NEW YORK — One day after the National Hockey League confirmed the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Coyotes' owner Alex Meruelo answered questions from the media during a news conference April 19.
“Days like today are difficult, they’re sad, and I sympathize with and understand and feel sorry about what the fans of the Coyotes are going through,” Bettman said.
On Thursday, the NHL Board of Governors approved the establishment of a new franchise in Utah and rendered the Arizona Coyotes franchise inactive, according to a news release.
Bettman said the first time Meruelo heard of anything related to the Coyotes moving was March 6, to which Bettman said Meruelo's reaction was "no."
"'No, I don't want to do that, I and my family believe in hockey in the desert,'" Bettman said, paraphrasing Meruelo's reaction to the Coyotes being relocated. "We then spent the next couple of weeks discussing why I thought it was appropriate for the Coyotes to go inactive."
The franchise in Utah will start in the 2024-25 season and will be owned and controlled by the Smith Entertainment Group, led by Ryan and Ashley Smith. The Smiths also own the NBA's Utah Jazz.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: NHL confirma la venta de los Coyotes de Arizona, el equipo se va a Salt Lake City
With the approval of the new franchise, the Coyotes' franchise will transfer all of its existing hockey assets to the Utah franchise, including its full reserve list, roster of players and draft picks, and its hockey operations department.
The reason for the move was the lack of a "major league" facility, Bettman said during the news conference. Moving to Mullett Arena was supposed to be a temporary fix, with the team playing there for three to four years at the most, Bettman explained.
“It became clear to me that not only had the timeline stretched, but we were still dealing with uncertainty because there’s still an auction to be had,” Bettman said. “We were facing, I think, under a best case scenario, anywhere between three and five years more in Mullett.”
Bettman said he is grateful to Arizona State University for allowing the Coyotes to play at Mullett, but he said it “unfair” to the Coyotes players and the players on opposing teams to continue playing at the college arena.
“As a college rink, it’s a good facility,” Bettman said. “But it’s not a major league facility.”
During the news conference Friday, Bettman stressed the deactivation of the Coyotes is exactly that: a deactivation. It does not expand the NHL and it allows Meruelo the opportunity to activate the team again.
“The NHL’s belief in Arizona has never wavered. We thank Alex Meruelo for his commitment to the franchise and Arizona, and we fully support his ongoing efforts to secure a new home in the desert for the Coyotes," Bettman said in a news release. "We also want to acknowledge the loyal hockey fans of Arizona, who have supported their team with dedication for nearly three decades while growing the game.”
Bettman said the NHL could have made different decisions in the past regarding the Coyotes but did not, and he hopes everyone understands that while the NHL believes hockey works in the desert, it is not working in the desert right now — especially without an NHL-level arena.
“NHL support for hockey in the desert has been unwavering,” Bettman said.
The Smiths said they are "committed to building a "Stanley Cup contending team" and are "thrilled" to welcome the Coyotes to Utah.
"Today is a great day for Utah, for hockey, and for building a legacy that will have a lasting impact for generations to come," the Smiths said in a news release.
Meruelo said he agrees with the commissioner and NHL's decision, saying it is "simply unfair" to keep the Coyotes in an arena "not suited" for NHL hockey.
"But this is not the end for NHL hockey in Arizona. I have negotiated the right to reactivate the team within the next five years, and have retained ownership of the beloved Coyotes name, brand and logo," Meruelo said in a news release. "I remain committed to this community and to building a first-class sports arena and entertainment district without seeking financial support from the public.”
Meruelo does have the opportunity to reactivate the team if he has fully constructed a new, state-of-the-art facility appropriate for an NHL team within five years, the news release states.
Officials with the Arizona Diamondbacks also shared their thoughts on the news. The team issued the following statement from Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick and President, CEO & General Partner Derrick Hall:
“The entire Diamondbacks organization is disappointed in the now official news of our NHL team being relocated out of state. We firmly believe that we deserve and can support teams from each of the major sports and are troubled that a solution could not be found for all parties involved. We are sad for all sports fans and all who care so deeply about our community.”
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