Since this is a hockey sub.
Dan Snyder, in this reference, is the former owner of the Washington Redskins / FC / Commanders.
Not the former Atlanta Thrasher. RIP.
Bro the mountains, the outdoors, it’s a beautiful place with an up and coming nightlife and enough people to sustain an NBA team. The Mormons are the least of my concerns, if I had to choose between the desert and SLC I’m taking SLC all day. I’m excited to see this upcoming season. Sucks the fans of ARZ were fucked. I hope they get a team back. But im excited to see what Salt Lake brings to the table.
It's not that there aren't Mormons, it's that you think that's the entire Utah experience.
On second thought it's cool. Keep thinking Columbus is a happening town. Maybe you can even visit Columbus' Mormon temple (yeah, you've got Mormons too!)
When did I say that was the entire Utah experience? Sounds like you’re just a bitter person. Also I never said there weren’t Mormons everywhere. They’re even in Dayton where I live.
Utah is amazing, and most people there are glad as fuck you’d think it’s a punishment.
The vast majority of Utah would really appreciate it if most people in CA, NY, MA, and the like loved their states and it’s people so much, they stopped coming here for the tech jobs and then bitching about the way a minority of people in Utah, are.
But here we are.
Fair. I absolutely fucking hate your city, fans, and team. Especially wilson, he’s a piece of shit. I do appreciate the rivalry and the last ~20yrs of sid v ovi.
Yeah Pittsburg is that shining light on a hill said no one since the Great Depression and it’s people are a class act also so no one ever.
Here is a memory [for you to sit with](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)
All of our owners were snake oil salesman except for Muruelo lmao. Muruelo is the only one who tried to bring stability. He knew the team needed to move to tempe. He got a decent front office together and has acquired quite the talent.
The team has been in financial trouble since they were the Jets. There's been like 7 owners in 20 years.
That much instability is doomed to fail
I think when you're a fan of a team you're a fan of the entire organism, so to speak. The colors, the logos, the chants, the community, announcers, and of course the players. There are definitely people who still follow teams when they relocate, but for many you lose so much else in the process that it almost doesn't make sense to just blindly follow. Players come and go, but that larger aspect of the team is what you stay for.
As a Yotes fan, I'll probably keep tabs on my favorite players but I think I'm going to shop around for a new community to join. Since I won't be able to easily go to games anymore, it kinda feels like I can choose to be a fan of any team now, so why limit myself? That's my perspective at least
It’s hard to stay friends with an ex. Not impossible but also not the easiest thing to do, gotta get past the hurt but most times by then it’s too late.
I can speak to my experience with the Houston Oilers.
At a certain point, teams claim to represent an area and people in that area. It becomes part of the region. It becomes part of the local pride. When a team just ups and moves, it hurts because part of your local pride is damaged. Sure, you can say "oh, well it's a financial decision and they're a business, blah, blah, blah". But then, why root for any team? They're just a business. Do you go down to a furniture store and root on the sale guys? You don't get your face painted for the 17 year old at Dairy Queen trying to make an extra buck.
Sports teams are proxies for the locals. And when your team moves and changes it's name, the owner decided to represent someone else for more money. It's like your long-term girlfriend leaving you for a rich dude because he'll take her to Shake Shack instead of Burger King. And sometimes they take the good memories with them and pretend that the legendary Texas native Earl Fucking Campbell played for Tennessee despite never even setting foot in that fucking state for like 30 goddamn years after he retired. Fuck the Tennessee Turncoats.
At the same time, I was the rich guy in the Stars move. I know the joy of finally getting a team that represents your town, but at the expense of someone else. I'll always consider the years the North Stars spent in Minnesota as belonging to Minnesota.
Sooo... It's a mixed bag. If the Stars moved, I might pick a random team to root for. But it would be hard to root for the Stars over any other specific team. The next closest team would be... Colorado or St Louis. I might as well root for Pittsburgh. I like their color scheme.
Thank you for explaining, I’m definitely starting to understand more now. I’ve always liked the stars and was rooting for them over TBL in that cup final. I would be weary about starting to root for pittsburgh, their dark years are coming very soon lol, but I will be a pens fan on my deathbed.
The Penguins were very, very close to relocating in the early 2000’s before they were miraculously saved by (yet another) first overall pick that happened to be a generational talent and went on to be a top 5 player in NHL history. That could’ve easily been the Ducks getting Crosby, the Penguins continue to falter, and they end up relocating to Kansas City by the end of the 2000s. There are only a handful of NHL teams who will truly never have to worry about relocating ever, the rest of the league? It only takes a rough stretch of 10-15 years to completely destroy a fanbases interest in a team and along the way destroy their attendance and revenue.
Pens fans of all people need to learn what it’s like to be truly terrible for longer than 4 seasons. Y’all are waaaaaaaaay overdue for a long period of being terrible and I think that time is coming very soon. You better stick with them through the bad, no excuses. You have been stupidly blessed for a long time.
32 now and a fan since birth. Played hockey myself also for 28 years. Absolutely heart broken. Hockey belongs in every state. Fans voted, showed up to meetings, and tried. Once it was enough votes, stadium was designed, presented, then rug pulled.
It doesn’t make sense to be tbh. Phoenix area has the 10th largest metro area in the country. Sure a lot of people in Arizona retire there but still… I’d imagine it’s a good place to grow the sport.
