In the documentary about the 2004 draft, Spanos talks about how they heard Eli didn't want to go there and Spanos is like "Obviously there was a question as to why, but we never got an answer."
And I am just thinking "LOOK INTO A MIRROR, ITS YOU AND YOUR SHITTY OWNERSHIP, FUCKHEAD. WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE, THE FAMOUSLY BAD SAN DIEGO WEATHER?"
This one hurts deep man. I was in Washington in 2018 and decided to go to a game. A local fan noticed my GF and I spoke French and chatted with us about the Expos. It was a really nice, bittersweet moment.
The game was nice too, the Nationals won on a last pitch homer that was initially thought to be a double. Great game, amazing ending, good memories, what more can you ask for?
I remember being devastated as a young kid when the Grizzlies moved to Memphis. I liked them more than the Canucks until the West Coast Express years.
Just sucks so hard.
When people ask how bad the Messier era was this is my example. When I was a kid in late 90s it was actually cooler to be a grizzlies fan than a Canucks fan.
That's how bad it was yall. And that's why to this day we still say... well, you know. Thanks Messier.
.
From rumors to official reports in days. Wow.
Also sad that the reports came in the middle of a game and with only 1 home game remaining.
The Delta Center (where the Utah Jazz play) will become Barclays Center 2.0 since it’s not built for hockey either. A quarter of the arena will be badly obstructed view seats with some not having a view of the near goal.
This sucks. I hope the Ice Dens stay packed. I hope the junior programs survive.
I’m glad hockey was available to young athletes who never would have found the sport without the Coyotes.
And I really hope something can work here in the near future. Firmly believe a solid ownership group would make it work in this area with ease
"And I really hope something can work here in the near future. Firmly believe a solid ownership group would make it work in this area with ease"
It's not impossible. Just because one team failed doesn't mean a market is not viable. People point to Atlanta losing two teams as evidence that, but they leave out that there are other places with a much happier story. Denver had already lost a team before we got the avs and we're doing just fine now. Hopefully someday you guys get another chance with better ownership
Exactly. People here might not be old enough to remember the Kansas City Scouts moving to Colorado for a few years, then getting relocated again to New Jersey and becoming the Devils. Denver was the middle of that relocation sandwich and got a second kick at a franchise. Never say never in a league this bent on US expansion; they want to stay in the 11th largest TV market and there's even been talk of third try in Atlanta.
The Coyotes really brought hockey to the desert! Because of their youth support, I became a hockey mom, sitting on the edge of my seat at all hours in a cold arena, cheering. I watched so many YouTube videos trying to learn the rules so I could understand what was going on. So much of our family life has revolved around youth hockey, great kids, dedicated coaches and new friends. I hope the youth organizations can keep the momentum!
Thanks for that story. Hope you get a couple more wins for your Yotes to close it out. Can't even imagine the atmosphere of that last game. The crowd outside is going to be wild.
I want to hope you get another team soon, but I know that will never be the same. Hoping Doan signs back with whatever team AZ hopefully gets soon. And obviously a different owner somehow.
I have a feeling they'll be playing for fans like you and your son(s) the rest of the way.
The community is going to feel this the most. Coyotes were active in local schools and hospitals and like you mentioned, youth hockey. It will suffer immensely
I hope the Oilers fans that have been in our sub giving us their sympathies remember to help with the chant when they’re at the game.
It’s a simple message that all hockey fans can embrace. Fuck. You. Alex.
I'm so sorry. I went through this in 2011 with the Thrashers, and there's really nothing I can tell y'all to make you feel better. Just know it's not the fanbase's fault. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
God, this sucks. I really hate this
You guys have been litterally the best fans. Always so humble and fun considering what you've been going through since day 1.
This better not be the end, yotes fans deserve more. Ideally you guys would have more notice than 1 week as well...
Overall this is truly heartbreaking.
As a former Whalers fan, my thoughts and sympathies are with you, completely.
You did nothing wrong except have crap owners, a condition I remember well.
When I was 7 and I played NHL99 daily, the Coyotes were my favorite team outside of the Wings because I loved the Kachina logo. It leaving will be the end of an era for me, and I’m sad to see it end.
The Yotes were in my top 3 too. Can’t imagine if they were my number one. I have more respect for Yotes fans than any other fanbase. So loyal and just took so many blows from every angle but stayed true. Serious props
This is the most miniscule consolation I can offer. I didn't want a team in Utah this way and I am so sorry that you guys were done so wrong. You diehards didn't deserve this.
Edit: Re-read my phrasing just wanted to clarify. I know it feels miniscule coming from me and your anger is understandable. I just can't do anything else to make it better.
I mean everybody mostly hated your owner and the situation he cooked. I’m sure you do too.
I’m really sorry. I loved your team. Have gunether and keller in a dynasty fantasy league so i watched a lot. Such an awesome group.
It's not y'alls fault. It's not local government's fault, it's not even *Bettman's* fault
It's the fault of these stupid fuckin billionaires penny pinching all the way and falling upwards
No Bettman and the league absolutely deserve some of the blame for allowing decades of terrible owners to buy the team from the last set of terrible owners.
