decals, we are very sad to see them leave. That being said, I was my understanding that the NHL owns the rights to the team names. Which is why the Jets were able to reclaim that name. Am I mistaken? And thanks for the well balanced commentary, a lot of haters out there.

[@patanasoff7]

Mullet Arena is smaller than TCC, so why would they move?

[@BlottyWellRite]

Exactly...

[@lanevalhalla9344]

Only reason would be to honor the original lease at the Mullet.

[@Rosewood185]

Like that cheapskate Yotes owner is going to spend any of his windfall on returning hockey to Arizona 🙄

[@johnfarr2738]

A lot of pro sports teams have minor league affiliates 1 to 2 states away. So put a minor league team for SLC somewhere in northern Arizona

[@codymachado]

What a bizarre situation

[@Time.Travel]

Brodie is an amazing analyst, love this guy. @ESPN

[@krakenNation]

No ESPN will turn him WOKE real fast plus ESPN is a dying ship right now

[@joeycathcart]

I would work to make the Utah Grizzlies the new AHL affiliate for Utah. A lot would need to happen there.

[@Ravi-did-it]

Now it’s time to turn to the positives and future in Utah. A fanbase that didn’t vote down an arena and will have a good owner

[@jeremyhelquist]

We’ll see. It wasn’t the fans. The money was all decided by the legislature. Unfortunately, still the possibility of revolt from residents.

[@sebastianbelcher5354]

Wait until the novelty wears off and the team sucks, whatever initial passion SLC has might end up just like AZ.

[@Ravi-did-it]

@@sebastianbelcher5354 *yawns in 292 straight sold out Utah Jazz home games with a 2 year losing record* 🥱🥱🥱 and the franchise is 50 years old here 😂

[@user-du2sk7pc9e]

BETTER Looking Uniform, hopefully.

[@michaelmarkowski204]

Good idea re. more rinks, but who's going to pay for them? For those of us who aren't great skaters because they started out too late in childhood (raises his hand) here in Canada, we played ball hockey out on the street and league floor hockey at the local gym / community center. There's also roller hockey. Note, playing ice hockey is expensive re. equipment, and of course Arizona doesn't have the long history of hockey that Canadian and Northeastern US cities and towns have.

[@bdssltdprc]

Youth hockey is expensive, even in Minnesota, even with outdoor ice. Having to try and continue hockey with the expenses involved in desert ice facilities is going to be damned hard. Even in some locations in Minneapolis and its inner suburbs youth hockey is dying. At one point there were thousands of kids skating in Minneapolis proper, now a few hundred at best. In Bloomington, MN in the 1990's and 2000's we had two youth organizations with dozens of teams, hundreds of kids from mites to high school. Now that's all gone. The town of 100,000+ can barely field a dozen(in a really good season) mite teams and barely one youth team at squirts through bantam and only 1 junior team. The wealthiest exburban/ suburban locations are doing better, but even they are having difficulty finding $$$ to pay for ice and parents that can afford the gear,the time etc. It doesn't help that the demographics are reducing potential players( think DINK "families") and the costs keep rising. My oldest son is an avid Coyotes fan,we've traveled to Phoenix for a few games and having watched the North Stars leave town I know what the fans are feeling.

[@jeandelisi9441]

Phoenix should focus on getting a MLS team here. I think the youth hockey players will switch to soccer or football.

[@craigcottle4700]

One thing i know is Tucson will show up and appriciate the roadrunners more than Phoenix will! The fan base has been growing more and more every year

[@KevinEricMcCarthy]

It’s a 30 minute flight ✈️ to Vegas or a 4 hour drive. I suspect tickets to Vegas golden night’s hockey games will be more popular.

[@user-me5rt5rh6g]

Probably the same as us Oakland fans Brody

[@Cartisucksnow]

My high school championship at the ice den was the craziest atmosphere I’ve ever experienced

[@moose7454]

The Roadrunners should be able to sell out Mullet every game ideally

[@kevinvonderscher3971]

Hockey is done in the valley of the sun . Regardless of what is announced Friday it's clear even with expansion It will be years down the road before we get another opportunity & that's only with a hockey arena built along with solid ownership -not someone like Alex m.

[@jeandelisi9441]

Phoenix should pursue a MLS team.