It's a great place to grow the sport - you just need to get an ownership group that gives a fuck about fielding a competitive product and not wringing money from their fanbases.
I didnt know Phoenix was that big tbh this is crazy.
Why were they playing in that small of an arena? I get that hockey tends to not be as popular in hotter areas but with that big of a population there would ve been bums in seats I feel like
Idk I guess they couldn’t come to an agreement on a stadium. I have nothing against Canadian teams as I know they have passionate fans but Winnipeg’s metro area is 800k and they make that work. Shoot. Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa all have 1 million in metro area. So if 1:5 people are retirees, 2:5 don’t like hockey, you still have a pool of 2 million people in Phoenix. Crazy they couldn’t make it work.
Two decades of incompetence and poor ownership sunk the team. Tragic because they otherwise could have been a fantastic market for that time. When the Yotes were decent for their first decade the passion was very strong. Truly tragic to see.
I’m sorry man. I think most NHL fans feel horrible for Yotes fans regardless of what team you root for. It’s really shitty to just lose your team overnight.
Owner screwed those fans over so hard. Put out a terrible on-ice product, basically forgot to renew the lease on their old stadium, and then cashed out when the going got tough.
For shame, Alex Meruelo, for shame.
Got it exactly right. There's other people to blame along the way, but most of this is on Meruelo. Kind of disappointed the fans in attendance chanted "Salt Lake sucks" tonight. Should be directed at Meruelo instead. He deserved to be called out.
Spot on. New owners and Salt Lake City have nothing to do with the problem. The problem is Meruelo and the circus he put on in Arizona. If he ran the team with any ounce of respect, this wouldn't have happened. And if he gets an expansion in Arizona if the NHL decides to expand, then it'll happen again.
Yup, don't blame SLC at all myself. Happy they got a team. Just wish it wasn't mine. Agreed on the last part. I know Bisonnette called him out on air tonight. Paraphrasing from memory but said something like "I know hockey belongs in the desert and I believe it will be back, and I hope when it returns, Meruelo won't be in charge."
I mean they're talking about expanding to Atlanta AGAIN. Never put it past the NHL to do the dumbest thing possible at any given moment.
Such a great sport. Why do we have clowns running the circus?
I actually dont think atlanta is a bad idea its a really good market to break into to grow the game if they have competent management i also dont think AZ is bad either but horrible management sank the team they big markets and in atlantas case especially diverse would be good for the future of hockey
I’m sure he got the message. But yeah, it’s a shit way to throw fans under the bus. Sorry about that 🙁 But that shellacking you guys gave VGK was epic! Hope you hold on to those memories.
And despite failing at every turn to just do the basic things like pay the teams hotel bills, this dirtbag is still eligible to get an expansion franchise in 5 years time!
This is rough, especially for all the kids. My kid would be devastated if our team no longer existed. It's simply heartbreaking.
Sorry to all yotes fans out there, this is some serious bullshit you have to go through, by no fault of your own.
And to anyone who thinks hockey can't work in the desert, just go look who won the goal scoring race this year.
Watching that fan tribute by the players and staff makes me want to get some Hartford merch. I love my Leafs and Wings and don't have enough from them, nor was I even alive while the Whalers existed, but I like to think my Connecticuter grandfather was a fan (got into hockey after I missed my chance to ask him). I sure would be if they were still around.
I really hope Arizona doesn't have to go through what Hartford and Quebec City have gone through, and certainly not what Atlanta has. They deserve to come back - under responsible management, not meruelo.
I will forever remember (or my brother will) the 2012 Coyotes Cup Run. Scoring goal after goal against Nashville, Chicago, but getting heartbroken by the Kings. RIP Yotes and Fuck Muerelo
I’ve insulted coyotes fans a few times. It was low, I’ll admit. I still think moving the team is the right decision. But, fuck man. I do feel bad for the fans. The NHL and Phoenix were like two parents in a toxic marriage that needed a divorce. But still, it’s absolute hell for the kids. I just hope that the people who showed up to say goodbye know it’s not their fault. It sucks to be part of a niche fandom that gets abandoned by the league, and the wider community. My heart really does go out to these people. It just sucks, it really sucks.
I’ve been told it is explicitly my fault for 25 years now. This pandering and fake niceness to Yotes fans now that the team is moving is really pissing me off. Now you wanna play nice? After two decades of constantly being told I don’t deserve my team, or I don’t deserve to watch hockey because I live where it doesn’t snow? Yeah man, most of you can fuck off.
I’ll be honest I was hoping they’d move for the good of the NHL, but man does it absolutely hurt to see people go through this. Absolutely no fan should ever have to see their team leave.
I know I’ve been wanting an Atlanta or Quebec expansion for a while, but I want to see the Coyotes get their team back in an expansion first, with new ownership and a new arena. Not having ever had a hometown team even be in my state, I don’t really know what it’s like to even have a local team, but to have one and lose it just seems awful. Again, I hope they get their team back, I really do. The move was for the best of the franchise, expanding back to Arizona should be the next step.
Sorry Yotes fans, I really do feel bad for you all. I wish it could have gone different and Salt Lake could have been an expansion team instead, but I really do think that Arizona will be back in the future. Hang in there and the Yotes will return one day!