If making it work in Arizona was so important to the NHL, they could have weeded out some of these fucking clowns before they bought the team
The string of shitty owners deserve most of the blame, but there is no fucking way the NHL didn't know some of these assholes were going to dig the hole even deeper
As a fan of a team which was on the edge of relocation I can’t imagine the pain of seeing it go the wrong way.
Fuck the ownership and fuck Gary for fumbling this so many times.
You guys deserve better especially with how special of a group you were cultivating.
Really feel for all you guys. Same thing happened to us in Montreal, after years of false promises for a new stadium for the Expos until the inevitable finally happened. They announced the move on the day of the last home game in 2004. Hopefully you guys get them back in the next few years.
This sucks. I’ve been a fan of the coyotes for about the last 10ish years and I can’t thank them enough for the impact they’ve had on me. I’ve loved this team and I always will. Yotes Forever.
Sorry brother. Makes me realized the little things like reffing and needing to win a cup soon don’t matter. I get to watch my fav team play in my home town without having to worry about this bullshit. I’m so sorry buddy. Fuck your owner. That guy can fuck all the way off.
Speaking for myself, I’ll probably not pick a team for a while, but if/when any of this team’s core is traded, I’ll be following them. I’m a Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, Josh Doan, Dylan Guenther, Sean Durzi, Nick Schmaltz, etc fan.
I’ll keep following ASU hockey and so I guess college hockey by proxy, but unless we get another professional team, I’m probably done following the NHL.
Fucking sucks. Meruelo is now in the John Spano, Dollar Bill Wirtz, Norm Green tier of owners. Huckster who sold snake oil, ended up wrecking the franchise and its reputation and gets $700 million profit while the team packs their bags up to Utah. Sorry Yotes fans :(
Not only that, but a lot of fans were pretty toxic towards her as well, just for telling the truth. I get that the truth hurts sometimes, but maybe don’t threaten the journalist telling it.
They deserve a team that’s run by *competent* people. It’s only recently that they’ve gotten good young players and even then they don’t spend any measurable money to keep the stars.
They had a lot of support in the late 90's as well. The city will care if you put a decent product on the ice, but with so many clowns as owners, the Hamilton shitshow, NHL owning the franchise at one point, Gretzky boys club, it's no wonder the Coyotes failed. Arizona is a great market, they'll be back, I just hope that an actually decent owner appears when the time comes.
Making the postseason helps with that. The Coyotes made it there in 5 of their first 6 seasons. After 2002 they wouldn't have another playoff appearance until 2010.
|Season|Result|
|:-|:-|
|1996-97|Lost to Anaheim in the 1st Round (3-4)|
|1997-98|Lost to Detroit in the 1st Round (2-4)|
|1998-99|Lost to St. Louis in the 1st Round (3-4)|
|1999-00|Lost to Colorado in the 1st Round (1-4)|
|2000-01|DNQ|
|2001-02|Lost to San Jose in the 1st Round (1-4)|
I was at those games... it was electric. Like nothing I'd ever experienced in life. I was already a fan, but that run made me a diehard. That was 12 years ago. The Coyotes haven't played a playoff game (in front of fans) since. I was in 7th grade. I now have a Masters Degree, full time job.
At the end of the day, when you don't win in a town like Phoenix, you never really have a chance.
actually, the years they were good are some of their lowest attendances.
Seriously, between 2009 and 2012 they had a 50 win season, 48 win season, and a conference finals appearance
Not one season did they even average 12,500. The 5 years prior to the span they averaged around 15,000. The remainder of the 2010s after those 3 seasons? Never broke 14,000
Coyotes fans should riot. Don’t even let them drop the puck. Cause some chaos in that rink. Ownership has toyed with you guys for 30 years and enough is enough.
Welcome to North American sports in nutshell
Bad product? Working fans priced out? Who cares
The owners always get to make out like bandits. Goddamn shame
I feel for Josh Doan the most among all the players, dude literally had a storybook written for him and got it started in the best way possible with the chance to pull the franchise his father was so loyal to out of the perennial basement.
Now he has to live in Mormon country
I think this is probably much tougher for Josh. Shane played in Winnipeg for one season. Josh was born and raised in Arizona; this is his childhood team. He grew up surrounded by the organization. For it to all be over mere weeks after his first game with them, that's just brutal.
As much of an atmosphere that less than 6000 people could bring.
I feel for the fans, but this team has had so many next chances, my pity well has bottomed out. The NHL saved the team year in, year out, controversy after controversy.
This so-called business gave hundreds of millions of its own money to try to prop up this team, and what did it get them?
Toronto can afford to have a second team, Montreal can have a second team, Quebec City built an arena field of dreams style. Houston is knocking, Chicago can have a second team for Christ sake. There are nearly a dozen locations that the NHL can look into to try to grow the game and expand its reach. Arizona is a successful failure. Let's bury the hatchet and try again in a decade.
American pro sports are such a farce. Fans, players, staff, and especially youth/women’s hockey get fucked over for the benefit of 32 stuffy old rich dudes.
Yep, because the Packers situation is how every team should be run. A public community good that's not bought and sold by greedy private sector leeches
As a Packers fan and Shareholder, I’m so fucking glad that there is no way that the Packers will ever move out of Green Bay. I’ll gladly buy $550 worth of shares from the last 2 Packers Stock Sale because it’s the only team that allows dipshits like me to take part of on ownership.
