The National Hockey League in Arizona is a project that refuses to die.
The issue seemed at a standstill, but Maricopa County’s new elected official, Tom Galvin, set about forming a committee of business and political leaders to bring the NHL back to Arizona after the Coyotes moved to the Utah.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman himself confirmed the news by videoconference, according to local journalist Craig Morgan. Bettman said he met Mr. Galvin before Christmas.
In the transaction that sent his franchise to Utah, controversial businessman Alex Meruelo retained the rights to the Coyotes in the event of their return to the NHL. Officially, the Arizona Coyotes remained an “inactive” franchise of the Bettman circuit, which could be resurrected if certain conditions were met, including the construction of a proper amphitheater. But last July, Meruelo finally gave up his exclusive rights to the Coyotes.
The door is thus wide open for other investors in the region wishing to succeed where Meruelo failed.
The latest news is that no land has been targeted for the construction of an NHL arena in Arizona. Meruelo had been eyeing a 95-acre plot of land in north Phoenix, but the auction for it was canceled in June.
-Always hope
According to Galvin, it is high time that the machine was restarted to reconnect with NHL hockey in Arizona.
“Losing the Cyotes was a tough moment and I raised eyebrows when politicians gloated about our team’s downfall. I have had several meetings with Gary Bettman and he looks forward to working with us to find an owner and the best location to install a world-class amphitheater,” said the politician, again via journalist Craig Morgan.
“If the team has an owner with a serious proposal, I would like to listen. I have an open mind. I come from a business background and appreciate win-win transactions. If there is a project that brings an economic boom to the Valley, I am for it. I have a lot of respect for hockey fans and I believe hockey is good for the Valley. I want this sport to be here for decades to come,” he exclaimed when the Tempe arena project was rejected in May 2023.
It was far from being the only attempt to save the Coyotes in Arizona. The organization has passed through multiple owners over the years. Even the NHL took the team into custody in 2009 after the team went bankrupt.
From 2022 to 2024, the Coyotes have become more than ever the laughing stock of the league by playing at the small 5,000-seat Mullett Arena.
