Alex Meruelo is expected to maintain control of the Tucson Roadrunners while hoping to still bring hockey back to Arizona in the future.
According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, a deal that will send the Arizona Coyotes to Utah is expected to be completed next week.
Kaplan also added that Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo will remain in control of the Tucson Roadrunners and is still set to try and secure land to bring hockey back to Arizona in the future.
“Alex Meruelo, the owner of the Coyotes, will remain in Arizona and will try and win this land auction to build an arena,” Kaplan said. “The AHL team is going to stay, they are going to maintain a youth hockey presence there and his goal and the NHL’s goal is to return to the NHL eventually.”
Meruelo announced his commitment to winning an auction for land in north Phoenix that will take place on June 27.
Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported that 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.
There are reports that indicate the Tucson Roadrunners, the Coyotes’ current AHL affiliate, could play at Mullett Arena next season and since it’s confirmed that Meruelo still has control of the team, this scenario makes a lot more sense if true.
Time will tell to see what actually happens in the future, but at least there is some sort of hope that Arizona could have an NHL team down the road.