Utah NHL Team

[beefytee]

Dang, up past 11,000 now. Hopefully it doesn’t mean prices are astronomical. I was counting on them being about the same as Jazz season tickets.

[LiveCoug]

Dang, up past 11,000 now. Hopefully it doesn’t mean prices are astronomical. I was counting on them being about the same as Jazz season tickets.

These are just deposits. I wonder what percentage of deposits will actually follow through with season passes? But it's a big number and I feel the website hasn't even really been marketed yet

[falafel]

Wow so just listened to an interview with Alex Meruelo, the much-maligned billionaire owner of the Coyotes. This is the craziest arrangement I've ever heard. So SLC is getting an NHL expansion team, buying it from the NHL for $1.2B. The NHL has bought some of the Coyotes' assets, which include the player roster, coaching staff, support staff, and draft picks from the Coyotes for $1B, which will be assigned to the SLC franchise. The Coyotes as a franchise will go inactive and Meruelo retains ownership of the franchise and remaining assets, including the name, logo, trademarks, and the AHL team the Tucson Roadrunners, who will probably play at Mullet now. Meruelo also remains on the NHL board of owners as an observer. He is given 5 years to build an NHL-appropriate arena. If he meets this requirement the Coyotes will be reactivated and presumably populate the team via expansion draft. Hopefully we can at least bring back Doan or Cooley or somebody at that point- that would be cool.

Meanwhile, the previously announced arena plans, beginning with the June public auction will go forward as planned. Meruelo's referring to it as a 'purchase' because no other bidders have emerged and probably won't. So the good news is that there is no such thing as 'Utah Coyotez' or some other such nonsense. Also, Meruelo is going to continue underwriting the AZ youth hockey programs while the franchise is inactive, so that's pretty good news.

No better result for Meruelo

[Commando]

These are just deposits. I wonder what percentage of deposits will actually follow through with season passes? But it's a big number and I feel the website hasn't even really been marketed yet

Yeah it's a $100 deposit. I would probably do that whether or not I actually was going to buy tix if I was in Utah excited for the team. The good news is that season ticket holders always get rid of their tickets for cheap when they can't go.

[Donuthole]

Yeah it's a $100 deposit. I would probably do that whether or not I actually was going to buy tix if I was in Utah excited for the team. The good news is that season ticket holders always get rid of their tickets for cheap when they can't go.

Yes, when the team is shit that definitely happens. However, this was my mentality when I passed on season tickets for the Vegas Golden Knights, and, when they ended up being a playoff team and a Stanley Cup Contender in their first season, well, tickets were pretty much impossible to come by for less than face value for the first 4 seasons. It will probably help that Utah isn't where other teams' fans are going to travel for a winter getaway weekend.

[USUC]

Guys, the suggestions for a team name floating around the news and social media are all really bad. Blizzard is the worst of them.

[Commando]

No better result for Meruelo

The NHL kind of pressured him into it by first gauging interest in selling the team outright. When he said he was definitely not interested, they started asking if it was 'fair to the players' to have them at Mullet and not having a date to move into a big arena. lol ok. I think the real story is the NHL really wanted that SLC/Ryan Smith moolah asap, saw a path forward by giving Meruelo an out (he has been under the gun at the NHL since 2021) obviously he could have made it a very messy situation with attorneys, but this was a smooth path forward for both parties. I agree they are doing Meruelo and Coyotes fans a solid-- there are probably a good handful of cities in North America that would do a lot for a promised expansion.

One interesting note during the interview is when Meruelo cited the move to Glendale as one of the biggest mistakes the Coyotes ever made. He was kicked out of the lease when he reportedly refused to sign a 20 YEAR lease agreement out there. He said the team in Tempe at Mullet completely eclipsed what they were ever able to do in Glendale-- that blows my mind. Glendale does suck, though. I'm amazed the Cardinals built their stadium out there. Meruelo does seem communicatively challenged-- he'd do well to hire some people as a liaison to handle the Coyotes with the city of Phoenix and state of Arizona for him going forward.

[Shaka]

Watching the Quebecois whine about the Coyotes move is even more fun than watching Arizonans complain. In other news, it looks like The Delta Center will be remodeled. 17k unobstructed for hockey and 19k for basketball.

[YOhio]

Watching the Quebecois whine about the Coyotes move is even more fun than watching Arizonans complain. In other news, it looks like The Delta Center will be remodeled. 17k unobstructed for hockey and 19k for basketball.

This news makes me happy. Really exciting to see some of the concepts thrown out. I'll be interested in seeing how much of it comes to fruition.

[Commando]

I've seen some Utah Karens already complaining about their taxes going up to finance the Delta Center upgrades. I have seen zero information that would lead someone to think Ryan Smith wasn't paying for it. Yet.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I've seen some Utah Karens already complaining about their taxes going up to finance the Delta Center upgrades. I have seen zero information that would lead someone to think Ryan Smith wasn't paying for it. Yet.

Lots of Ute fans complaining.

[LiveCoug]

I've seen some Utah Karens already complaining about their taxes going up to finance the Delta Center upgrades. I have seen zero information that would lead someone to think Ryan Smith wasn't paying for it. Yet.

? The state legislature already passed a funding bill for NHL. .5% sales tax increase around the district. Up to a billion in funding to make this happen

[LiveCoug]

Ryan smith is saying he'll leave the naming of the team up to the fans. They'll come up with a top 8 or something and then have fans vote, bracket style. Could be a disaster unless he is actually able to limit votes to utah NHL fans...

[Jeff Lebowski]

Ryan smith is saying he'll leave the naming of the team up to the fans. They'll come up with a top 8 or something and then have fans vote, bracket style. Could be a disaster unless he is actually able to limit votes to utah NHL fans...

Terrible idea.

[Commando]

? The state legislature already passed a funding bill for NHL. .5% sales tax increase around the district. Up to a billion in funding to make this happen

I thought that's when they were going full speed ahead with the new arena. I guess this is the best kind of levy they could approve, since if you don't want that tax you just... don't go out to games.