7/10: Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports that Merullo has signed all of the necessary paperwork to transfer the assets to the Arizona Coyotes: As of today, the National Hockey League owns all of the brand and intellectual property of the Coyotes franchise and can sell it to a prospective buyer.
6/25: Alex MerueloMeruelo, owner of the defunct Coyotes, informed staff yesterday of his intention to part ways with the team, according to PHNX Sports' Craig Morgan. The news comes less than a week after the Arizona Department of Lands halted an auction for land that Meruelo was hoping to use to build the team's new arena. The team was officially put on hiatus this month when its hockey operations were sold to Salt Lake City-based Smith Entertainment Group.
“Meruelo told Coyotes staff yesterday,No plans to pursue further arena optionsMorgan testified that after the auction was canceled, the city of Phoenix failed to obtain the zoning permits necessary for Merullo's group to acquire the land in time for the auction.
The news put an immediate end to the NHL commissioner's original plans. Gary Bettman The plan was laid out in April when the league announced it would transfer the Coyotes' hockey operations to SEG and create a new franchise called the Utah Hockey Club. Merullo would receive a reported $1 billion for Arizona's players, reserves, draft picks and front office staff, and would pay the league back as an expansion fee if they could build a new arena within five years. The plan was contingent on Merullo having at least half the arena built by the end of 2027, but that now seems impossible without a final push for the disputed land in north Phoenix.
As part of the sale, Meruelo retained the Coyotes branding rights and ownership of the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners. It is unclear whether he will be able to transfer the Yotes name and logo to a new owner, who may try again to establish an expansion franchise in the Phoenix area. The Roadrunners, who will remain a minor league affiliate of the Utah Hockey Club next season, will play all of their home games next season in Tucson. Under plans announced last month, the Roadrunners would play their six regular-season home games at the 4,600-seat Mallet Arena on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, where the Coyotes played the past two seasons. However, with the cancellation of the auction, that plan is no longer in place.
Notably, Morgan said:At least two groups interested in bringing an expansion team back to ArizonaBut without a dedicated arena, the timeline for expanding again into the state will likely extend beyond the five-year exclusivity period originally granted to Merullo.
Meruelo plans to liquidate the remaining assets that make up the Coyotes, reports Sportico's Barry M. Bloom. That process would include returning the Coyotes name and logo to the NHL, but would theoretically allow the team to sell the branding rights to the next ownership group and apply for expansion in the Phoenix area. Meruelo would retain ownership of the AHL Tucson franchise, but would likely relocate to Reno, Nevada, once a new 10,600-seat facility is completed there before the 2026-27 season.
