NHL IN SLC Utah 2024/25

[NorCalCoug]

On 4/10/2024 at 2:13 PM, utenation said:

Not to mention, state political support already approved. Ryan Smith doesn’t mess around. Nor do the Millers. 

A good friend of ours is high up in the Legal Department of the Larry H Miller Group…. things are definitely progressing on the MLB front.

[misplacedcowboy]

On 4/10/2024 at 1:03 PM, NorthWestCowboy said:

This move is all but done..........  The Yotes story is one of homelessness in AZ.

The mayor of Scottsdale is now throwing a fit over the Yotes arena development plan.  This in my mind is the last straw.  Too much uncertainty.

Which seems a bit silly to complain about infrastructure/traffic, as the proposed site is right around the corner from TPC who seems to handle crowds that are multitudes larger than a hockey game.

But hating the Yotes is what everyone else is doing, so probably a safer bet to pile on than welcome with open arms.

[Wyobraska]

On 4/10/2024 at 2:03 PM, NorthWestCowboy said:

This move is all but done..........  The Yotes story is one of homelessness in AZ.

Glendale kicks the Yotes to the curb by telling them to move out of Gila River Arena.

The voters in Tempe reject building a new arena.

The Yotes have played the past two seasons in the 5,000 seat ASU hockey arena.  This will be the scenario until at least 2027 when a new arena might be ready if they win the auction for the new arena.  Imagine another 3 seasons in a 5,000 seat arena.  Ooof!

The mayor of Scottsdale is now throwing a fit over the Yotes arena development plan.  This in my mind is the last straw.  Too much uncertainty.

NHL, welcome to Salt Lake City!

They needed an arena downtown that was centrally located with Phoenix sprawl.  It's too bad America West arena wasn't good for hockey.  The move to Glendale was stupid.  

[UNLV2001]

 

[utenation]

On 4/10/2024 at 4:50 PM, UNLV2001 said:

 

Who knows, maybe they enjoy playing in a shitbox arena that holds 4K? 
 

While the top teams get 17-20k. 

[RedheadRebel]

I think hockey in SLC could do well. Would also love to see a future expansion team in SD.

Both would make natural division rivals for VGK (though I could see the SLC team being in the Central division).

Hockey is the best 

[NorthWestCowboy]

On 4/10/2024 at 3:50 PM, UNLV2001 said:

 

Craig Morgan is a Phoenix based sports reporter/personality that has covered the Coyotes for 23 years.  Of course that's what he is going to report as he has a self-interest in keeping the Yotes in Phoenix.  Also, what are the Yotes players going to tell a local sparts reporter?  "Yeah, I can't wait to make the move to SLC"......  Why would any player burn bridges with a major local sports writer, Yotes fans or the organization at a time when all is uncertain?

[utenation]

On 4/10/2024 at 7:05 PM, NorthWestCowboy said:

Craig Morgan is a Phoenix based sports reporter/personality that has covered the Coyotes for 23 years.  Of course that's what he is going to report as he has a self-interest in keeping the Yotes in Phoenix.  Also, what are the Yotes players going to tell a local sparts reporter?  "Yeah, I can't wait to make the move to SLC"......  Why would any player burn bridges with a major local sports writer, Yotes fans or the organization at a time when all is uncertain?

On the radio today, this has been a hot topic. I don’t know anything about the Coyotes . But a hockey talking head mentioned there’s some Swedes and Fins on the team. Last time I checked, those dudes love the mountains. We have lots of those. And a lot of winter activities. 
 

Change is never easy and people get attached to their current community but there is a hockey community here going back to the 70’s that would really grow if an NHL team landed here. 

[trvitmvnz]

Would hate to see that Yotes logo leave town 

[Poorohman]

On 4/10/2024 at 2:36 PM, misplacedcowboy said:

Which seems a bit silly to complain about infrastructure/traffic, as the proposed site is right around the corner from TPC who seems to handle crowds that are multitudes larger than a hockey game.

But hating the Yotes is what everyone else is doing, so probably a safer bet to pile on than welcome with open arms.

My old corp office was right off N Scottsdale Rd. close to the airport.  Seems like a good location for egress/ingress without having to do a ton of public infrastructure work to me.  But if the citizens or Mayor doesn't want it there, then fck it move them somewhere else.  SLC seems like a great spot.

[CKS007]

 

[renoskier]

would/could the NHL force Meruelo to sell?