[@seanmcalevey2861]

Brodie can you please do a video on how the NHL is able to force the owner of the Coyotes to sell them the team so they can move it to SLC Utah. Was there an MLB Mccorts situation where MLB used its best interest of MLB clause to force them to sell.

[@scottNNJ]

Can Phoenix host an NHL Draft? Unlikely, since the league decided they won’t have in-person drafts beyond this year. The announcement came a few months ago and I’m not happy about it, but I believe that’s the plan. Good take on an Arizona AHL team feeding an SLC NHL team. I hadn’t thought of that awkwardness, but it is. Still holding out hope that the move doesn’t happen, though that hope is about as fragile as the hope I’ve held of my Devils making the playoffs over the past few months.

[@WilliamBrightman-dn8de]

I want Arizona to get a 2nd chance ,BUT with NEW Owners and an Arena Deal comparable to other NHL Clubs.

[@sebastienmorneau1668]

Here in Quebec City, since '95 we have lost our Nordiques... Maybe it's really time to bring them back.

[@douglasennis7291]

I think that unless and until the AZ government overturns they're anti abortion law people should boycott all things AZ. Just like boycotting South Africa in the 80s. ijs imo 🤷🏻

[@tombraider2500]

Why does politics have to be inserted into sports? Just stop it!

[@kendrickl5913]

Its like when my earthquakes moved to houston essentially

[@LoganNehls]

Tucson is 1.5 hour absolute top, its an hour on the dot from Marana fwiw not 2 hours

[@BlottyWellRite]

Marana is only 10 minutes away from Tucson if you do 90 down I-10

[@scruffydog2]

Don’t forget the Jets were moved to Arizona.

[@jonp5090]

What will their new name be? Since they already have the Utah Jizz for ball, maybe do a theme like the State cooking pot being the Dutch oven?

[@squidMB]

My real question in all of this is the history. With the coyotes being “dormant” does it mean the SLC team history starts from 2024 onwards? Can Winnipeg somehow get their original history back? Hopefully we get an answer soon

[@boxercourage4384]

My understanding is that the team in Salt Lake is a new/clean slate team that purchased hockey operations only, and are technically an expansion team. The Coyotes franchise & trademarks are inactive but still belong to Meruelo for him to reactivate as the Coyotes once the arena is sorted out.

[@BlottyWellRite]

Salt Lake will be like the New Jersey Devils...who keep the history of the Rockies and Scouts.

[@Actionronnie]

Not happening, the name would be dormant not the franchise. It just causes too much hassle to separate the records, players played for the Jets and yotes. Cant just eliminate entire career's like shane Doan cause he played for Phoenix mostly. Plus youd have to change stats for the Thrashers and Jets players, Bryan Little all of a sudden goes from 2nd in franchise games played, to probably 20th as only a Jet. And then what happens to the Atlanta stats? Cant combine Atlanta,Jets 1 and 2, and Phoenix stats into one team. It is what it is unfortunately.

[@Pohunohi]

I like your raw raw video, but the chances of fans wanting to be fans of a Salt Lake City team is slim.

[@nathanjw940]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipm9nml9lqyBoa8si=U6kfzPbmqpLv4P1J Just a reminder of what Phoenix hockey can be. It's too bad they didn't build an NHL rink and Arizona State shared it.

[@BrianH16]

I know Glendale is far away from the fan base, but he should’ve signed the lease to stay and we wouldn’t be at this point.

[@carparthero]

glendale wanted to get rid of ARZ to focus on better, more profitable events for the arena.

[@jasonfire3434]

⁠@@gabetalks9275no it didn’t, it’s still up and running; there’s a concert there next week.

[@BlottyWellRite]

PHUCK GLENDALE...

[@dmarshall5148]

He also should have paid his rent.

[@JustMikeDotTv]

But if Merurlo is going to own the Coyotes logo and trademark and doesn't meet the 5 year deadline then technically if a new owner comes in 8 years or whatever, they can't use that name unless Meruelo sells it. It would have made sense if Meruelo sells it to the NHL for 1 Billion then NHL owns the logo, name and trademark so they can sell it to the new owner. I think that's the only reason why the new Jets got their name and logo. Because the NHL owned the Coyotes back in 2009 and the original Jets logo. Which is why i don't think a new Quebec team can use Nordiques branding since it's with Colorado.