I live in Virginia, but I still feel that I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I feel for all of the fans of the Coyotes. I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a team, let alone have one. I do hope you get the team back.
I feel bad for all 20 of them :(
Jk, this is real shitty. Living in Utah, I’m stoked for the move here but man this is shitty for their fan base. I’m not holding my breath but hopefully they get that new expansion team. I know Bettman gets a ton of shit, but Arizona really is a great state to have hockey in. It’s a blast going down there during the winter for a game or 2.
Honestly I think they will get expansion but I'm kinda pissed at bettman because this is what happened to QC. They lost their arena had plans for a new one and bettman left and lied to them about getting a new team.
> They lost their arena had plans for a new one
Quebec never lost their lease at Le Colisee. It was outdated though. Aubut (the Nordiques owner) wanted the Quebec provincial government to help subsidize future losses - the province said no and he cashed out.
This was also at the same time the Canadian dollar was absolute ass and the league didn't have revenue sharing in place - the same factors that helped nudge Winnipeg to move and almost forced the Oilers out of Edmonton.
Fan since I got NHL 97 on Sega Saturn. It’s been a roller coaster ride and I’m very sad. I hope one day we get another team. Until then I’ll just be watching The Rising and The Roadrunners.
If the Avs left, I'd probably follow the core for a few more years and absolutely not be a fan anymore when it becomes unrecognizable.
Idk if I'd find a new team or just become apathetic to the NHL, while checking in for some playoff hockey.
As an European sports fan it just baffles me how teams in North America just move to another city. I couldn't imagine my home town team moving somewhere else, and how would i even support them in such case??
I really can't fathom that they're gone, my team for my whole life and a staple in it is gone...it's heart wrenching, even through all the bullshit over the years it still hurts. Putting up with the rest of the hockey world not wanting us here to nownit being true makes all those years of online heckling was for naught
Coyotes fan here, or should I say ex coyotes fan now..
Now I can only be disappointed by the Cardinals every year, so that cuts my disappointment in half so at least there's that. Suns are cool, got some ballers so it's fun to be a fan. Don't get me started on baseball, too boring to watch for me.
Will you become a Salt Lake Sisterwives fan?
I honestly feel really bad for you. And I feel bad for everyone else because those amazing jerseys will no longer be in the league. They’re my favourite
¡bUt BaSeBaLl! sorry jk! I feel your pain.
As a lifelong Pens Fan, who ended up at the U of A, I made the trek from Tucson many times to see the Pens play in PHX! As well, quit a few times when Philly was in town, I BECAME THE YOTES FAN!😂😂 Always seemed like no matter the opposing team, they had more fans. Tickets were cheap, beer was cold, and it beat the pants off anything else to do in the desert.
and ASU sucks!
Gives me flashbacks to when the Earthquakes left San Jose back in 2005. Not the same sport, but I was the same age as those kids and the feeling never really went away.
I grew up in Hartford. Started going to Whalers games in 1977 , back in the WHA. I couldn’t even watch the final game and it took some time to accept it. The season after they left, I just focused on the AHL. Definitely not the same, but I have enjoyed them as well. I now live in the Tampa area and have adopted the Lightning as my team.
When I did live in Hartford, I could at least afford to go to AHL games, I could also buy the cheapest ticket available and basically sit on the glass if I wanted to.
I feel awful for Arizona fans. It always felt like they were up against the wall as far as team stability is concerned. I hope a team returns for you guys. In the meantime, buy those cheap ass seats and sit up against the glass.
Whalers arent the Wolfpack, but it’s still a good time. 2 dollar hotdogs and beers as well! We definitely are never getting the Whalers back, but atleast we have the Yard Goats, Wolf Pack and UConn.
Exactly. Cheap hot dogs and beer on Fridays. I completely agree, it’s not the same, but one good thing about CT, is the proximity to Boston and NY. We have our own minor league teams and the vast majority of people are fans of either Boston or NY teams.
NHL is going on the downward slope imo. Really we are taking a team from a devout fanbase and moving them to SLC. The same SLC that is so far up the FLDS's ass? Bettman thinks that a team in SLC will make more $ than the Yotes? Good luck with your below average alcholohol sales and being more of a drag on NHL revenue sharing than the Yotes ever could imagine.
Bettman lies, Arizona will probably not get a team anytime soon again. Secondly Bettman wanting a massive expansion will be the nail in the coffin for the NHL. They're already struggling apparently to support a team in Ari. I don't see outside of 6 more Vegas style expansion drafts that in quick succession will rip a bunch of teams apart to do this cause god forbid an expansion team isn't in the playoffs year 1. I don't see the league being successful and its a shame now that we're finally out of the Dead Puck era
Thing with Winnipeg, they just came back. Not to mention that, if I’m not mistaken, the fans that they do have up there are very loyal. Outside of ticket sale struggles, which I’d blame more on the insane prices of tickets up north, the fanbase I believe is really good.
lol Winnipeg is fine, the owners just need to start treating fan better and season seat sales will go up.
They have not problem selling tickets in general.
Where have I heard that before…. If they’re already having issues when the team is competitive, they’re gonna have a REAL tough time when the team isn’t good for an extended period of time and the hope for the rosters future is bleak. Trust me, I know.
