Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed the Coyotes are likely to remain at Tempe’s Mullett Arena for the 2024-25 season (via Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN). Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo’s current attempt to keep the team in the Phoenix area involves a bid for a public land auction involving a plot in the north part of the city, although the auction won’t occur until June. Next season is the final one in the initial three-year lease the Coyotes signed with Arizona State University to play at the new facility, which also has two one-year extension options.
Daly said the league “probably” wouldn’t have enough time to pivot toward relocation if the bid fails and would punt an effort to move the team to a new market – Salt Lake City is the most likely – to 2025-26. Per Johnston, both Daly and Commissioner Gary Bettman did not issue a set deadline on a relocation decision for the franchise, but the former said “it’s getting late” in the process.
The Coyotes’ initial attempt to remain in the market, a multi-use development in Tempe near the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, failed when their proposal was struck down in a public referendum last May. They have since yet to issue a comprehensive plan for a new arena in the region.
Bettman affirmed the league’s faith in Arizona as an NHL market, once again signaling the league will return if relocation becomes a necessity:
We would’ve preferred to be in a new arena by now, but there are certain things that couldn’t be controlled. We would’ve preferred that the referendum in Tempe went the other way, but it didn’t, and so we deal with what we can deal with. Having said that, we believe Arizona, particularly the greater Phoenix area, is a good NHL market. It’s a place we want to be.
In the unlikely event that the Coyotes lose the auction and have no serviceable Plan B lined up, it’s hard to imagine the league issuing them any more patience. If so, the franchise will likely not take advantage of their extension options on the Mullett lease and move to either Salt Lake City or another market with demonstrated interest, such as Atlanta or Houston, for the 2025-26 season.
The Coyotes continue to be a financial and public relations disaster for the NHL, The entire Coyotes history is also an indictment on Gary Bettmans monstrous ego and incredible arrogance.
That this charade continues is proof that the other owners don’t really mind having this drag on revenues go on indefinately. Suprised the NHLPA doesn’t raise a stink about it though.
@Gbear — I’ve heard, on at least one podcast, that the PA is complaining about it. GB likes to suppress that kind of talk about his precious bogus ice barn. That, and being outdrawn by numerous NCAA colleges. USCHO can show you the average attendance at the schools they track.
NHLPA has raised a stink link to prohockeyrumors.com
@Mac – That’s good to know! But maybe GB and the boys really just like having a reason to go play golf in the desert a few times a year. To talk shop, you know. ;)
@Josh — Sorry, I should’ve clarified that. I meant the podcast mentioned it in the last week or two. I woo-hoo’d at that article, too.
@Gbear – I can imagine this exchange –
GB — “Hey, Bill! Try to bank it off the clown’s head, like Connor and Leon do!”
BD — “You might be too big for that area.”
GB — “Not me, the other clown!”
BD — “Ahhh, my bad!”
Derrrr.. I heard it on dah podcast.. must be the truth.. derrrrrr
How does it feel to publicly out yourself as an idiot on the internet?
Hahahah yeah. I can’t imagine the PA will quiet down about it anytime soon
You might want to be there but taxpayers do not care and are never going to support providing funding to billionaires
I think the players union has been unhappy about the situation, both the Coyotes and any visitors, I’ve seen some notes about the facilities.
There should be no expansion talk until they fix this, but there’s too much money and ego inflation involved in expanding leagues for them to resist.
Even if the Coyotes buy this land there’s absolutely no guarantee they’ll actually be able to get an arena built on it. This absurd situation is going to drag out for years more. 5 years from now the Coyotes will still be in that “arena” they are in.
@IHLgulls …
Yes, 100% correct, and the key point. Five years from now they’ll leave the doors to Mullett Arena open and people will just walk in and out randomly.
I attended my first Coyotes game 15 years ago with the Great One coaching and with 40% attendance and over half from Calgary, it was not a pleasant experience. Nothing has changed for the better.
The Yotes aren’t going anywhere losers. So quit whining.
Because, of course, teams never relocate.
The bright side about playing at Mullett Arena is that there’s always a party in the rear.
First of all, don’t assume the auction will take place in June. The Arizona Land Trust moves on its own timetable and it could be weeks/months later. Second, don’t assume the Coyotes losing the auction is unlikely. It is a very desirable piece of land. The location is acceptable for an arena but would also be fine for many other uses. There will be other bidders.