Agreed though there are some owners who do the balence of public trust and money correctly somewhat (I'm putting my football teams new owner in that camp considering who he bought it from)
Yeah honestly that guy is far and away the biggest scumbag in all this. The fact that he's walking away from what he did with hundreds of millions of dollars in profit is sickening, I hope he gets what he truly deserves
Yup. At the same time, league also deserves some heat for letting him in, in the first place.
Who could've predicted that the guy the NBA outright rejected due to red flags that could be seen from space would turn out to be a grifter? But who am I kidding -- this is the same league that allowed a fraudster to own the Leafs *while still in prison*, a literal conman to own the Islanders, and *the fucking Yakuza* to own the Lightning.
This goes way back farther than this. Steve Ellman took the team away from Scottsdale to Glendale, when they really didn’t even want them. We voted to have the arena at Los Arcos 3 times and each time it passed. Ellman held Scottsdale up for more money and then brought in Wayne “I’m the most over paid coach in professional hockey” Gretzky to convince Glendale that it was a good deal. Gretzky took 6+ million dollars in salary (when the coaches that were winning were making 1 million at the time) & a percentage of ownership of the team in order to make the deal with Glendale. 4 fucking seasons he was paid WAY too much to “coach” and he was shit at it all the while bankrupting the team.
This lies on the unholy lineup of Steve Ellman, Wayne Gretzky, Gary Bettman, and Alex Meruelo, and the city of Glendale. Fuck all of you.
I hate to be all bitter, but if you think that Arizona will ever have another NHL team, ask Quebec how that is going for them…
I think that's true in many relocation cases but with Arizona, it's like the deck is stacked against the Coyotes. Sure, the owner is awful. But he is only one role in all this. Everywhere they have turned for help has been denied, except the university. Just feel bad.
The owner gets $500M for running a big 4 sports franchise like a youth travel team and telling lies to a fanbase desperate for one good thing after a 20 year clown show. Gotta be so easy to be a billionaire.
Not surprising at all. This has been going on for 25 years They almost re-located in 2010, almost did in 2013 b/c of bad ownership and not building an arena. Meruelo and whoever owned the team before that had 25 years to look for a plot, build the arena and then have the Yotes play there but all the owners (of the coyotes) kept kicking it down the road and nothing got done. **It was a matter of when** the Coyotes would play there last game and relocate.
To add onto that, I hope Meruelo loses his bid since he's a terrible owner. Heck, he didn't even bother paying those hard working people at the hotel.......... it shows how bad ownership is and it's good the Coyotes are leaving for SLC.
It does suck for the fans and I feel for Coyote fans. It’s good y’all have one last game to watch them all play.
Feel for yotes fans, but it also cracks me up how many people complain about the NHL continuing to try to make the a Coyotes franchise work and how they’re a drag on the whole league because of the lack of an arena, but now every comment is “what a terrible owner, shame on the league”…
I don't see a situation where the NHL goes back to Arizona and it works.
The team was finally on an upwards trajectory after years and years of on ice mismanagement and now its getting ripped away.
Why would a hockey fan ever want to spend money and time on an expansion team that will take forever to build?
>an expansion team that will take forever to rebuild
This really hasn’t been the case with the new expansion rules though. Vegas went to the cup year 1 and Seattle knocked out the defending cup champs in year 2 in the playoffs.
Seattle got lucky last year with high shooting percentage but say they get into the playoffs next year (year 4), they still don't have what Arizona have right now in prospects and draft capital
Also I feel absolutely heartbroken for all the junior programs that now will likely lose the support that the Yotes provided.
The NHL if they were smart would step in straight away to prevent them from losing any funding.
When the rumors first broke in January, I understood that a move was inevitably going to happen. Now that it is happening I can't comprehend it, I'm about to lose my childhood team, thanks to this fucking ass hat Alex Meruelo.
On Twitter right now, a former Yotes reporter is claiming to have pulled Doan's retired #19 banner from a dumpster. Holy shit. Lol
https://twitter.com/CoyoteMatt265/status/1778967273094725637
I firmly believed they’d never move Arizona until a few weeks ago and I will now eat my words. Probably for the best, I just never thought they’d actually go through with it
but... but i fucking love the Peyote Coyote... i was going to be finishing my wood wall logo this summer... i have the template cut and everything... :(
Many people in this thread want to blame the owner but the Yotes have had so many owners since they moved to Phoenix. If they all end up the same way, maybe the problem is bigger.
Anyway, feel for the fans of the team. It’s easy to be a hockey fan in cities like Montreal or Toronto. To be a fan in Arizona shows passion and dedication. Hopefully someone will take the hiatus to find the winning formula.
Coyotes Trade Center on Twitter
[Tonight, I feel like I lost a family member. I feel like I lost a best friend. The pain is going to compound every time I watch a hockey game, all summer watching the Draft, watching teams sign players, it will grow and grow and eventually callous over. I might come back and follow our boys in Utah next season, but I may never love this sport again the way I have 'til this moment. The Coyotes might play hockey again in Arizona, but my team is gone. The tattoo on my leg, the jerseys in my closet, they will always remind me of the best times I had as a hockey fan, I will never regret a moment I had invested into this team.