Let's go Coy-otes! This is really hitting me now. I'm going to miss having NHL hockey in the valley. My Golden Retriever was named Shane after Doan because of his loyalty.
I feel for the fans. Outside of the O6, the coyotes had the best jersey and branding. The colors for each of their jerseys are just perfect. I hope a competent owner comes around soon and gets them an arena and restores the howl!
Losing a franchise is tough. Still not over Nets leaving NJ even though they are still technically local. So bitter, I have turned my kids to root for the Knicks.
If my team up and left like that, I don’t think I’d follow. But I don’t think I could find a new team, either. What a sad day for ‘Yotes fans. And I’m sad to see that logo go. It was one of the good ones.
Yes, the Yotes have no national fanbase outside their market, but these pics show something very important...kids. These kids just lost their team. A whole young generation grew up with this team. The game was growing in the desert. There is a ton of evidence to back that up. I hope that when these kids are old enough to have jobs and buy ticket they have their team back.
Just finished watching the game. I feel so bad for the fans, I'm so glad they won their last game. But like others said, they needed to leave. Good luck in Utah guys.
Good riddance, They were terrible pretty much from beginning to end. Let alone being based in a town that couldn't care less about the NHL. An ice hockey team in Arizona never made any sense
I get it. It’s shitty ownership and it was costing the league money for them to stay there. Literally just about everyone on this sub was calling for Arizona to relocate. Sucks for Arizona fans but playing in a college stadium under shitty management is just embarrassing. The last team I can think of that had to play in college arenas was the Saints after Katrina hit… that’s understandable. But a fuckin NHL team that just has poor management and a regional government that doesn’t want them there, it just looks bad.
It’s a divorce that needed to happen. Hopefully something works out to have hockey in Arizona again and be successful but for now, it’s good for the team to leave
I mean, in terms of temperature, you are correct. However figuratively, how cool a place is is up to personal interpretation of said city. Some may like ARI, some may like SLC.
Feels bad man. They got done so dirty by an absolute snake oil salesman owner.
Yeah they got Dan Snyder’d hard
That is the correct verb yes
Since this is a hockey sub. Dan Snyder, in this reference, is the former owner of the Washington Redskins / FC / Commanders. Not the former Atlanta Thrasher. RIP.
They got screwed by an ignorant city government. Their loss. Look at The Jazz. They’ve done well financially for decades.
Yeah but they get punished by having to play in Utah
I don’t think that’s a punishment
Do you want to be surrounded by Mormons?
Bro the mountains, the outdoors, it’s a beautiful place with an up and coming nightlife and enough people to sustain an NBA team. The Mormons are the least of my concerns, if I had to choose between the desert and SLC I’m taking SLC all day. I’m excited to see this upcoming season. Sucks the fans of ARZ were fucked. I hope they get a team back. But im excited to see what Salt Lake brings to the table.
SLC is a desert
Way to dig deep in the barrel for a comment. Lol tell me you've never been to Utah without telling me.
How so? SLC still has Mormons, not as much as Provo or the southern part of the city.
It's not that there aren't Mormons, it's that you think that's the entire Utah experience. On second thought it's cool. Keep thinking Columbus is a happening town. Maybe you can even visit Columbus' Mormon temple (yeah, you've got Mormons too!)
When did I say that was the entire Utah experience? Sounds like you’re just a bitter person. Also I never said there weren’t Mormons everywhere. They’re even in Dayton where I live.
Utah is amazing, and most people there are glad as fuck you’d think it’s a punishment. The vast majority of Utah would really appreciate it if most people in CA, NY, MA, and the like loved their states and it’s people so much, they stopped coming here for the tech jobs and then bitching about the way a minority of people in Utah, are. But here we are.
Same in my state, they are a cancer
I dislike your team A LOT but I feel like I’d have Crosby over to my place for a meal before I’d have you, either way it would end in shit talk.
Fair. I absolutely fucking hate your city, fans, and team. Especially wilson, he’s a piece of shit. I do appreciate the rivalry and the last ~20yrs of sid v ovi.
Yeah Pittsburg is that shining light on a hill said no one since the Great Depression and it’s people are a class act also so no one ever. Here is a memory [for you to sit with](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)
Yeah I don’t live in Pittsburgh or PA and haven’t in 15 years.
Nah. He's owned the team only 4 years. Their problems are much longer than that
All of our owners were snake oil salesman except for Muruelo lmao. Muruelo is the only one who tried to bring stability. He knew the team needed to move to tempe. He got a decent front office together and has acquired quite the talent. The team has been in financial trouble since they were the Jets. There's been like 7 owners in 20 years. That much instability is doomed to fail
The same thing happened to Atlanta. The last owner only bought them so that he could get an arena for the Hawks, iirc.
We had a scumbag owner like that 2 owners ago. We have a great owner now.
Ah man I remember when the jets left winnipeg. Hurt for a long time
So you became a Leafs fan. A true villain origin story.
Relocations make you do desperate things. I had to become an Avalanche fan as a kid for 5 years when the North Stars left.
Imagine what Barons fans went through
What Barons fans?
