Alex Meruelo still wants to bring NHL hockey back to Arizona.
After the Arizona Coyotes were officially relocated to Salt Lake City in April, Meruelo said “I’m fully committed to moving forward with the process of reactivating the team.”
Apparently he’s sticking to his word, as PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan shared an encouraging statement Thursday from a spokesperson for Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego.
“Mayor Gallego had a productive meeting with Alex Meruelo and his family a few weeks ago, and they spoke about Mr. Meruelo’s plans to participate in the state land auction and, if successful, develop the north Phoenix site,” the statement said.
“The mayor believes professional hockey can thrive in the desert, but also made clear that she does not support using taxpayer funds, including property tax abatement, for sports arenas.”
The auction for the land that Meruelo wants to develop into a full-size NHL arena is set to take place on June 27. Meruelo said that if they win, it would be a game-changer for the future of hockey in Arizona.
“From here on out, what you have to understand is that I have not sold the actual team,” he said on The Burns and Gambo Show in April. “June 27 will be the start of a new beginning for the Coyotes and what we want to do.”
“I also understand believing (an owner requires) actions,” Meruelo added. “It’s not words, it’s actions.”
Meruelo still owns the Coyotes’ name, logo and trademark. He also retains ownership of the Tucson Roadrunners, the franchise’s AHL affiliate, and hopes to move them to Mullett Arena, the Coyotes’ temporary home shared with Arizona State University the past two seasons.
The league has granted him a five-year window to ensure there is a Coyotes 2.0 in the state of Arizona.