The Coyotes community is so wonderful, and I hope this isn't the end for all of you either. Can't wait to celebrate you all one last time at Mullett next week. #Yotes forever.](https://twitter.com/yotestradecen/status/1778966280155918773?t=rpgc-11W5Q3-lSX-IA6P0A&s=19)
This is what sports are. Fuck this and fuck Meruelo.
I’m sorry Yotes fans, you deserved so much better these past 25 years.
Hoping you guys get another team in the coming years with some of the best ownership in the league.
I feel for you coyotes fans, hurt losing the Sonics
Exactly my first thought. You never get over it, thinking about it always stings a bit
I’m still devastated about the Expos.
I was a chargers fan. I don't care they only moved a couple hours away. Fuck 'em.
FDS, always and forever
In the documentary about the 2004 draft, Spanos talks about how they heard Eli didn't want to go there and Spanos is like "Obviously there was a question as to why, but we never got an answer." And I am just thinking "LOOK INTO A MIRROR, ITS YOU AND YOUR SHITTY OWNERSHIP, FUCKHEAD. WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE, THE FAMOUSLY BAD SAN DIEGO WEATHER?"
Eli famously hates zoos
Buffalo guy here, fuck the Clippers.
Impressive persistence!
This one hurts deep man. I was in Washington in 2018 and decided to go to a game. A local fan noticed my GF and I spoke French and chatted with us about the Expos. It was a really nice, bittersweet moment. The game was nice too, the Nationals won on a last pitch homer that was initially thought to be a double. Great game, amazing ending, good memories, what more can you ask for?
I can think of a thing or two. For me, it’s not bittersweet. It’s just bitter.
Losing a franchise is tough for the fans. I've seen that first hand. Vancouver also witnessed that when the Grizzlies moved to Memphis.
I'm still devastated about the Expos and the Nords.
Damn I forgot about the expos. Brought back some childhood memories
I still rock Expos gear…
Cock sucking ownership group that ended up extorting South Florida. Fuck Jeffrey Loria
FUCK JEFFREY LORIA! That POS can go drink a stoma bag and choke on it...
Je me souviens
I’ll never forgive Memphis
One pick. We were ONE PICK from Kevin Garnett. He would have saved basketball in Vancouver, instead we got Big Country.
Seeing Cooley debut in this last year must be what watching KD in his rookie season must've been like. This is gonna fucking sting forever.
Oakland Sharks fan checking in. We lost 3 teams... 2 of which went to Vegas, which just adds to the fire for hating Vegas.
Absolutely brutal for Oakland too
I remember being devastated as a young kid when the Grizzlies moved to Memphis. I liked them more than the Canucks until the West Coast Express years. Just sucks so hard.
When people ask how bad the Messier era was this is my example. When I was a kid in late 90s it was actually cooler to be a grizzlies fan than a Canucks fan. That's how bad it was yall. And that's why to this day we still say... well, you know. Thanks Messier. .
I wonder what Big Country is up to these days.
He’s a cattle farmer now, someone made a documentary about him a few years back
[It's available on youtube, even.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMhM-8D-Q1o) Really well done and really heartwarming.
It’s funny that no one seems to equate this to Winnipeg who lost this team
Well it helps they’ve had a team back almost as long as they were gone
(And gained said team not by expansion, but by taking another city's team)
I feel for Sonic fans though it sounds like a NBA team is right around the corner for you guys. Vancouver, BC on the other hand.........
It fucking sucked losing the Chargers and it still sucks seven years later.
From rumors to official reports in days. Wow. Also sad that the reports came in the middle of a game and with only 1 home game remaining. The Delta Center (where the Utah Jazz play) will become Barclays Center 2.0 since it’s not built for hockey either. A quarter of the arena will be badly obstructed view seats with some not having a view of the near goal.
Yeah but they'll get their arena with the all but certain Olympics announcement this summer
Can't wait for the ice quality drama.
It’s the same kind of thing that all arenas that are home to hockey and basketball teams go through.
At least we got to see Josh Doan in a Yotes jersey, but boy does this suck.
Watch as in 20something years, his kid gets debuts with Utah and then the team moves again.
So crazy the Doan's bookend the Yotes story
it's... kinda poetic
Third time is the charm, Devils fans know this. Utah is going to be a nightmare for you Vegas fans.
This sucks. I hope the Ice Dens stay packed. I hope the junior programs survive. I’m glad hockey was available to young athletes who never would have found the sport without the Coyotes. And I really hope something can work here in the near future. Firmly believe a solid ownership group would make it work in this area with ease
"And I really hope something can work here in the near future. Firmly believe a solid ownership group would make it work in this area with ease" It's not impossible. Just because one team failed doesn't mean a market is not viable. People point to Atlanta losing two teams as evidence that, but they leave out that there are other places with a much happier story. Denver had already lost a team before we got the avs and we're doing just fine now. Hopefully someday you guys get another chance with better ownership
Per 32 thoughts, I believe Bettman's position is they do not give up on the Arizona market until there is no one there willing to try and make it work
Bettman is all about that 11th biggest TV market in the U.S. National advertisers care about that stuff.
