The NHL board of governors approved the Coyotes to transfer all their hockey assets to a new franchise in Utah, but they could reactivate within five years. Fans stand for the national anthems before the game between the Arizona Coyotes and the Edmonton Oilers at Mullett Arena. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA1ODI5NTIyOTU0NjU5NjE0/usatsi_23051435_168400847_lowres.jpg] Fans stand for the national anthems before the game between the Arizona Coyotes and the Edmonton Oilers at Mullett Arena. It was six weeks ago when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman first told Alex Meruelo that he would have to give up ownership of the Arizona Coyotes at the end of the season. The news did not go over well. "The reaction was, 'No, I don't want to do that,' " Bettman said of that March 6 meeting. "We then spent the next couple of weeks discussing why I believed it was appropriate for the Coyotes to go inactive." On Friday, a day after the Board of Governors allowed for the sale and relocation of the Coyotes to Salt Lake City, Utah, Meruelo's reaction had not changed. He still isn't happy that there will not be an NHL team in Arizona. But with an option to return to the desert — if Meruelo can win a June 27 land auction and get a new arena built within the next five years — both he and Bettman remain confident that the franchise will be reactivated. "We've created a scenario that I don't think anybody's ever done before," said Bettman. "This franchise is inactive. We didn't expand. We have 32 active franchises. But it became clear to me — and I proposed this at the outset — that there was no way that Alex was going to agree to this if he wasn't going to have an opportunity to reactivate the franchise." Here are some of the highlights from Friday's news conference: ON WHETHER THE NHL CAN WORK IN ARIZONA Meruelo: "There's no question that it works. Moving from Glendale to Tempe was the right decision. Our revenues far exceed what we ever did in Glendale, in an 18,000 versus 4,500 seats. But more importantly, the fan base and the enthusiasm has been infectious. I've never seen anything like it before in my life and I know without a question it works. And given the right location, which we're looking at getting into on June 27, and a new arena, I believe the Arizona Coyotes can be a top-10 team in generating revenues — no question about it." ON WINNING BACK COYOTES FANS Bettman: "There are plenty of times when fan bases get aggravated with the ownership of the team. I believe that when Alex does what he needs to do, so that this team can be reactivated, people will be looking forward — not looking back." Meruelo: "I'm committed to the valley. I'm committed to hockey. And I know for a fact over the last five years this works. Arizona hockey works in the desert … in addition, we intend to make a request to the NHL Board of Governors and ASU to relocate the (Tucson) Roadrunners to Mullett Arena. This is a hockey town and the continued presence of professional hockey in the valley is extremely important." ON THE CHALLENGES OF A NEW ARENA Bettman: "If there's outright hostility to another arena, and there are forces at bay that are going to do everything to prevent it, that'll be a problem. But I don't doubt Alex's commitment to try and deal with all of those head on." ON THE NEXT STEPS Meruelo: "The most important critical thing we have to do now is win that land auction on June 27. And I have full commitment that I will win that land auction." Bettman: "We're going to continue to monitor to see progress. Our agreement basically says that we need a year-and-a-half notice to reactivate. It doesn't have to wait five years. The faster they go, the faster the activation can take place. And we'll be looking for progress. Obviously, the most concrete thing will be a structure coming out of the ground." ON WHY MERUELO HAD STAYED QUIET Meruelo: "I don't like the media … I don't like the limelight. I never have."