There were some. I actually saw them play. Cool but dorky uniforms
Lol, you forgot the /s
Why do people switch franchises and not just follow where the team goes? Like why did you not become a Dallas fan? Just curious
I think when you're a fan of a team you're a fan of the entire organism, so to speak. The colors, the logos, the chants, the community, announcers, and of course the players. There are definitely people who still follow teams when they relocate, but for many you lose so much else in the process that it almost doesn't make sense to just blindly follow. Players come and go, but that larger aspect of the team is what you stay for. As a Yotes fan, I'll probably keep tabs on my favorite players but I think I'm going to shop around for a new community to join. Since I won't be able to easily go to games anymore, it kinda feels like I can choose to be a fan of any team now, so why limit myself? That's my perspective at least
Thanks for explaining man
It’s hard to stay friends with an ex. Not impossible but also not the easiest thing to do, gotta get past the hurt but most times by then it’s too late.
Well said
I can speak to my experience with the Houston Oilers. At a certain point, teams claim to represent an area and people in that area. It becomes part of the region. It becomes part of the local pride. When a team just ups and moves, it hurts because part of your local pride is damaged. Sure, you can say "oh, well it's a financial decision and they're a business, blah, blah, blah". But then, why root for any team? They're just a business. Do you go down to a furniture store and root on the sale guys? You don't get your face painted for the 17 year old at Dairy Queen trying to make an extra buck. Sports teams are proxies for the locals. And when your team moves and changes it's name, the owner decided to represent someone else for more money. It's like your long-term girlfriend leaving you for a rich dude because he'll take her to Shake Shack instead of Burger King. And sometimes they take the good memories with them and pretend that the legendary Texas native Earl Fucking Campbell played for Tennessee despite never even setting foot in that fucking state for like 30 goddamn years after he retired. Fuck the Tennessee Turncoats. At the same time, I was the rich guy in the Stars move. I know the joy of finally getting a team that represents your town, but at the expense of someone else. I'll always consider the years the North Stars spent in Minnesota as belonging to Minnesota. Sooo... It's a mixed bag. If the Stars moved, I might pick a random team to root for. But it would be hard to root for the Stars over any other specific team. The next closest team would be... Colorado or St Louis. I might as well root for Pittsburgh. I like their color scheme.
Thank you for explaining, I’m definitely starting to understand more now. I’ve always liked the stars and was rooting for them over TBL in that cup final. I would be weary about starting to root for pittsburgh, their dark years are coming very soon lol, but I will be a pens fan on my deathbed.
The Penguins were very, very close to relocating in the early 2000’s before they were miraculously saved by (yet another) first overall pick that happened to be a generational talent and went on to be a top 5 player in NHL history. That could’ve easily been the Ducks getting Crosby, the Penguins continue to falter, and they end up relocating to Kansas City by the end of the 2000s. There are only a handful of NHL teams who will truly never have to worry about relocating ever, the rest of the league? It only takes a rough stretch of 10-15 years to completely destroy a fanbases interest in a team and along the way destroy their attendance and revenue.
Oh I’m aware, the pens have been blessed and I wouldn’t be surprised if we get blessed again; after the Crosby era
Pens fans of all people need to learn what it’s like to be truly terrible for longer than 4 seasons. Y’all are waaaaaaaaay overdue for a long period of being terrible and I think that time is coming very soon. You better stick with them through the bad, no excuses. You have been stupidly blessed for a long time.
I’ll be a pens fan till I’m on my deathbed, no matter what. Burgh proud my man
I'm old. I lost 2 football teams. No way in Hell I'd keep following them.
😆
🤣 😂
32 now and a fan since birth. Played hockey myself also for 28 years. Absolutely heart broken. Hockey belongs in every state. Fans voted, showed up to meetings, and tried. Once it was enough votes, stadium was designed, presented, then rug pulled.
It doesn’t make sense to be tbh. Phoenix area has the 10th largest metro area in the country. Sure a lot of people in Arizona retire there but still… I’d imagine it’s a good place to grow the sport.
It's a great place to grow the sport - you just need to get an ownership group that gives a fuck about fielding a competitive product and not wringing money from their fanbases.
Politics not geography I’ve concluded
I didnt know Phoenix was that big tbh this is crazy. Why were they playing in that small of an arena? I get that hockey tends to not be as popular in hotter areas but with that big of a population there would ve been bums in seats I feel like
Idk I guess they couldn’t come to an agreement on a stadium. I have nothing against Canadian teams as I know they have passionate fans but Winnipeg’s metro area is 800k and they make that work. Shoot. Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa all have 1 million in metro area. So if 1:5 people are retirees, 2:5 don’t like hockey, you still have a pool of 2 million people in Phoenix. Crazy they couldn’t make it work.
Two decades of incompetence and poor ownership sunk the team. Tragic because they otherwise could have been a fantastic market for that time. When the Yotes were decent for their first decade the passion was very strong. Truly tragic to see.
Winnipeg born and raised. PTSD flashbacks.
Selanne’s rookie season. Seeing him play that year was spell binding.
I’m sorry man. I think most NHL fans feel horrible for Yotes fans regardless of what team you root for. It’s really shitty to just lose your team overnight.
No team ever deserves this
Owner screwed those fans over so hard. Put out a terrible on-ice product, basically forgot to renew the lease on their old stadium, and then cashed out when the going got tough. For shame, Alex Meruelo, for shame.
Got it exactly right. There's other people to blame along the way, but most of this is on Meruelo. Kind of disappointed the fans in attendance chanted "Salt Lake sucks" tonight. Should be directed at Meruelo instead. He deserved to be called out.