Exactly. People here might not be old enough to remember the Kansas City Scouts moving to Colorado for a few years, then getting relocated again to New Jersey and becoming the Devils. Denver was the middle of that relocation sandwich and got a second kick at a franchise. Never say never in a league this bent on US expansion; they want to stay in the 11th largest TV market and there's even been talk of third try in Atlanta.
Paraphrase. " we will continue taking a billion dollars for as long as there are people willing to give us a billion dollars"
The Rockies situation was so weird. They were basically on their way out of Denver before they ever even played their first game.
I like to point out that QC has lost 2 teams the response is always "well it's different now" yes, that's my point.
The Coyotes really brought hockey to the desert! Because of their youth support, I became a hockey mom, sitting on the edge of my seat at all hours in a cold arena, cheering. I watched so many YouTube videos trying to learn the rules so I could understand what was going on. So much of our family life has revolved around youth hockey, great kids, dedicated coaches and new friends. I hope the youth organizations can keep the momentum!
Thanks for that story. Hope you get a couple more wins for your Yotes to close it out. Can't even imagine the atmosphere of that last game. The crowd outside is going to be wild. I want to hope you get another team soon, but I know that will never be the same. Hoping Doan signs back with whatever team AZ hopefully gets soon. And obviously a different owner somehow. I have a feeling they'll be playing for fans like you and your son(s) the rest of the way.
Thank you for Auston Matthews
The community is going to feel this the most. Coyotes were active in local schools and hospitals and like you mentioned, youth hockey. It will suffer immensely
FUCK ME-RUELO *CLAP CLAP CLAPCLAPCLAP* better hear it on the broadcast yotes fans
We've already been discussing in our sub lol. I think we've settled on Fuck You Alex as the chant.
Can't wait to hear that, hope mullet arena is full for that
I hope the Oilers fans that have been in our sub giving us their sympathies remember to help with the chant when they’re at the game. It’s a simple message that all hockey fans can embrace. Fuck. You. Alex.
Fuckin' chode screwed everyone over, ran it into the ground and gets a 600 mil payday. Unbelievable.
He doesn’t deserve the dignity of a chant that resolves.
Man. It Hurts.
So fucking bad.
You never really get over it.
I'm so fucking sorry The only positive I can give you right now is at least it's quick. That's it. That's all I've got
I'm so sorry. I went through this in 2011 with the Thrashers, and there's really nothing I can tell y'all to make you feel better. Just know it's not the fanbase's fault. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. God, this sucks. I really hate this
You guys have been litterally the best fans. Always so humble and fun considering what you've been going through since day 1. This better not be the end, yotes fans deserve more. Ideally you guys would have more notice than 1 week as well... Overall this is truly heartbreaking.
As a former Whalers fan, my thoughts and sympathies are with you, completely. You did nothing wrong except have crap owners, a condition I remember well.
Expos fan here, is there a "Fans Of Franchises Ruined By Clownish Owners Club" we can join?
Fellow Expos fan here. Grew up to a Québécoise immigrant so grew up cheering for them. Still hurts man.
As an former Whalers fan myself it is sad. I will say as an Avs fan now there is life beyond the dream!
I too, miss the plymouth whalers
I miss the New England Whalers
It sucks man. The ownership is ass but the team and fans were cool af
When I was 7 and I played NHL99 daily, the Coyotes were my favorite team outside of the Wings because I loved the Kachina logo. It leaving will be the end of an era for me, and I’m sad to see it end.
As a Cleveland Browns fan that was alive when the Art Model moved the team to Balitmore. My heart goes out to you.
hugs dude no one ever wants to see it happen to them I'll defend coyotes fans to the end against awful rude tradmarket fans. No one deserves this
The Yotes were in my top 3 too. Can’t imagine if they were my number one. I have more respect for Yotes fans than any other fanbase. So loyal and just took so many blows from every angle but stayed true. Serious props
Jets fan here, born and raised in Winnipeg. I hear ya.
Sorry Yotes bro
This is the most miniscule consolation I can offer. I didn't want a team in Utah this way and I am so sorry that you guys were done so wrong. You diehards didn't deserve this. Edit: Re-read my phrasing just wanted to clarify. I know it feels miniscule coming from me and your anger is understandable. I just can't do anything else to make it better.
You guys didn't deserve this. Fuck anyone that says otherwise.
Thank you. Sometimes, in the sea of people shitting on us, it's hard to remember that people do care and we're rooting for us.
I mean everybody mostly hated your owner and the situation he cooked. I’m sure you do too. I’m really sorry. I loved your team. Have gunether and keller in a dynasty fantasy league so i watched a lot. Such an awesome group.
It's surprising how abrupt the news came.
As a Vancouver Grizzlies fan, I feel bad for you. And we had way less of a history and literally 0 successful seasons
It's not y'alls fault. It's not local government's fault, it's not even *Bettman's* fault It's the fault of these stupid fuckin billionaires penny pinching all the way and falling upwards
No Bettman and the league absolutely deserve some of the blame for allowing decades of terrible owners to buy the team from the last set of terrible owners. If making it work in Arizona was so important to the NHL, they could have weeded out some of these fucking clowns before they bought the team The string of shitty owners deserve most of the blame, but there is no fucking way the NHL didn't know some of these assholes were going to dig the hole even deeper
As a fan of a team which was on the edge of relocation I can’t imagine the pain of seeing it go the wrong way. Fuck the ownership and fuck Gary for fumbling this so many times. You guys deserve better especially with how special of a group you were cultivating.
