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FOND du LAC  – I must give NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman an ‘A’ for effort, but in the end, all he did to keep the Arizona Coyotes afloat in the league year after year was for naught. 

In mid-April, the NHL club was sold to new owners Ryan and Ashley Smith for $1.2 billion. The Smiths own and operate the Smith Entertainment Group in Salt Lake City and took possession of the team and all existing hockey assets immediately. Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo was swiftly kicked to the curb. 

On Monday, June 24, Meruelo informed the employees left behind in Phoenix from the sale that he was ceasing his pursuit to construct a new facility and would end all involvement with the club. 

At the time of the acquisition by the Smith Group, which also owns the NBA Utah Jazz, the league had left Meruelo with the impression that he could be the first in line for a new expansion franchise. But with two unsuccessful efforts behind him to get a new arena built, I believe that Bettman and the league had finally had enough. 

The final nail in the coffin was when another parcel of land to build on that the Arizona State Land Department was going to auction off was canceled with no future date announced for another auction that would have included this site. 

Would this have been the time that Meruelo was finally successful in landing a suitable site for his arena-entertainment district project? It’s hard to say. 

My nephew, Paul Jr., a Coyotes diehard and resident of the area had told me over and over that the only viable location for the team was to be in downtown Phoenix. Real estate with the footprint needed to accommodate Meruelo’s vision is pretty hard to come by in the downtown area, so there was never any traction in pursuit of that. 

In addition, the clock had been ticking ever since the team was evicted from its previous home in suburban Glendale by the Gila River Band, necessitating their move to a brand new college arena built for the Arizona State team. 

In December 2021, the team was informed they had a tab for outstanding taxes of around $1.5 mil and if they weren’t paid within two weeks they would be locked out of the facility. The club paid the back taxes the next day, but their stay in Glendale was virtually over. 

In February 2022, they finalized a three-year agreement with ASU to temporarily move into their new Mullett Arena beginning with the 2022-23 season. The arena may have had the best sight lines in the entire league, but with only 5,000 seats, the building was not viable by league standards and was only viewed as a short-term solution. 

So, it seems that the Coyote’s 27-season run in the desert is formally over. Only 13 of those campaigns were winning seasons, which included nine playoff appearances in which they advanced beyond the first round once. In that season, (2011-12) they made it to the Conference Finals before succumbing to the Los Angeles Kings in five games, who would go on to win the Stanley Cup. 

Going all the way back to the WHA, the club would last until they were one of the teams absorbed by the NHL when the WHA folded. 

The former Winnipeg Jets would eventually lose a new facility battle there and relocate to Phoenix for the 1996-97 season. The team fought its way through six different bankruptcies, several owners and their groups, and numerous legal battles until Meruelo bought the franchise and did bring some financial stability to it. 

The team lost money every season in Arizona.

In the end, he could not complete his quest for a new arena and the whole ordeal was brought to a sticky finale. The tenacity exhibited by Bettman and the league are testament that he doesn’t like to lose at anything. 

An example of this is the size of U.S. TV markets being tied to franchise locations. The Phoenix market is ranked 11th in that regard and is being replaced by Salt Lake City which is ranked 27th. 
I believe Bettman didn’t want to see the Phoenix market fall by the wayside and that’s one of the reasons he fought so hard to keep them there. I believe the promise of a new franchise tag for Meruelo and the Yotes was also a bit empty. 

Normally when it comes to business Bettman is a hardcore negotiator who usually gets his way. I was surprised when Bettman dangled that hope in front of Meruelo instead of just informing him the party was over. 

Is NHL hockey still viable in Phoenix? I’m not certain of that now. The club’s presence there through the years will leave a solid amateur hockey foundation behind and hockey does have a longer history there than most fans realize. 

The ASU team wouldn’t be there now if not for the presence of an NHL franchise. As for expansion, where new rumors of such are ramping up again, 32 teams in a four-division format is perfect Gary. Leave it be. That’s my five cents worth...

Have you ever taken a trip away from home to see your favorite team compete or attend a major sporting event? That kind of travel has been accelerating the past few years and is showing no signs of slowing down. 

A great example is when the Minnesota Wild travel to play in Las Vegas or to Phoenix to see the Wild play. Of course, the chance to get off the frozen tundra for a few days is always welcome in the winter, and catching your favorite team is a bonus. 

In both cases, when relocated Minnesotans combined with the sports travelers, there were many times when the Wild had a bigger presence than the home team’s fans. Going to Phoenix for traveling hockey fans isn’t an option anymore, but you always have the two Florida teams to bear in mind. 

I’ve had the good fortune to take several such trips and began doing so back in the ‘70s. For the most part, it’s always fun and safe to do so. I have had a couple of experiences where I was threatened by the home team’s fans and I just made a mental note to never go there again. 

In the Midwest, there are several baseball, hockey and football teams nearby and if you want a leisurely trip you can access them just by hopping on an Amtrak in St. Paul, and away you go. 

You can also go economy or luxury to all of these places and it makes for a great short trip away from home. For longer trips, airfares are a good buy right now. 

One of my bucket list trips is to go to Saratoga Springs NY, to take in a few days of horse racing at the famed Saratoga Park, and then drop down to Williamsport, Penn., for championship weekend at the Little League World Series. That’s one that would take some personal driving, but that’s OK because I’m sure it would be a trip to remember forever! 

What is your favorite sports travel story or daydream? PEACE!