Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith is expected to meet with Coyotes players and staff today in Arizona according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. The Coyotes played what was likely their final game in Arizona on Wednesday night. It was an emotional atmosphere as it marked the end of the team’s tenure in the Valley. Through the hockey and business side of it all, there is also a personal aspect that unfortunately many do not take into account. Players have to move, fans lose a team that means so much to them while many people who work or are associated with the Coyotes still don’t know what their future holds. Hopefully this reported meeting with Smith clears some of that uncertainty and turns the page on a stressful and overwhelming time for everyone involved with this situation. If this report is indeed true, Smith is already doing more than current Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo. Meruelo did not attend the Coyotes’ season finale and left practically the entire organization in the dark as he sold the team, affecting the livelihood of so many great individuals. 20240412_Tourigny_MorningSkate_FTP_ When times got tough, Meruelo took the easy way out and it is simply not fair to the people that have invested so much time and effort into this organization. Through this past year, Meruelo was an owner in name only. He didn't speak publicly and was rarely seen around the team. While Meruelo is expected to make about $1 billion from this deal to send the Coyotes to Salt Lake City, countless amount of hard working people may be without a job and fans will lose a team that was really like a family to them. It’s a really sad situation with a multitude of different variables, but only one person is truly to blame for all of it and that is Meruelo.