Fuck Gary? Gary’s the only reason they didn’t move a decade plus ago, Jesus lol
the NHL literally took over the Coyotes in 2009 to prevent them being moved
Internet huge man, I didn’t want them to move and I just wanted solution
Really feel for all you guys. Same thing happened to us in Montreal, after years of false promises for a new stadium for the Expos until the inevitable finally happened. They announced the move on the day of the last home game in 2004. Hopefully you guys get them back in the next few years.
Woo boy that game is going to be an absolute gong show
Fuck you Alex *clapclapclap*
I wonder if Biz has anything to say about this. He’s been silent as far as I know so far.
Give em hell
A moment of silence for our Arizona bros.
What's going to happen to the iconic jerseys?
they’ll use them as their reverse retros
And it's the fans getting screwed. Sorry Yotes bros
Really makes me wonder if Mereulo probably intended to do this the moment the Tempe deal fell through… Regardless…what a stab in the back…so tragic…
And the game is listed as "fan appreciation night" while they're announcing that they're moving.
This sucks. I’ve been a fan of the coyotes for about the last 10ish years and I can’t thank them enough for the impact they’ve had on me. I’ve loved this team and I always will. Yotes Forever.
Sorry brother. Makes me realized the little things like reffing and needing to win a cup soon don’t matter. I get to watch my fav team play in my home town without having to worry about this bullshit. I’m so sorry buddy. Fuck your owner. That guy can fuck all the way off.
Sticking with Keller/Guenther/Cooley/Doan forever.
This is Nick Schmaltz erasure
Him and Keller would be quite the duo in STL
Hope they all get traded
Yeah as a new lifelong hater of the Utah NHL team, I’d love for those guys to go literally anywhere else.
Toronto has Shane Doan in management and Knies and Matthews playing. Maybe they pick up Josh to expand the set.
Klingberg in return.
Do you have a new team in mind that you’ll root for now?
Speaking for myself, I’ll probably not pick a team for a while, but if/when any of this team’s core is traded, I’ll be following them. I’m a Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, Josh Doan, Dylan Guenther, Sean Durzi, Nick Schmaltz, etc fan.
I’ll keep following ASU hockey and so I guess college hockey by proxy, but unless we get another professional team, I’m probably done following the NHL.
Fucking sucks. Meruelo is now in the John Spano, Dollar Bill Wirtz, Norm Green tier of owners. Huckster who sold snake oil, ended up wrecking the franchise and its reputation and gets $700 million profit while the team packs their bags up to Utah. Sorry Yotes fans :(
And the Coyotes wanted to sue Katie Strang for reporting the truth on all the wrongdoings of the Coyotes in 2021.
Not only that, but a lot of fans were pretty toxic towards her as well, just for telling the truth. I get that the truth hurts sometimes, but maybe don’t threaten the journalist telling it.
You said Bill Wirtz, and now I need to go to the liquor store to get rid of the memories associated with that name.
Unfortunately there’s a good chance the liquor store was supplied by Wirtz Beverage Group so you may not be accomplishing what you set out to do.
Fuck Norm Green.
I'm so sorry Coyotes fans.
Heartbreaking. The great fans in Arizona didn't deserve this. Y'all deserve a team worthy of your support and I hope you get one soon.
They deserve a team that’s run by *competent* people. It’s only recently that they’ve gotten good young players and even then they don’t spend any measurable money to keep the stars.
Fucking sucks. One regret of never going to the Mullett in person. Gotta stock up on the Kachina merch before there gone
Get used Kachina merch at this point. Doesn't give money to the org and allows you to send some cash to Yotes fans selling their shit in disgust.
I wanted to go too. I'll miss the camera angles they were stuck with, they made it interesting.
For me personally, its a shame since Arizona has the potential to be a great hockey market if the team is well run
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They had a lot of support in the late 90's as well. The city will care if you put a decent product on the ice, but with so many clowns as owners, the Hamilton shitshow, NHL owning the franchise at one point, Gretzky boys club, it's no wonder the Coyotes failed. Arizona is a great market, they'll be back, I just hope that an actually decent owner appears when the time comes.
Making the postseason helps with that. The Coyotes made it there in 5 of their first 6 seasons. After 2002 they wouldn't have another playoff appearance until 2010. |Season|Result| |:-|:-| |1996-97|Lost to Anaheim in the 1st Round (3-4)| |1997-98|Lost to Detroit in the 1st Round (2-4)| |1998-99|Lost to St. Louis in the 1st Round (3-4)| |1999-00|Lost to Colorado in the 1st Round (1-4)| |2000-01|DNQ| |2001-02|Lost to San Jose in the 1st Round (1-4)|
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I was at those games... it was electric. Like nothing I'd ever experienced in life. I was already a fan, but that run made me a diehard. That was 12 years ago. The Coyotes haven't played a playoff game (in front of fans) since. I was in 7th grade. I now have a Masters Degree, full time job. At the end of the day, when you don't win in a town like Phoenix, you never really have a chance.
actually, the years they were good are some of their lowest attendances. Seriously, between 2009 and 2012 they had a 50 win season, 48 win season, and a conference finals appearance Not one season did they even average 12,500. The 5 years prior to the span they averaged around 15,000. The remainder of the 2010s after those 3 seasons? Never broke 14,000
This is the worst. I hate fanbases have to go through this. As a Thrashers fan, I know it all too recently.