[@justinfendelet8675]

Quebec City ....stilll waiting ✋️ pffff coyotes been rotten since 96

[@brianjones7660]

I hope that unlike immature fanboys like the host....they will get on with their life.? Coupled with a looming recession, sports fans are going to spend a lot less as the NHL likely contracts by 4-6 teams......

[@BlazeOfGlory742]

Roadrunners will not be under Utah in 3-6 years watch

[@FischerFan]

Since they seem to like to follow the example set in Winnipeg, get an AHL team and support it.

[@Time.Travel]

Why would the NHL look back into a market for which attendance has been an issue?

[@ajb0429]

This has to be the most delusional take on the Coyotes exit. Return of the NHL?! Wow.

[@dmoran1093]

I Wonder what will happen to the Utah Grizzlies

[@rileyholden-zc9ip]

They are going to stay because they are the ECHL team for the avalanche

[@ryansotosanchez845]

It’s over😢..

[@johnedwinoliver6842]

I can NOT believe you are still dangling a carrot to gaslight Arizona Citizens into hanging on to the dubious dream of just being swindled by a future Hockey Team Owner.

[@JohnnyReno71]

What I want to know is if Arizona is allowed to get an expansion team do they have to pay the expansion fees. If they do they won’t get a team.

[@tombraiderstrums09]

In that case Meruelo would give his $1b back to the NHL as an expansion fee. Another reason why it won’t happen 😢

[@redwingsfan713]

will the new owners in Utah upgrade the Utah Grizzlies to the AHL just like the Avalanche did with the Colorado Eagles?

[@ronpeacock9939]

Chris Drury is also from this area... so Austin is not alone... Drury was a star in the 2000's...

[@mhwales]

Drury is from Connecticut.

[@ronpeacock9939]

@@mhwales Hmmm, I thought I read where he graduated from a local HS.. clearly not the case.. I'm going to have to go see who that was.. that will drive me nuts until I do...

[@anthonyrivera0917]

If the coyotes were gonna move, Houston would've made more sense because it's more central compared to Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City is too far west to be in the central.

[@thedukeparty]

Do you know where Phoenix is?

[@concertvids34]

These moves are more about which market has an owner willing to pay and a base of taxpayers willing to pay as well. SLC has both. Houston also would encroach on the DFW market the stars have. The NHL is in Arizona simply because it is a large market far enough away from other large market. Same reason Hartford where I live will never get a team even if an owner and new arena appeared overnight.

[@justjohnny420]

Salt lake city is directly north of Phoenix anyway, and it's mountain timezone which works for central divison

[@Carrollavirus]

SLC is more East than PHX. Look at a map.

[@TheChamrod04]

Geez look at a map

[@cliffspencer3237]

Interesting fact: Alex Meruelo was born the same day a magnitude 9.2 earthquake struck Anchorage, Alaska. The quake is believed to be the largest ever recorded. With regard to the potential move, this should have happened 15 years ago. Owners of the team never had the financial wherewithal to compete in a professional sports league. Want proof? Look at the number of hedge fund and private equity managers, and owners of large businesses (e.g. Walmart) in the league now.

[@tombraider2500]

Someone needs to ask Meruelo if he might invest the billion dollars he is paid and fund the youth hockey in the valley during the break.

[@patrickjones785]

He has been doing that

[@tombraider2500]

@@patrickjones785I’m hoping that selling doesn’t change that, he says he’s committed to the community, but he’s been kinda quiet lately.

[@patrickjones785]

@@tombraider2500 Saw a sports story on one of the local channels that he will continue to be involved in growing hockey in the Valley. I am sure much is predicated on whether they try to screw him on the land deal. If they pull another fast one and don't let him bid (or rig the bid) I see him taking his billions and moving on to a place where they want an NHL team

[@tombraider2500]

@@patrickjones785The tax payers of Salt Lake City agreed to spend nearly a billion dollars to build an arena and Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe wouldn’t even let Meruelo do it with no government money.

[@ToyMakerprops]

What happens to the fans? They have to move too.😅

[@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija]

Final game tonight, I am cheering for Edmonton but I feel for Coyotes fans

[@Dratchev241]

cheer for the yotes tonight, not like the oilers are out of the playoffs if they lose this game.

[@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija]

@@Dratchev241 why would I cheer for a team I have never supported and have no connection to?

