As part of the potential deal that relocates the Coyotes to Salt Lake City, Alex Meruelo could be in line for an expansion franchise to bring hockey back to Arizona.
As part of the potential deal that relocates the Coyotes to Salt Lake City, Alex Meruelo could be in line for an expansion franchise to bring hockey back to Arizona.
Could the Arizona Coyotes come back as an expansion franchise in the future?
By now, the Coyotes’ relocation to Salt Lake City is highly probable and could be announced as early as April 17 according to PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan.
However, there is still hope with this potential deal that professional hockey could still one day return to the Valley.
“Meruelo agreed to sell the team after he secured a contractual right to reactivate the franchise within 5 years of the date of the agreement and trigger an expansion draft if an arena is built- this would require him to pay back the $1 billion that he is getting from the sale,” via Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.
There are still a ton of roadblocks to bringing back the Coyotes a few years down the line. If current Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo were to take charge, he still would need to buy a piece of land to construct an arena without an official guarantee he gets an NHL franchise.
With all of the trouble that Meruelo has had attempting to secure a permanent home for the Coyotes over the years, it seems unlikely he will even be able to get the job done.
The Coyotes announced their commitment to winning an auction for land in Phoenix bordering Scottsdale that was set to take place on June 27, but it’s unknown if Meruelo is still intent on winning this auction with relocation of the franchise becoming more of a reality.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been very vocal about his support for the hockey market in the Valley, so it’s possible that with or without Meruelo, Bettman decides to give Arizona another chance to make hockey work in the desert.
Don’t give up hope just yet because the story of the Coyotes in Arizona may not be finished.