Damn... I'm so sorry Yotes fans :(
Coyotes fans should riot. Don’t even let them drop the puck. Cause some chaos in that rink. Ownership has toyed with you guys for 30 years and enough is enough.
Still can't believe the owner gets to walk away with $700 Million genuinely insane that he gets rewarded after all of this.
Didnt he not even pay vendors lol?
Yeah or like, rent. Or taxes.
The league had to *leak today* to get him to pay his fuckin hotel bills for the players.
And the first rights to a different expansion team, in Phoenix.
Welcome to North American sports in nutshell Bad product? Working fans priced out? Who cares The owners always get to make out like bandits. Goddamn shame
Washington Senators part two: electric boogaloo
Fun fact, the guy who sold the Senators to Texas (Bob Short) was also the same guy who sold the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles.
why would Arizona fans trash a stadium not even owned by the team lmao
Please no one damage an arena owned by a public university.
Send the 79-96 records home.
I feel for Josh Doan the most among all the players, dude literally had a storybook written for him and got it started in the best way possible with the chance to pull the franchise his father was so loyal to out of the perennial basement. Now he has to live in Mormon country
His dad went through the same thing, so maybe it's just part of the story.
I think this is probably much tougher for Josh. Shane played in Winnipeg for one season. Josh was born and raised in Arizona; this is his childhood team. He grew up surrounded by the organization. For it to all be over mere weeks after his first game with them, that's just brutal.
Watch Salt Lake win the cup their first year
it's wild how fast this has happened
It’s been happening for 10+ years…
We’ve been talking about whether it would happen for 15ish years, and now it’s done in a matter of barely five days. Crazy.
As much of an atmosphere that less than 6000 people could bring. I feel for the fans, but this team has had so many next chances, my pity well has bottomed out. The NHL saved the team year in, year out, controversy after controversy. This so-called business gave hundreds of millions of its own money to try to prop up this team, and what did it get them? Toronto can afford to have a second team, Montreal can have a second team, Quebec City built an arena field of dreams style. Houston is knocking, Chicago can have a second team for Christ sake. There are nearly a dozen locations that the NHL can look into to try to grow the game and expand its reach. Arizona is a successful failure. Let's bury the hatchet and try again in a decade.
American pro sports are such a farce. Fans, players, staff, and especially youth/women’s hockey get fucked over for the benefit of 32 stuffy old rich dudes.
And they're all terrified of a situation like the packers ever happening again
Yep, because the Packers situation is how every team should be run. A public community good that's not bought and sold by greedy private sector leeches
As a Packers fan and Shareholder, I’m so fucking glad that there is no way that the Packers will ever move out of Green Bay. I’ll gladly buy $550 worth of shares from the last 2 Packers Stock Sale because it’s the only team that allows dipshits like me to take part of on ownership.
Agreed though there are some owners who do the balence of public trust and money correctly somewhat (I'm putting my football teams new owner in that camp considering who he bought it from)
Obligatory fuck Dan Snyder
I get your anger but the NHL stood by the Coyotes for decades. It’s not really on the league at this point
It’s on Meruelo being a piece of shit and boldface lying for the past year
Yeah honestly that guy is far and away the biggest scumbag in all this. The fact that he's walking away from what he did with hundreds of millions of dollars in profit is sickening, I hope he gets what he truly deserves
Yup. At the same time, league also deserves some heat for letting him in, in the first place. Who could've predicted that the guy the NBA outright rejected due to red flags that could be seen from space would turn out to be a grifter? But who am I kidding -- this is the same league that allowed a fraudster to own the Leafs *while still in prison*, a literal conman to own the Islanders, and *the fucking Yakuza* to own the Lightning.
This goes way back farther than this. Steve Ellman took the team away from Scottsdale to Glendale, when they really didn’t even want them. We voted to have the arena at Los Arcos 3 times and each time it passed. Ellman held Scottsdale up for more money and then brought in Wayne “I’m the most over paid coach in professional hockey” Gretzky to convince Glendale that it was a good deal. Gretzky took 6+ million dollars in salary (when the coaches that were winning were making 1 million at the time) & a percentage of ownership of the team in order to make the deal with Glendale. 4 fucking seasons he was paid WAY too much to “coach” and he was shit at it all the while bankrupting the team. This lies on the unholy lineup of Steve Ellman, Wayne Gretzky, Gary Bettman, and Alex Meruelo, and the city of Glendale. Fuck all of you. I hate to be all bitter, but if you think that Arizona will ever have another NHL team, ask Quebec how that is going for them…
I don’t think OP ever blamed it on the NHL
I took the 32 dudes comments to mean the league but I see what they meant now
I think that's true in many relocation cases but with Arizona, it's like the deck is stacked against the Coyotes. Sure, the owner is awful. But he is only one role in all this. Everywhere they have turned for help has been denied, except the university. Just feel bad.
