Bettman confirms Meruelo will not be re-activating Coyotes franchise

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo has informed the league he will not be pursuing re-activating the franchise, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.

Bettman confirmed the news during the league’s Board of Governors’ meeting in New York on Wednesday.

PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reported Monday that Meruelo had informed Coyotes staff that ownership has no plans to look for another arena option after the club’s latest bid for a new location fell apart.

Meruelo sold the Coyotes to Utah’s Ryan and Ashley Smith in a $1.2-billion deal brokered by the league after the regular season when it became clear the club would not be able to play in an NHL-sized arena for several years.

Meruelo retained the rights to the Coyotes’ name, logo and trademark. He was also granted a five-year window to build an arena and reactivate the Arizona franchise.

The reactivation of the franchise would have required Meruelo to pay back the $1 billion that he received when he sold the team.

The Coyotes had been in turmoil since the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, when the City of Glendale opted not to renew its contract with the team to play at Gila River Arena. In early 2023, voters rejected a proposed entertainment district that would have included an arena in Tempe.

The team played at Mullett Arena, a rink with a capacity of 4,600 for NHL games on the campus of Arizona State University, during the past two seasons.

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