In sports, there are role players, bench players, and superstars. Generally, when the clock is winding down, and there is one last shot, kick, etc., the best player usually takes it. It gives the team the best chance at winning; at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. While the situation is undoubtedly unique, something most franchises won’t ever encounter, this applies to the Arizona Coyotes. More specifically, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo has the ball in his court and will be the deciding factor in whether the team stays in Arizona or not.
It’s no secret that the Coyotes have been one of the NHL’s least successful franchises. While that’s another article for another time, some of that has to do with their arena situation. Ever since the team arrived in Arizona in 1996, it’s been a problem, and it appears they’ll have one final chance at securing their future in the Grand Canyon state.
Related: Coyotes Arena Update Answers Multitude of Questions
After the disastrous Tempe vote almost a year ago, Meruelo has a chance to fix what no other ownership group has yet to do: create sustainability for hockey in the desert for the foreseeable future. Richard Burke couldn’t get it done, and neither could all the rest of the owners on a long, long list. Things never come easy for the Coyotes, but with an upcoming auction to purchase a parcel of land, Meruelo and company can finally end the Houston, Atlanta, and Salt Lake City rumors that continue to swirl nonstop.
This will be a long one, so buckle up, and let’s see what needs to be done and what could happen if the Coyotes win the land auction.
What’s the Difference Between Tempe & the Miracle Development Project?
The Coyotes have always faced obstacles when it comes to finding a new home. It happened less than a year ago when Tempe residents shot down the Tempe Entertainment District (TED), and a landfill sits there now. That landfill was also said to be toxic, which raises questions about why the vote was rejected, but that’s an argument for another day. With that, there are a few vast differences between the TED project and the Coyotes arena project name, Miracle Development.
In terms of plans, it’s nearly identical to the TED, and most of the buildings that were planned around the arena itself are still part of it. One crucial factor now that they are eyeing this plot of land in northeast Phoenix is that there will be less worry about the height of the constructed buildings. That is because of TED’s proximity to Sky Harbor International Airport, which sees roughly 1,200 flights coming in and out daily. This should allow the Coyotes and the entirety of the construction process to flow much smoother.
In reality, there aren’t a whole lot of changes between the actual plans of the project; it’s more so the location, which lies off Loop 101 in north Phoenix. There was lots of chatter when the location was revealed, but diving deeper, northeast Phoenix holds plenty of season ticket holders and has plenty of entertainment nearby.
What the Auction Process Looks Like
On Thursday, March 14, the Arizona State Land Department Board of Appeals approved the Coyotes’ application to consider building a multi-purpose arena on the land. Of course, that’s great news, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s a small step in what’s to come. Now comes the uphill battle that’ll determine their future, but how exactly does the auction process work before that? And what does Meruelo need to do to ensure he keeps the Coyotes in Arizona?
Firstly, the land the Coyotes are vying for will be posted sometime next week. It’s currently unknown when that day is, but it’s been reported that it’ll be sometime next week. The land will have a minimum price tag of $68.5 million, and any party who entertains the idea of buying the land must offer that amount or higher. It’s speculated that the land will be up for auction for approximately ten weeks or more. Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports is hearing mid-June as a date when a winner will be selected.
It’s also fair to mention the offer with the most money won’t win. It’s the offer that meets the minimum requirement of $68.5 million, yes, but also who has the best plan. The Coyotes have arguably the best argument in that spectrum, as they’ll be putting in a state-of-the-art arena and more. This is likely the team’s biggest leg up on any other competitors if there are any. Surely, there will be plenty of people who are interested in buying such land, right? Well, diving deeper, the vast majority of auctions in the past included just one bidder. That would be the best-case scenario for the Coyotes.
However, on the flip side, Arizona has also had auctions with as many as 328 bids. Of course, that would change the complexity of this situation, as the more bidders there are, the higher the price of the land will be. Meruelo is worth over $2 billion, so do what you will, but the man at the helm has all the money to make this happen.
This is certainly a different scenario than the team saw itself in a year ago as they were anxiously waiting for a public vote. Now, they can only hope they can secure the land at hand and quickly get to work on building a new home for the Coyotes.
Best Case Scenario: Three More Seasons at Mullett Arena
It’s never good to assume things, especially regarding the Coyotes and arena issues, but let’s assume they win the auction. If that happens, the new arena won’t magically be planted in the plot of land; the construction timeline is roughly three years. That’s, of course, if there are no delays or postponements throughout building the highly anticipated project.
With that, the Coyotes will be at Mullett Arena for at least three more seasons. That would bring the grand total to five seasons at Arizona State University’s arena, which seats 4,600. This raises plenty of issues not only for the players but also for the NHLPA, which has already voiced its concerns. In particular, NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh bashed them for what has been going on in the desert regarding a new home.
“I have serious concerns with Arizona,” Walsh said. “I think I’ve made public statements, a lot of them and I made one today that I’m extremely disappointed in the ownership of Arizona, the president of Arizona. They have not reached out to the PA to talk about what the situation in Arizona is. Since I’ve been here, we have been working very closely with the league, been working to grow hockey…
“We have a team in Arizona that doesn’t seem interested in having a conversation with the union that represents the players that play on that team. Unfortunately we have had two unofficial deadlines to come up with some movement and we have gone past both of those, so I’m interested to see what the owners of Arizona have on their minds. It’s not just about buying a piece of land, ok you can buy a piece of land, but how long will it take you to permit the land, do you need a referendum, do you need to mediate the land? There are lots of questions…”
Fortunately for the Coyotes, Walsh can’t do anything about the situation at hand. He can voice his concerns all he wants, but at the end of the day, it’ll be Gary Bettman’s decision if anything happens. But as of now, if the auction ends up working out, they will play at least three more seasons at Mullett Arena.
Coyotes’ Last Hope Lies in Alex Meruelo’s Hands
While so many factors will play into this crucial time for the Coyotes, at the end of the day, it’s up to Meruelo. It’s safe to say that in his time as the team’s owner, he’s been heavily criticized for not being involved and not showing up at times, especially after the TED vote. That criticism is fair because fans want answers when things go south, but he can make up for all that if he wins this auction.
He is more than capable money-wise in buying the said land, but now it’s as if he’ll follow through with his promises and close the deal once and for all. “My goal here with the rest of the team, the executives, the players, the coaches — I will not stop until we bring a Stanley Cup to the Valley,” he said. “That is my goal, my commitment and hopefully my promise to keep to all of you guys.”
Meruelo will either close the deal, putting arena rumors in Arizona to rest for the foreseeable future, or the team will be placed in relocation rumors. It’ll be a busy couple of months regarding the development of this topic, and if it all goes well, in mid-June, all Coyotes fans will rejoice.
Arena Season Has Begun
If the TED had gone through, this article would not have been written. In fact, we’d likely be talking about the progress and development of the Coyotes’ new arena, which would’ve by now been under construction. However, this is the Coyotes we’re talking about, and they tend not to get any luck. This situation is a tad different as it’s truly in the hands of Meruelo. As mentioned, plenty of hurdles stand before the Coyotes and company, but it’s up to them and solely them. With that, the fans ask one thing from owner Alex Meruelo: win the auction.