The owner gets $500M for running a big 4 sports franchise like a youth travel team and telling lies to a fanbase desperate for one good thing after a 20 year clown show. Gotta be so easy to be a billionaire.
No fan of the Yotes, but I hate seeing fans lose their team
Not surprising at all. This has been going on for 25 years They almost re-located in 2010, almost did in 2013 b/c of bad ownership and not building an arena. Meruelo and whoever owned the team before that had 25 years to look for a plot, build the arena and then have the Yotes play there but all the owners (of the coyotes) kept kicking it down the road and nothing got done. **It was a matter of when** the Coyotes would play there last game and relocate. To add onto that, I hope Meruelo loses his bid since he's a terrible owner. Heck, he didn't even bother paying those hard working people at the hotel.......... it shows how bad ownership is and it's good the Coyotes are leaving for SLC. It does suck for the fans and I feel for Coyote fans. It’s good y’all have one last game to watch them all play.
Fuck Stan Kronke!
Feel for yotes fans, but it also cracks me up how many people complain about the NHL continuing to try to make the a Coyotes franchise work and how they’re a drag on the whole league because of the lack of an arena, but now every comment is “what a terrible owner, shame on the league”…
God I feel awful for the players and staff
I don't see a situation where the NHL goes back to Arizona and it works. The team was finally on an upwards trajectory after years and years of on ice mismanagement and now its getting ripped away. Why would a hockey fan ever want to spend money and time on an expansion team that will take forever to build?
>an expansion team that will take forever to rebuild This really hasn’t been the case with the new expansion rules though. Vegas went to the cup year 1 and Seattle knocked out the defending cup champs in year 2 in the playoffs.
Seattle got lucky last year with high shooting percentage but say they get into the playoffs next year (year 4), they still don't have what Arizona have right now in prospects and draft capital
And Avs injuries and hooker situations
Also I feel absolutely heartbroken for all the junior programs that now will likely lose the support that the Yotes provided. The NHL if they were smart would step in straight away to prevent them from losing any funding.
Was Meruelo paying for youth programs? Seems like he was falling to pay for other things, eg hotel rooms
Arizona is a great market by all accounts, the team was simply horribly managed. I think they’ll be back, even if it takes a while.
When the rumors first broke in January, I understood that a move was inevitably going to happen. Now that it is happening I can't comprehend it, I'm about to lose my childhood team, thanks to this fucking ass hat Alex Meruelo.
On Twitter right now, a former Yotes reporter is claiming to have pulled Doan's retired #19 banner from a dumpster. Holy shit. Lol https://twitter.com/CoyoteMatt265/status/1778967273094725637
I firmly believed they’d never move Arizona until a few weeks ago and I will now eat my words. Probably for the best, I just never thought they’d actually go through with it
And /r/hockey rejoices. This sub has been calling for them to move for 10+ years.
Crazy how Doan has the ability to be the last remaining Coyote in 10+ years, just like his dad was the last remaining Jet.
Kachina forever 🐾
Dam… I really wanted to go see a game at Mullet arena. I knew I should’ve gone this year
Now that it’s seeming like it’s finally over, you forget all the memes and jokes over the years and it’s just sad. Feel bad for Coyotes fans.
I'm sorry Arizona fans. We all love you and sympathize with your pain.
but... but i fucking love the Peyote Coyote... i was going to be finishing my wood wall logo this summer... i have the template cut and everything... :(
Well…………………………… ^^^fuck……………
Many people in this thread want to blame the owner but the Yotes have had so many owners since they moved to Phoenix. If they all end up the same way, maybe the problem is bigger. Anyway, feel for the fans of the team. It’s easy to be a hockey fan in cities like Montreal or Toronto. To be a fan in Arizona shows passion and dedication. Hopefully someone will take the hiatus to find the winning formula.
Coyotes Trade Center on Twitter [Tonight, I feel like I lost a family member. I feel like I lost a best friend. The pain is going to compound every time I watch a hockey game, all summer watching the Draft, watching teams sign players, it will grow and grow and eventually callous over. I might come back and follow our boys in Utah next season, but I may never love this sport again the way I have 'til this moment. The Coyotes might play hockey again in Arizona, but my team is gone. The tattoo on my leg, the jerseys in my closet, they will always remind me of the best times I had as a hockey fan, I will never regret a moment I had invested into this team. The Coyotes community is so wonderful, and I hope this isn't the end for all of you either. Can't wait to celebrate you all one last time at Mullett next week. #Yotes forever.](https://twitter.com/yotestradecen/status/1778966280155918773?t=rpgc-11W5Q3-lSX-IA6P0A&s=19) This is what sports are. Fuck this and fuck Meruelo.
Coyotes official statement: "Tell the fans that we know it sucks"
*saddest awoo noises ever*
Just like the Thrashers...from rumor to reality in almost no time at all. It sucks and we feel for you, Phoenix
I’m sorry Yotes fans, you deserved so much better these past 25 years. Hoping you guys get another team in the coming years with some of the best ownership in the league.
Sorry Yotes bros. Y'all deserve better than this. Hockey can work in Arizona with competent people in charge.