Ongoing Arizona Coyotes arena saga: Arena land auction June 27

[Reggie Dunlop]

Not the exact same scenario, but I could see the league do a work-around similar to when the Gund brothers wanted to move their Minnesota North Stars to San Jose. The NHL instead awarded them an expansion team.

[Strange Brew]

The league isn’t going to promise Meruelo anything IMO. They like the market though.

[powderjunkie]

I was chewing on this a bit and I think there is a very good chance a relocation is announced in the next month or so. There isn't much recent history to go on, but most relocations are announced within a few weeks of season end.

Spoiler!

Rams and Chargers announced moves to LA in early Jan (shortly after regular season ended)

Thrashers to WPG was May 31, 2011.

Seattle Supersonics move to OKC was officially announced in mid April (though was publicly speculated by the owner 6 months prior)

Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis was formally approved July 19, 2001 (though ownership changed a little over a year prior and moves to various cities were widely speculated despite league denials).

There has been enough smoke about SLC for long enough that I bet things have been vetted and high level plans are ready to go.

The exact process for the ownership change will be most interesting, and I wonder if we'll get the full story.

[TheScorpion]

I would be stunned if the NHL intervenes or relocation is announced before the auction process is complete. Not happening.

[Tsawwassen]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

I was chewing on this a bit and I think there is a very good chance a relocation is announced in the next month or so. There isn't much recent history to go on, but most relocations are announced within a few weeks of season end.

Spoiler!

Rams and Chargers announced moves to LA in early Jan (shortly after regular season ended)

Thrashers to WPG was May 31, 2011.

Seattle Supersonics move to OKC was officially announced in mid April (though was publicly speculated by the owner 6 months prior)

Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis was formally approved July 19, 2001 (though ownership changed a little over a year prior and moves to various cities were widely speculated despite league denials).

There has been enough smoke about SLC for long enough that I bet things have been vetted and high level plans are ready to go.

The exact process for the ownership change will be most interesting, and I wonder if we'll get the full story.

You can add the Charlotte Hornets move to New Orleans on May 10, 2002.

[sevenarms]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

HockeyNews versus a click bait fan site? I'll take the HockeyNews word for it thanks.

The Hockey News has also turned into a click bait fan site.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I would be stunned if the NHL intervenes or relocation is announced before the auction process is complete. Not happening.

We are completing year 2 of what was supposed to be 3 years in the Mullet, which was in service of an extortion for public money. That extortion failed.

So one question is - does the league want their typical "this is not a threat...but if you don't pay us we'll just move" threat to actually mean: "if you kick us out of one building and refuse to help us build another one then we'll just politely wait around and try again later"?

We're right at the start of a bunch of teams wanting new buildings to replace their current ones built in the early 90s. It makes a lot of sense for the league to put its money where its mouth is the validate their threats.

SLC is actually at the front of the line on this as their building opened in 1991. So I expect that if this relocation goes through it will include some not so subtle caveats about the need for a new building or else they'll move again.

[getbak]

On Tuesday, the governor of Utah signed a bill that will provide a billion dollars in funding for a new downtown arena in SLC: https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2024/03...-nhl-stadiums/

[Reggie Dunlop]

The Mormons are behind the SLC bid...

https://www.fox13now.com/news/politi...hl-arena-plans

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by getbak

On Tuesday, the governor of Utah signed a bill that will provide a billion dollars in funding for a new downtown arena in SLC: https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2024/03...-nhl-stadiums/

Same ol song and dance.

[FlamesAddiction]

According to Frank Seravalli, the Coyotes management doesn't have the green light to re-sign or sign players. They are trying to get as much money off the books as possible.

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/co...or-next-season

I’m telling you for 100% fact, and please listen closely, that the Coyotes haven’t had the ability financially to extend contract offers to players. Not that they don’t want to keep them but there’s obviously something going on behind the scenes which we know is this arena situation.

They’re not entirely certain what this picture looks like so they haven’t been given the green light to go out and make offers, that’s a fact. Now, what happens from here and how it all plays out I don’t have a crystal ball, I can’t tell you but there’s a lot of machinations behind the scenes and a lot of investigating to try to figure out where this all goes. But there’s a reason they traded away Dumba and Zucker and didn’t retain which worsened their return because they needed to get that money off their books.

[topfiverecords]

We'll take $7.15M off their hands. A 7th in 2026 should do it.

If they throw in Cooley, we'll upgrade that to a 5th.

[getbak]

Now that they're officially eliminated from the playoffs, they should announce the sale and relocation before the end of the season so their fan can say farewell in their last few home games.

[Reggie Dunlop]

It's a little too quiet...

[FlamesAddiction]

They don't have a single NHL defenseman under contract yet for next season.

[Sylvanfan]

They have like 23.11 on IR with Voracek, Weber, Little, and Travis Boyd. I'm guessing Voracek's contract was insured possibly Littles too. Webers salary is 1 million to get that cap number. So with those and buyouts they're pretty much a 50 million dollar payroll.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Agents are the type to hold their cards close to the vest. You can bet word of a relocation would spread quickly.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Relocate already. Jesus!

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

They don't have a single NHL defenseman under contract yet for next season.

What's more, the Coyotes have only 20 player contracts in total for next season.

Between NHL and AHL rosters, CapFriendly shows 17 RFAs.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

What's more, the Coyotes have only 20 player contracts in total for next season.

Between NHL and AHL rosters, CapFriendly shows 17 RFAs.

Similar situation with the St. Louis Blues in 1984 after the sale to Saskatoon was rejected and ownership was in limbo. Less than 30 players in their whole organization (plus they missed the Entry Draft).