[@BlottyWellRite]

@@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija I cheer for the Oilers AFTER the Yotes. McJesus is my favorite offensive player in the whole league.

[@Dratchev241]

@@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija its the last time we going to see the yotes dude.

[@KevinQ25]

I think the NHL knows that Phoenix and surrounding area won’t let Alex built but had to make that condition in order for Alex to sell the team. If NHL hockey comes back it better be under different ownership. Alex is the reason they’re leaving.

[@DNSKansas]

What is Arizona going to do when their top cheerleader Gary retires? Hopefully the next commissioner is not as big an asshole as Bettman.

[@KevinQ25]

@@DNSKansas No idea. Arizona is a huge TV market so I understand the desire but 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@PWS1717]

I believe the NHL's decision is more about the ownership than it is about anything else. If the NHL had faith in Meruelo they would have waited until June to see how the land bid turned out. Obviously, they've had enough of Meruelo and are cutting ties. There is zero chance they ever grant him another franchise. I'm guessing the 5yr window is a false promise to make him go away quietly and they will look for new ownership once that timeframe has lapsed.

[@TimfromMKE]

Phoenix had the Roadrunners before so why not bring it back?

[@tombraider2500]

It would make more sense to bring the Grizzlies to Phoenix.

[@jimfarmer6794]

Is the statistical history going to Utah, or are they gonna shift that history to the new Coyotes if they come.

[@epputalvinko]

Move the Yotes to SLC, move the Roadrunners to the Valley and somehow send the Grizzlies to Tucson💪 nobody loses a team!

[@smithryansmith]

To be fair, Arizona has been much better about supporting youth hockey and developing players for the NHL than Carolina or Nashville, both of which have produced f*ck-all NHL talent.

[@intentionaloffside8934]

Interestingly, Auston Matthews new 4 year contract could coincide with the process of buying land and building a new facility in AZ. Meruelo can return the $1B and start a new franchise with an only 30 year old native son RFA.

[@michaelmarkowski204]

I think Bettman wants the NHL to return to that big Metro Phoenix market. New arena = new team as long as they still need a team in the West in addition to Houston to get to 36 - can't believe it's 2024 and the NHL still doesn't have a team in the 4th largest market in the United States that has a hockey history. Houston & Phoenix in the West, Atlanta and ? in the East (Quebec City? Second Team in the North Toronto suburbs (Markham/Richmond Hill/Vaughn?).

[@joemeehan885]

I think Portland should get an NHL team before we get more in Texas

[@michaelmarkowski204]

@@joemeehan885 Houston has to be the priority IMO. There's only one NHL team in Texas, and all the other 3 major league sports have teams in both Dallas and Houston because they're smart.

[@concertvids34]

When the Whalers left Connecticut months later we had 8-10,000+ fans when the Rangers AHL team moved from Binghamton to Hartford. But there was nothing else to do in Hartford except go to big concerts in the summer. I think Phoenix having so much growth outside of hockey that the buzz and push for its return will die. Doubt ASU college games will see jumps in attendance. This is the curse of being in a city that has so much going for it outside of hockey.

[@thesuneversets]

Move the Utah echl team to phoenix

[@moonglow630]

Auston Matthews will ALWAYS be a San Ramon boy. Nothing he can do to change that. We can always claim him as ours first lol.

[@erich84502a]

Phoenix Coyotes Arizona Coyotes never became anything. They missed the playoffs and got in a few times every few years. 😢 Never made a serious push. Attendance was good in their early years. Glendale was a failure

[@patrickjones785]

Glendale was only a failure because of the Goldwater institute. Phoenix has NEVER supported hockey. In Chicago most fans live 30-40 minutes away and make that trip for every game. People here complained about driving to Glendale. My question is could the current owners buy the Glendale site lock stock and barrell?

[@erich84502a]

@@patrickjones785 never legitimately pushed toward the Cup

[@alexanderarce3341]

Shouldve never left phoenix and share the arena with the Suns

[@mrdpdjr]

Stay where you are wanted. Fans are in Az Utah should get its own team Stop this BS

[@lanevalhalla9344]

They weren’t wanted in Arizona.