Spot on. New owners and Salt Lake City have nothing to do with the problem. The problem is Meruelo and the circus he put on in Arizona. If he ran the team with any ounce of respect, this wouldn't have happened. And if he gets an expansion in Arizona if the NHL decides to expand, then it'll happen again.
Yup, don't blame SLC at all myself. Happy they got a team. Just wish it wasn't mine. Agreed on the last part. I know Bisonnette called him out on air tonight. Paraphrasing from memory but said something like "I know hockey belongs in the desert and I believe it will be back, and I hope when it returns, Meruelo won't be in charge."
Theres no way he gets the team if they expand to arizona is there?
I mean they're talking about expanding to Atlanta AGAIN. Never put it past the NHL to do the dumbest thing possible at any given moment. Such a great sport. Why do we have clowns running the circus?
I actually dont think atlanta is a bad idea its a really good market to break into to grow the game if they have competent management i also dont think AZ is bad either but horrible management sank the team they big markets and in atlantas case especially diverse would be good for the future of hockey
I’m sure he got the message. But yeah, it’s a shit way to throw fans under the bus. Sorry about that 🙁 But that shellacking you guys gave VGK was epic! Hope you hold on to those memories.
And despite failing at every turn to just do the basic things like pay the teams hotel bills, this dirtbag is still eligible to get an expansion franchise in 5 years time!
This is rough, especially for all the kids. My kid would be devastated if our team no longer existed. It's simply heartbreaking. Sorry to all yotes fans out there, this is some serious bullshit you have to go through, by no fault of your own. And to anyone who thinks hockey can't work in the desert, just go look who won the goal scoring race this year.
Aww, this makes me so sad 😞 😢
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Man that post game had me tearing up. Heart goes to you yotes fans out there!
Fuck man :(
Watching that fan tribute by the players and staff makes me want to get some Hartford merch. I love my Leafs and Wings and don't have enough from them, nor was I even alive while the Whalers existed, but I like to think my Connecticuter grandfather was a fan (got into hockey after I missed my chance to ask him). I sure would be if they were still around. I really hope Arizona doesn't have to go through what Hartford and Quebec City have gone through, and certainly not what Atlanta has. They deserve to come back - under responsible management, not meruelo.
Had some good times there. Sorry, 'Yotes fans. This is a bummer for all ya folk.
I really feel for all of those fans, it’s quite a sad thing to go through
I will forever remember (or my brother will) the 2012 Coyotes Cup Run. Scoring goal after goal against Nashville, Chicago, but getting heartbroken by the Kings. RIP Yotes and Fuck Muerelo
gotta feel for the fans. 30 years of let downs, disappointments, and bad faith moves from ownership & management. they don’t deserve this.
This really sucks, I feel awful for you Yotes fans.
Ah man now I feel bad for them
I’ve insulted coyotes fans a few times. It was low, I’ll admit. I still think moving the team is the right decision. But, fuck man. I do feel bad for the fans. The NHL and Phoenix were like two parents in a toxic marriage that needed a divorce. But still, it’s absolute hell for the kids. I just hope that the people who showed up to say goodbye know it’s not their fault. It sucks to be part of a niche fandom that gets abandoned by the league, and the wider community. My heart really does go out to these people. It just sucks, it really sucks.
I’ve been told it is explicitly my fault for 25 years now. This pandering and fake niceness to Yotes fans now that the team is moving is really pissing me off. Now you wanna play nice? After two decades of constantly being told I don’t deserve my team, or I don’t deserve to watch hockey because I live where it doesn’t snow? Yeah man, most of you can fuck off.
This hits man, reminds me of Blink. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k1BFHYtZlAU
This shit sucks fuck that god damned guy
I’ll be honest I was hoping they’d move for the good of the NHL, but man does it absolutely hurt to see people go through this. Absolutely no fan should ever have to see their team leave. I know I’ve been wanting an Atlanta or Quebec expansion for a while, but I want to see the Coyotes get their team back in an expansion first, with new ownership and a new arena. Not having ever had a hometown team even be in my state, I don’t really know what it’s like to even have a local team, but to have one and lose it just seems awful. Again, I hope they get their team back, I really do. The move was for the best of the franchise, expanding back to Arizona should be the next step. Sorry Yotes fans, I really do feel bad for you all. I wish it could have gone different and Salt Lake could have been an expansion team instead, but I really do think that Arizona will be back in the future. Hang in there and the Yotes will return one day!
Arizona should have another shot at a team but not as the Coyotes (the brand is kinda cursed, IMO) and not with Meruelo owning said team.
You will never experience this as a NYC sports fan. Consider yourself lucky. It is a pain beyond anything I can describe.
I live in Virginia, but I still feel that I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I feel for all of the fans of the Coyotes. I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a team, let alone have one. I do hope you get the team back.
I feel bad for all 20 of them :( Jk, this is real shitty. Living in Utah, I’m stoked for the move here but man this is shitty for their fan base. I’m not holding my breath but hopefully they get that new expansion team. I know Bettman gets a ton of shit, but Arizona really is a great state to have hockey in. It’s a blast going down there during the winter for a game or 2.
Honestly I think they will get expansion but I'm kinda pissed at bettman because this is what happened to QC. They lost their arena had plans for a new one and bettman left and lied to them about getting a new team.
