Owner of the Arizona Coyotes, Alex Meruelo, has reportedly told staff that there will be no pursuit for new arena options. This comes just days after the announcement that the Arizona State Land Development auction was cancelled, which was a key part of the success plan for bringing the Coyotes back to Arizona.
Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports confirms this report, and says that Meruelo will walk away. When the team was sold and relocated in April, there was a clear reinstatement plan laid out between the NHL and Meruelo, and hitting certain checkpoints in the development of a new arena was a big part of that. After playing in Mullett Arena for too long, the arena was a priority, and with no land auction and no pursuit of a new arena plan, this is the end of the line for Meruelo and the Coyotes.
This May Not Be The End of Hockey in Arizona
All signs point to this being the official end of Merualo’s tenure as an NHL owner, but that doesn’t mean the future of the NHL in Arizona is closed forever. In the $1 billion buy-back plan set out for Merualo, there needed to be confirmation of the re-entry by December 31, 2027, and at that point the arena needed to be at least 50 percent done. This isn’t going to be the case for Meruelo, and he will lose the rights to the franchise.
Related: Coyotes’ Future Murky After ASLD Cancels Auction
Another person looking to be an NHL owner could come in and fix the mess made by Meruelo, and create a plan with the league, but it isn’t going to happen within the next five years. It is clear the NHL believes a team belongs in Arizona, and they will likely be willing to work with someone who can lay out a coherent plan and get a successful organization built, starting with an arena of course.
There is no word on whether or not an official statement will be released by the NHL yet, but this is the end for Merualo and the Coyotes.
There are a number of potential owners and cities in line for an expansion team, and now the future of Coyotes hockey is unclear, but hockey in Arizona will likely return some day under a new regime.