[@tobiasfrost86]

Get rid of this poor excuse of an owner and don't let arizona come back unless it's a new owner, austin matthews is an overrated non performer come the playoffs, he's more concerned about going to the golf course then performing in the post season

[@waverod9275]

What comes next? You've been freed. Do you know how hard it is to lead?...... Wait, this isn't a Hamilton video? :-)

[@elosogonzalez8739]

How about DEFUNCT! As long as Alex Meruelo is the owner, this fan wants nothing to do with hockey in Arizona. We've been screwed long enough.

[@realalbertan]

The 5 year window will hopefully have milestone clauses that when failed mean he loses his opportunity

[@elosogonzalez8739]

@@realalbertan That's the way I understand it. I don't think Alex Meruelo is even going to show up to the auction. The NHL should wait that 5 years so NOBODY has to deal with Meruelo again. That would be best. IF ALEX MERUELO HAD THE DEEP POCKETS EVERYONE SAYS HE HAS, Why didn't he do something earlier? SURE, he doesn't want to use his money, I understand that. As a "Sucessful Businessman" you'd think the guy would be smarter.

[@BlottyWellRite]

WRONG...I have been a hockey fan for about 45 years...I totally support the Meruelo family as they start another franchise here in Arizona.

[@elosogonzalez8739]

@@BlottyWellRite That choice is yours. I've got a few years on ya, I use to play when I was a boy. I LOVE HOCKEY TOO, but there comes à point where someone has taking it in the @$$ for so long, ya just can't do it anymore. I'm at that point. The fans have been taking "it" long enough. The NHL needs another owner. Even we need to wait. Alex Meruelo has NEVER BEEN ABOUT THE FAN! I'm done

[@dabrownguy7356]

I feel for the Phoenix fans. Losing a team sucks. Talk to Quebec Nordiques fans who have been waiting for almost 30 years, built a state of the art arena, and have a prospective billionaire owner who owns a sports tv channel.

[@mrdpdjr]

💀 fisher

[@soxbearshwks8988]

Coyotes Fans????? they couldn't fill a 4600 seat college arena for every game, and when it was full like when my Hawks were here it was 3/4 Hawks fans. same with the Canadian teams Flyers Red Wings Rangers etc.

[@jeandelisi9441]

Dbacks will be the next to leave-Nashville probable destination. Phoenix should just be happy with the NFL and NBA. Maybe get a minor league baseball and hockey team.

[@jamesfranke4521]

They're not coming back. Their owner is a con man who played the NHL.

[@905JimRaynor]

Hockey is a very expensive sport to play. The US economy is now much stronger than the Canadian economy. The USA is currently the #1 hockey power on planet earth.

[@BlottyWellRite]

'MERICA...PHUCK YEAH!

[@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija]

Not true objectively

[@905JimRaynor]

@@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija objectively true. more kids in USA minor hockey than any other country in the world. #1 country in the only annual best-on-best, the World Juniors, the past 10 years.

[@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija]

@@905JimRaynor I live in the USA and no way is it number one lol. Canada also isn’t some poor country you paint it out to be

[@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija]

@@905JimRaynor bro it's cuz USA is massively larger in population, per capita Canada is miles ahead

[@MrRicklynch57]

If I were a Phoenix sports fan, I would be concerned about the chain reaction from the Diamondbacks and possibly the Cardinals. As we saw with Oakland and how once the Warriors made their intentions to leave, the Raiders and A's saw no need to show loyalty. And in San Francisco once Nordstrom announced their exit from The City every other retailer saw no reason to stay. The Diamondbacks owner, has already toured Vancouver and Las Vegas and has already floated Salt Lake City as a potential landing spot if the "community" doesn't give him money for his ballpark village development. As for the Cardinals, their stadium is fine and they hosted the Super Bowl 2 years ago and the Final Four 2 weeks ago. However, they were the only some on the western part of the country for 2 decades. Now they have competition with Los Angeles and Vegas. It won't be long before they are demanding a new stadium.

[@jsmusicanddrums]

We watch our teams last game and we watch the sun's. That's all anyone can do. Hope all you trolls are finally happy. You got your wish.

[@PierAlexandreLemay]

It did well before? When? That team has been the laughing stock of the league for 20 years... At one point they were even owned by the league because they lost too much money but Bettman wanted to keep them there...

[@ki2726]

Banish and stop watching hockey all entirely. I don’t think anyone will follow and continue watching the team in Utah.

