CXLVIII - NHL BOG approves sale and relocation of Coyotes to Ryan Smith, league announces establishment of franchise in Utah

[Brodie]

I hate this league and so many of its fans so much

 

[sneakytitz]

Found a steam:

 

[Major4Boarding]

So I guess ya'll aren't done talking about the future of the Coyotes after all?!

Shouldn't this thread be prefixed with "CXLVIII"?

EDIT: Looks like the stickied thread already has CXLVIII... So CXLIX then?

For immediate release:

Coyotes Thread CXLVIII has been deactivated and all pertinent content has been relocated here. Admin Fenway will hold a press conference on April 23 at Noon Eastern regarding the future of the Megathread. BOH Moderators Mouser and M4B will have 5 years to find continuing relevant content. Additional details forthcoming.

 

[bleedblue94]

I believe I said something similar a while but based on the notion Meruelo would have to pay the billion back to reactivate the team.

But Jeff Marek was on the PHNX podcast the other day and felt Meruelo had a lot more leverage here than people want to believe. Depending on the language of their agreement, Meruelo could come out of this with massive value.

That is if he pulls off the auction and builds the arena/ED he plans to with then timeline.

Either way he is coming out of this with a huge net gain. It is also possible that there is a two stage payoff for AM from the league to get control of the franchise again. The first one is now and the second is if he is able to get the team back. The bottom line is that what we "know" now is not going to be everything, and the NHL has a long and recent history of this so it is crazy for people to think there is transparency in this project. Unless the insiders have copies of the actual documents that they are willing to share then I will continue to operate based on historical norms of the league

 

[Llama19]

How can Bettman and Meruelo give these talking points...with a straight face...

 

[bleedblue94]

Dreger, Lebrun and Reda just had a discussion about the 1 billion in insider trading. It was said that most NHL BOGs don’t ever expect AM to be able to reactivate the franchise. They expect the NHL back in Arizona at some point but not AM as owner.

not shocking, but regardless AM is coming out with a big personal win

 

[DaBadGuy7]

 

[bleedblue94]

He’s going to pay back the $1 billion he got because as you said that is the bill of the expansion fee that Smith paid to the league. Of the team restarts then that money needs to go back into the shared pot between the 32 owners like an expansion fee would.

Now that price to get back in will be locked into the amount he gets from that sale because he already paid into the league when he bought the Coyotes. The money he gets is basically an interest free loan in exchange for the hockey ops until the Phoenix arena situation gets solved. Of course if it doesn’t then it basically translations to being a straight team sale and the league can move forward with an expansion fee for someone else.

BUT the coyotes would not be an expansion team. Bettman has used the language to avoid saying coyotes 2.0 would be an expansion. They exist, they are inactive. That is different than expansion so the comparison to an expansion fee isn't there. Smith paid an expansion fee for franchise 33.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

I'm hesitant to call people outright liars, but March 6 being "the first time it's brought up" is such complete bullshit.

I bet March 6 was the first time this specific mechanism (Meurelo sells team to NHL, NHL sells to SLC) was raised and that's the pretense for saying that statement.

 

[bleedblue94]

I fully agree the players would like to have a say in these issues, as well as many other topics. My view is when the PA assembles their CBA negotiation priority list for 2026 that things like arena size or ways to “pressure” the NHL to increase HRR will either be:

(a) Far enough down the PA’s priority list to not be worth dying on that hill, and/or

(b) A hard No from the NHL or requests for concessions in return which aren’t worth the tradeoff for the PA.

You think items by the PA to increase HRR will be down the priority list or a hard no from the league?

They both want those, but the PA wants a legit seat at the table in doing that rather than putting trust in the league to do it right.

 

[Llama19]

Live/YouTube link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvRGPcW9NLw

Note: This link will also provide the replay...once done...

 

[Major4Boarding]

Wow. Gary's back-peddling game is quick. AM: "I don't like the media" GB: "Let me translate that..."

 

[Llama19]

Alex just said he does not like media...then Bettman interjected...

 

[nickp91]

Gary Bettman translates it into doesn't like being in the public spotlight

 

[Llama19]

Meruelo stated franchise thrived at ASU?

 

[bleedblue94]

The more AM talks the more you realize he is a bit of a social idiot. He might be great at business structure and making money but speaking and the personable stuff is not his strong point. You have to wonder if that is part of why the league put a gag order on him through this process.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

Gary Bettman translates it into doesn't like being in the public spotlight

It should be unquestioned Bettman is very good at this. (Taking heat away from owners, which IMO is his no. 1 job)

 

[GKJ]

This would be a good time for the NHL Network to actually be a useful sport-specific network, why the f*** else does it exist

 

[OG6ix]

When this thread gets locked forever it's going to truly be an end of an era...

 

[GKJ]

Meruelo almost dropped an f-bomb

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

Tillman clearly wants a team, but he has never screamed "I need the NHL in H-Town this second!", more of a half hearted "I bad want hockey now, me sick" as if he's reading from cue cards.

Its all based on either extending the value of the Toyota Center, getting a new arena built, or shutting out another buyer in town as what are they gonna do: play at NRG Arena?

I still think Houston is getting a team with Atlanta sometime in the next 2-3 years because of the expansion fees and because of the Arizona quandary, but the league isn't going to make it obvious.

Here's my overly complicated theory - Tillman is going to use acquiring an NHL team as a way to try and get massive public subsidies for a brand new arena when the time comes.

 

[bleedblue94]

The more AM is talking the more the league is looking at him saying this guy cannot be a public rep for our league. Oh man...

Good thing Bettman is there to be a babysit him. AM wants a chance to "breathe" before he refunds ticket season holders that already paid. YIKES, this guy is a mess. and not at all helping his public image...

 

[Major4Boarding]

I doubt there are many left, but... to the few AM fans still holding on... I hope you're watching this press conference.

He wears his soul on his face. I haven't seen a cringeworthy presser like this in years!

 

[bleedblue94]

Bettman now answering questions for AM hahah

 

[Llama19]

Bettman...unfair to not keep Meruelo's own staff remotely informed of what was going on...sheesh...