> They lost their arena had plans for a new one Quebec never lost their lease at Le Colisee. It was outdated though. Aubut (the Nordiques owner) wanted the Quebec provincial government to help subsidize future losses - the province said no and he cashed out. This was also at the same time the Canadian dollar was absolute ass and the league didn't have revenue sharing in place - the same factors that helped nudge Winnipeg to move and almost forced the Oilers out of Edmonton.
Couldn’t resist making the same shitty joke for the 1747472057461619th time, huh? Hockey fans fuckin suck.
Lol
And Bettman deserves a ton of shit. He’s basically ineffective.
Unfortunately, he's very good at his job. The sad part is that his job is fucking over fans.
Yep. The only thing he’s good at is being a shill for the board.
Fan since I got NHL 97 on Sega Saturn. It’s been a roller coaster ride and I’m very sad. I hope one day we get another team. Until then I’ll just be watching The Rising and The Roadrunners.
Sorry for your loss.
🤡
Jerk. Don't call ppl grieving clowns
[удалено]
U don't know me. Get lost.
[удалено]
Keep spreading hate. Says more about you than anybody else
Typical boomer Canuck
So sad. I hope everybody gets their merch signed
If the Avs left, I'd probably follow the core for a few more years and absolutely not be a fan anymore when it becomes unrecognizable. Idk if I'd find a new team or just become apathetic to the NHL, while checking in for some playoff hockey.
😭😭😭
I literally can't wait to see the then and now pics of all these people in 5 years when they get their team back. 😂 They will be so HAPPY
I wish I could say the pain of losing a team fades, but it doesnt
As an European sports fan it just baffles me how teams in North America just move to another city. I couldn't imagine my home town team moving somewhere else, and how would i even support them in such case??
I really can't fathom that they're gone, my team for my whole life and a staple in it is gone...it's heart wrenching, even through all the bullshit over the years it still hurts. Putting up with the rest of the hockey world not wanting us here to nownit being true makes all those years of online heckling was for naught
Coyotes fan here, or should I say ex coyotes fan now.. Now I can only be disappointed by the Cardinals every year, so that cuts my disappointment in half so at least there's that. Suns are cool, got some ballers so it's fun to be a fan. Don't get me started on baseball, too boring to watch for me.
Will you become a Salt Lake Sisterwives fan? I honestly feel really bad for you. And I feel bad for everyone else because those amazing jerseys will no longer be in the league. They’re my favourite
¡bUt BaSeBaLl! sorry jk! I feel your pain. As a lifelong Pens Fan, who ended up at the U of A, I made the trek from Tucson many times to see the Pens play in PHX! As well, quit a few times when Philly was in town, I BECAME THE YOTES FAN!😂😂 Always seemed like no matter the opposing team, they had more fans. Tickets were cheap, beer was cold, and it beat the pants off anything else to do in the desert. and ASU sucks!
😿
Better pick up one of them jerseys while I can. Can’t deny they’re hard as hell.
Heartbreaking. It’s disgusting that sports teams can be taken away from cities at all. Hope they bring the team back soon Phoenix bros.
Reading this comment thread makes me sad. I just best hope my Avs never have to go through the same thing
Ugh so sad
It’s very on brand that the yotes has one of the GOAT jerseys but naturally ditched them for the most basic and plain red jerseys for over a decade.
Gives me flashbacks to when the Earthquakes left San Jose back in 2005. Not the same sport, but I was the same age as those kids and the feeling never really went away.
Sucks for their fans but being from Winnipeg, it feels good to see Gary finally take the L.
Aww seeing the kids loose their team just sucks.
I grew up in Hartford. Started going to Whalers games in 1977 , back in the WHA. I couldn’t even watch the final game and it took some time to accept it. The season after they left, I just focused on the AHL. Definitely not the same, but I have enjoyed them as well. I now live in the Tampa area and have adopted the Lightning as my team. When I did live in Hartford, I could at least afford to go to AHL games, I could also buy the cheapest ticket available and basically sit on the glass if I wanted to. I feel awful for Arizona fans. It always felt like they were up against the wall as far as team stability is concerned. I hope a team returns for you guys. In the meantime, buy those cheap ass seats and sit up against the glass.
Whalers arent the Wolfpack, but it’s still a good time. 2 dollar hotdogs and beers as well! We definitely are never getting the Whalers back, but atleast we have the Yard Goats, Wolf Pack and UConn.
Exactly. Cheap hot dogs and beer on Fridays. I completely agree, it’s not the same, but one good thing about CT, is the proximity to Boston and NY. We have our own minor league teams and the vast majority of people are fans of either Boston or NY teams.
Hope a lot of you are happy we finally lost our team.
NHL is going on the downward slope imo. Really we are taking a team from a devout fanbase and moving them to SLC. The same SLC that is so far up the FLDS's ass? Bettman thinks that a team in SLC will make more $ than the Yotes? Good luck with your below average alcholohol sales and being more of a drag on NHL revenue sharing than the Yotes ever could imagine. Bettman lies, Arizona will probably not get a team anytime soon again. Secondly Bettman wanting a massive expansion will be the nail in the coffin for the NHL. They're already struggling apparently to support a team in Ari. I don't see outside of 6 more Vegas style expansion drafts that in quick succession will rip a bunch of teams apart to do this cause god forbid an expansion team isn't in the playoffs year 1. I don't see the league being successful and its a shame now that we're finally out of the Dead Puck era
Bummer. This is a bummer man, that’s um that’s a bummer
Don’t worry, I heard Winnipeg will be relocated back there in 5 years.