[@moonytheloony6516]

I'd like to see a new NHL team called Roadrunners, it would, in my opinion, a nice change and a nod to a fresh NHL pathway. I'm not trying to be condescending but the Coyotes legacy as a championship-contending team was non-existent. And their attendance was generally the worst in the league. On record, their proudest era was when they were in the WHL as the 3-time Avco World Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets, when Bobby Hull was their star player (and arguably still the greatest player in their history) Therefore, it can be accurately said that when it comes to legacy, the Coyotes legacy is not one that would provoke a sense of envy. I doubt this will happen but this is once again just me preferring the Roadrunners name, but having said all of that, there is a logic to retaining the Coyotes name as well. Speaking of Muerello...I don't see him, at least not yet, as the James Bond. villain that he is being defined as by many fans. For starters, he willingly bought the lowest-valued franchise in the NHL that was already at serious odds with the city of Glendale, so the proverbial ship had already struck the iceberg before he boarded . Some speak of him as if he's the blame for over 28 years of bad ownership, when in reality he's what? The 4th or 5th owner of this team? If anyone is to blame the most, that blame should be directed to whomever owned the Winnipeg Jets in 1996 for moving the team to a market without an arena deal already in place at a logical location in the Valley. That right there seems rather negligent or presumptuous and began the slow domino-effect of continued failure that led to Salt Lake City. To Muerello's credit, he brought back the original beloved team logo, and seemingly the team appeared to have improved a bit with some developed talent. In my opinion, his one mistake, and it's a helluva doozie, was how he went about the arena project in Tempe. Muerello got the political support of that local government, something that is certainly commendable given the prior fallout with the local government in Glendale, but it didn't translate to the expected approval from a public vote...which is clearly on Muerello AND Tempe politicians for being very out-of-touch with the minds of Tempe voters who overwhelmingly told Muerello and said politicians to stick their arena straight up their asses. Given Muerello'a resources which are vast, he should've known better and prepared differently. There is criticism here of Muerello allegedly playing the NHL owners "like a fiddle" given his immense 700 million profit for the sale of his team, THAT'a a lot of Dunning-Kruger Effect talking....I doubt very much that the NHL as a whole, was "played like a fiddle" to THAT extent. The NHL owners, board of governors or whomever, got to be in their given positions by being rather successful in what they do for a living, hence they're quite rich. This is not to say they are all ethical, make competent decisions at all times, or prioritize winning championships, but overall they seem to manage their fortunes enough to stay in the positions that they are collectively in...just saying. Therefore the hyperbole spoken here by alleged business "experts" is quite silly. I sincerely doubt they feel "played" considering that billion dollars has to go back to the NHL IF Muerello secures an arena and league approval for a new NHL team. But let's pretend for a moment that Muerello keeps that billion he got from the Coyotes' sale....he made a 700 million dollar profit off of the lowest-valued team of all four professional sports...if anything that makes him a rather brilliant opportunist in my estimation, but i digress. Team owners are often blamed for just about everything that goes wrong, especially when it's complicated by failures in obtaining a world championship, which is understandable and usually accurate but in Muerello's case I don't think there is enough time to judge him just yet.... Let's say for the sake of argument that Muerello does win that land auction on 06/27/2024....and secures the planned construction of a privately-financed hockey arena...it is reasonable to conclude from what we know that the NHL grants Muerello a new hockey team....IF that happens then Muerello, on record, would have accomplished what the previous several owners failed to do which was to place a team in a new arena that is owned by the team on land owned by the team, at a logical location. And to be even more the Devil's Advocate, what IF this team were to be immediately competitive at a very high level like the Vegas Golden Knights by winning the Stanley Cup within 6 years? Could happen...and if it did then Muerello would have not only saved NHL hockey in Arizona but also gave it an undisputed world championship for the first time ever and then the praise would start to flow with that champagne....

[@ericreed1304]

They didn't support them when they were there and the teams were horrible who cares let it go

[@73Ambassador]

Rewind back to 1996, when a young boy's heart broke as he felt helpless, losing his NHL hockey team from a passionate Canadian market to some city in a southwestern hot desert. That boy wished upon a star that one day, the desert would also lose that team and feel the same pain he felt. 26 years later, the wish the boy forgot he made came true. 🫢 Sorry, Yotes fans 🫣

[@jeandelisi9441]

It hurts but we have college hockey and that wish of mine that ASU have a major college hockey team is alive and well. We will be fine.