[CKS007]

On 4/11/2024 at 10:31 AM, renoskier said:

would/could the NHL force Meruelo to sell?

From what I'm reading, the team would be sold to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith who would move the team to SLC.  

 

One rumor is that the team name and records would stay with Meruelo who would have a five-year window to get an arena set up in Arizona.  If he can do it, he gets an expansion franchise to call the Coyotes (ala Cleveland Browns).  Considering that Ryan Smith was asking what team name fans wanted to see earlier this week, I could easily believe this. 

[Wyobraska]

On 4/11/2024 at 10:31 AM, renoskier said:

would/could the NHL force Meruelo to sell?

I saw an article that mentioned him selling the team to NHL for $1 billion and then NHL selling to a new owner for $1.3 billion and the other NHL teams split the $300 million in profit.  Not sure if that is real or not. 

[UNLV2001]

On 4/11/2024 at 9:31 AM, renoskier said:

would/could the NHL force Meruelo to sell?

 

On 4/11/2024 at 9:46 AM, CKS007 said:

From what I'm reading, the team would be sold to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith who would move the team to SLC.  

 

One rumor is that the team name and records would stay with Meruelo who would have a five-year window to get an arena set up in Arizona.  If he can do it, he gets an expansion franchise to call the Coyotes (ala Cleveland Browns).  Considering that Ryan Smith was asking what team name fans wanted to see earlier this week, I could easily believe this. 

 

On 4/11/2024 at 9:48 AM, Wyobraska said:

I saw an article that mentioned him selling the team to NHL for $1 billion and then NHL selling to a new owner for $1.3 billion and the other NHL teams split the $300 million in profit.  Not sure if that is real or not. 

From what I saw on the VGK broadcast last night -- Merullo would do as @Wyobraska mentions above - The added $200/$300 M would be the added and spread among the other 31 teams.............and Merullo would retain rights for any expansion team in the PHX area 

[bigd]

On 4/11/2024 at 12:48 PM, Wyobraska said:

I saw an article that mentioned him selling the team to NHL for $1 billion and then NHL selling to a new owner for $1.3 billion and the other NHL teams split the $300 million in profit.  Not sure if that is real or not. 

I saw that, but don't understand. Why couldn't he just sell directly?

[Poorohman]

On 4/11/2024 at 11:03 AM, UNLV2001 said:

 

 

From what I saw on the VGK broadcast last night -- Merullo would do as @Wyobraska mentions above - The added $200/$300 M would be the added and spread among the other 31 teams.............and Merullo would retain rights for any expansion team in the PHX area 

Interesting.  Maybe frightening.  Would the owners then be able to direct where and who the franchise go to at that point?

[UNLV2001]

On 4/11/2024 at 11:31 AM, Poorohman said:

Interesting.  Maybe frightening.  Would the owners then be able to direct where and who the franchise go to at that point?

Not sure, but owners as a whole will probably have input --- Expansion cities that I've heard are SLC (or get the Coyotes). Houston, Atlanta , and always the Quebec talk 

[NorthWestCowboy]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/nhl-arizona-coyotes-preparing-for-possible-relocation-to-utah/

The truth of the matter is the Yotes have been on and off life support so many times during their tenure in AZ that I'm hard pressed to belive any rumors.  That said, there seems to be a lot of details in the reporting this time around.

[NorthWestCowboy]

On 4/11/2024 at 12:17 PM, UNLV2001 said:

Not sure, but owners as a whole will probably have input --- Expansion cities that I've heard are SLC (or get the Coyotes). Houston, Atlanta , and always the Quebec talk 

Despite being a smaller market I do think the NHL would do well in SLC.  Houston and Kansas City could work well too!  

God help us if the NHL triples down on Atlanta!  Despite the overwhelming fan suppport Quebec City is not attractive for the NHL owners as that fanbase is already full of NHL consumers.  Better off to go for growth in another major US market.  Not to mention the perennial issues with cdn to usd exchange rates absorbing a lot of the profits of the Canadian franchises.  This is what forced the relocation of the Nordiques and Jets to Colorado and Phoenix in the first place.  The higher taxes in Canada also lure players to the US.  There are reasons no Canadian franchise has won the cup since 1993!

Reports are that since the pandemic the Winnipeg Jets 2.0, despite their rabid fanbase are again struggling financially.  I hate to see this but it's just another reason that Quebec City is not getting another franchise.

https://theathletic.com/5303357/2024/02/28/winnipeg-jets-relocation/