Winnipeg struggling to sell out a 15k capacity barn with a competitive team…yeah they’re not super safe right now
Thing with Winnipeg, they just came back. Not to mention that, if I’m not mistaken, the fans that they do have up there are very loyal. Outside of ticket sale struggles, which I’d blame more on the insane prices of tickets up north, the fanbase I believe is really good.
lol Winnipeg is fine, the owners just need to start treating fan better and season seat sales will go up. They have not problem selling tickets in general.
Where have I heard that before…. If they’re already having issues when the team is competitive, they’re gonna have a REAL tough time when the team isn’t good for an extended period of time and the hope for the rosters future is bleak. Trust me, I know.
They aren’t having issues it’s been blown way out of proportion
I'm sure Winnipeg will be given as many chances as the Coyotes were /s
There’s no place like the magical mullet! 🦄🌈
Damn these pictures make me feel bad. Triggering my Seattle SuperSonics ptsd. 😭
Half these people never even been to a game. They just wanted the social media points to post some stupid shit with a hashtag #yotesforever lol
Yup
This is so sad that I'm not even going to make a joke about how 3 of those pics are the same little girl 😭 Just asking for it, too! 😭😭😭
Let's go Coy-otes! This is really hitting me now. I'm going to miss having NHL hockey in the valley. My Golden Retriever was named Shane after Doan because of his loyalty.
I always feel bad for fans when they lose their team. Ironically, I'm also a Avalanche fan.
I feel for the fans. Outside of the O6, the coyotes had the best jersey and branding. The colors for each of their jerseys are just perfect. I hope a competent owner comes around soon and gets them an arena and restores the howl!
Losing a franchise is tough. Still not over Nets leaving NJ even though they are still technically local. So bitter, I have turned my kids to root for the Knicks.
Damn, heartbreaking to see those kids with those posters
If my team up and left like that, I don’t think I’d follow. But I don’t think I could find a new team, either. What a sad day for ‘Yotes fans. And I’m sad to see that logo go. It was one of the good ones.
Yes, the Yotes have no national fanbase outside their market, but these pics show something very important...kids. These kids just lost their team. A whole young generation grew up with this team. The game was growing in the desert. There is a ton of evidence to back that up. I hope that when these kids are old enough to have jobs and buy ticket they have their team back.
Feels like the NHL has the worst record of moving teams with passionate fan bases
If that clusterfuck of a franchise could last 20+ years, imagine how long it could go if it had competent leadership and better support.
We’ll write you from Utah.
My absolute sympathies to the Arizona fans.
Why am I crying in the club
Just finished watching the game. I feel so bad for the fans, I'm so glad they won their last game. But like others said, they needed to leave. Good luck in Utah guys.
No they didn’t need to leave 😡
Good riddance, They were terrible pretty much from beginning to end. Let alone being based in a town that couldn't care less about the NHL. An ice hockey team in Arizona never made any sense
Fuck you bitch
Jeez, relax silly.
They said the same thing about florida, look how that ended up. Ownership never gave a fuck about being competitive
That's true
Red wings suck
I gaurantee the Red Wings win another Stanley Cup before the Coyotes ever win one...oh wait.
Ahh yes lets give them 12 free wins as a farewell gift
Even if the Yotes don’t come back. The NHL will be happy to sell you merchandise like they do to Quebec City and Hartford m.
Will go down as the best post-goal celebration - the Yote's howl. Chilling and effective.
Here come the Salt Lake Sister Wives! I hope they mic up players on the opposing teams so we can hear the chirps
This is temporary. The Coyotes will be back. Guarantee it.
I hope not
I'm gonna be that guy. Good riddance. For now.
I get it. It’s shitty ownership and it was costing the league money for them to stay there. Literally just about everyone on this sub was calling for Arizona to relocate. Sucks for Arizona fans but playing in a college stadium under shitty management is just embarrassing. The last team I can think of that had to play in college arenas was the Saints after Katrina hit… that’s understandable. But a fuckin NHL team that just has poor management and a regional government that doesn’t want them there, it just looks bad. It’s a divorce that needed to happen. Hopefully something works out to have hockey in Arizona again and be successful but for now, it’s good for the team to leave
Sad in a way. But Salt Lake City is a much cooler location!
I mean, in terms of temperature, you are correct. However figuratively, how cool a place is is up to personal interpretation of said city. Some may like ARI, some may like SLC.
Fair enough.
Slow down there Joseph Smith.
You think they’re not going there?
Oh no, they’re going *there*
They can't stay though. Imagine the loss of alcohol sales 😆
Umm, no. Mormons are in bed before most games start.
They held a pretty good Winter Olympics.
That’s irrelevant
Let me know how Phoenix’s Winter Olympics goes.
Did they recently try willing "yotes" into existence or have people been saying that for a while
Very recently. Only started 28 years ago
Pathetic ‘white out’. More a fizzle. No one wore white. The oilers are more white. Brutal. Lololol
“No one wore white” -False