Ongoing Arizona Coyotes arena saga: Arena land auction June 27

[Reggie Dunlop]

If I'm Ryan Smith and his Utah Jazz organization, I slide a bit of money to the anti-arena citizens group to mount a public campaign.

[jlh2640]

So the Coyotes are just going to play in an arena of 5000 seat capacity until when exactly, 2027 at best if this ridiculous deal takes place. Like I do not understand how this is acceptable at the revenue-sharing NHL level. Insanity really

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by jlh2640

Like I do not understand how this is acceptable at the revenue-sharing NHL level. Insanity really

It used to be that if a team didn't meet a certain threshold of season ticket numbers, they weren't eligible for revenue-sharing money. If that's still the case, then the Coyotes aren't getting any help from the league until they get an arena and sell enough seats to qualify.

[Zary's-Mustache]

Edit: misread title

[sureLoss]

Friedman on HNIC says we have reached a fork in the road and relocation is on the table. Especially if the Coyotes don't win the auction. Says in parallel to the Coyotes working on this, relocation is being looked at.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Friedman on HNIC says relocation is on the table. Especially if the Coyotes don't win the auction. Says in parallel to the Coyotes working on this, relocation is being worked on.

If the league was smart they would just relocate the team this offseason and tell them once they build a suitable arena in Arizona that they will put them at the top of the list for expansion. Even if they win the land bid it is going to be 3-5 years for it to be ready. You can't have a team playing in a 5000 person arena during that time, it isn't fair to the other clubs.

[TheScorpion]

Yeah what has generally been understood to be the case is that the NHL is actively vetting Ryan Smith -- a very long, complex process -- with the aim of being able to fast-track him into an owner's chair if Meruelo is unsuccessful. If Meruelo does succeed, then the NHL already has a bunch of the work done for an expansion process.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

If the league was smart they would just relocate the team this offseason and tell them once they build a suitable arena in Arizona that they will put them at the top of the list for expansion. Even if they win the land bid it is going to be 3-5 years for it to be ready. You can't have a team playing in a 5000 person arena during that time, it isn't fair to the other clubs.

Yup, exactly what I was thinking. A similar situation to the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens in the 90s.

Move this team to SLC for next season, and Arizona can re-enter as an expansion team once they get their #### together (if that ever happens).

Given the success that Vegas and Seattle have had as expansion teams, that may not even be unattractive to the ownership. It would also save them from a few money-losing seasons playing at ASU while the new building is built.

[Strange Brew]

That’s great if “relocation is on the table” as Friedman reports, but the logistics of that are going to be complicated if Meruelo doesn’t want to play ball. Vetting the Utah Jazz owner is probably not the long pole in the tent in this case.

[TheScorpion]

Yeah I don't think Meruelo is keen to sell at this point. I would say with pretty high confidence that the NHL/BoG isn't going to get involved until there is a fully concrete indication that the land play is untenable -- especially considering that the proposed arena districts in Utah and Atlanta are also very much not confirmed, and while they also have temporary arena solutions that are in place and a bit bigger (Atlanta, for instance, has an 11k capacity), those arenas are also much older and less sophisticated in terms of NHL-calibre facilities than Mullett. Absolutely nothing preventing the league from working out contingencies behind the scenes, though.

[Strange Brew]

Yeah it’s not the same as the Cleveland/Baltimore NFL situation since Art Modell owned the Browns and he moved them to Baltimore. I would be very surprised if Meruelo moved the Coyotes. Not like he has an arena anywhere else and I don’t imagine the NHL is in love with him as an owner anyway.

The Mullett situation is tough for the league. If the Coyotes follow through on this auction, there remains a lot of work to do. And still lots of uncertainty.

If they don’t, maybe that’s a sign Meruelo is ready to give up.

[Reggie Dunlop]

The Thrashers move to Winnipeg in 2011 was announced on June 21. Still some runway for a franchise move, but not much.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

The Thrashers move to Winnipeg in 2011 was announced on June 21. Still some runway for a franchise move, but not much.

Three whole months.

Besides, if the Coyotes move to either SLC or Houston, it won't mess up the divisional alignments. Having Winnipeg in the Southeast Division was a crime against the laws of physics.

[curves2000]

A couple of notes: Winnipeg had started the process for their NHL dreams way before it actually happened and were told to be ready if and when something were to come up. They were running a quality AHL franchise and had a modern but smaller NHL caliber rink that they knew they could fill. Having capable staff, training facilities, broadcast deals and a whole host of other NHL business was going to be a fairly easy scenario to deal with. The arena needed some basic expansion for media, players medical equipment and other stuff.

I do think relocation is on the table but I also think that is not the preferred option or an option they really want to go down. I have no doubt that this "leak" is a result of the NHL trying to put the message out loud and clear that this auction needs to go in the Yotes favor with legit threats of moving the franchise.

I just don't see a scenario where the Yotes leave for SLC and then return in a few short years for a $650-1 billion dollar expansion fee for a failed market since the 90's.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

The Thrashers move to Winnipeg in 2011 was announced on June 21. Still some runway for a franchise move, but not much.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Thrashers

On May 16, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that talks for a sale to True North Sports & Entertainment were underway. According to The Globe and Mail, a deal was finalized on May 20, 2011, to relocate the team to Winnipeg. The League later denied the report, but acknowledged that advanced negotiations between the two teams were underway and that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman supported the move. Draft schedules were prepared that accommodated for the team's move to Winnipeg, as True North sought to move the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (AHL), eventually moving the team to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, in Atlantic Canada, playing as the St. John's IceCaps. However, the IceCaps were eventually moved back to Winnipeg in 2015.

On May 31, True North Sports & Entertainment and the NHL held a press conference in Winnipeg to announce the completion of a deal to purchase the Thrashers. True North intended to relocate the team to the MTS Centre in Winnipeg on June 21, 2011 to become the revived Winnipeg Jets. Both the sale and relocation of the team were formally approved by the NHL's Board of Governors. The Atlanta Spirit Group, however, retained the rights and logos for the Thrashers.

[Reggie Dunlop]

The Utah Jazz has ticket sales and organizational infrastructure in place. Getting the ice plant ready for regular use wouldn't be logistical obstacle either. A do-able, if not smooth transition.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

The Utah Jazz has ticket sales and organizational infrastructure in place. Getting the ice plant ready for regular use wouldn't be logistical obstacle either. A do-able, if not smooth transition.

The Kings have been playing preseason games at the Delta Center for the last few years.

[Snuffleupagus]

Just move them already, that land is north of TPC Scottsdale which is a 1/2 hour drive in good traffic from the airport and downtown, if you can't build an arena near downtown move.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by getbak

The Kings have been playing preseason games at the Delta Center for the last few years.

Not to mention the 02 Olympics was used under the name of Salt Lake ice Center

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by getbak

Yup, exactly what I was thinking. A similar situation to the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens in the 90s.

Move this team to SLC for next season, and Arizona can re-enter as an expansion team once they get their #### together (if that ever happens).

Given the success that Vegas and Seattle have had as expansion teams, that may not even be unattractive to the ownership. It would also save them from a few money-losing seasons playing at ASU while the new building is built.

That's exactly why Salt Lake City wants their own expansion team.

Gail Miller would not have sold the Jazz to Ryan Smith without knowing his commitment to the state. The deal was unanimously approved by the NBA years ago and there haven't been any issues. The NHL vetting him is not an issue.