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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
The sad history of the NHL Arizona Coyotes, peppered with dysfunctional highlights (or lowlights), has a new chapter as the franchise will move to Salt Lake City and be owned by the Smith Entertainment Group, which is led by Ryan and Ashley Smith. Ryan Smith owns the NBA Utah Jazz.
The NHL’s Board of Governors Thursday approved the new Utah franchise that will start play in the 2024-25 season.
But Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo is not necessarily out of the hockey business.
The NHL’s governors OKed a plan that “renders the Arizona Coyotes franchise inactive, with a right to reactivate if owner Alex Meruelo” builds a new arena within five years, the league said today.
When the Utah team deal is closed, the Coyotes’ franchise “will (transfer) the totality of its existing hockey assets – including its full Reserve List, roster of Players and draft picks and its Hockey Operations Department – to the Utah franchise,” according to the NHL.
“As everyone knows, Utah is a vibrant and thriving state, and we are thrilled to be a part of it,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We are also delighted to welcome Ashley and Ryan Smith to the NHL family and know they will be great stewards of the game in Utah. We thank them for working so collaboratively with the League to resolve a complex situation in this unprecedented and beneficial way.
The Coyotes were created in July 1996, when the former Winnipeg Jets team moved to Phoenix. The Coyotes have had ownership issues throughout their stay in metro Phoenix, even having the NHL run the team from 2009-2013 after former owner Jerry Moyes gave up the team after filing for bankruptcy.
The Coyotes have played in arenas in downtown Phoenix, Glendale and Tempe and failed to build a new arena when voters in Tempe voted down an arena plan. A last-ditch attempt by Meruelo to build an arena in Scottsdale failed and off to Utah goes the Coyotes franchise.
That popular Athletics stadium soap opera, “As The A’s Stadium Turns In Vegas,” has another new bizarre episode this week when a Nevada state legislator who voted for the A’s stadium subsidy bill in June admitted she did not understand the stadium financing.
The A’s are receiving $380 million in public aid to help build a $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat stadium on the Strip thanks to state legislation approved by Republican Nevada Assemblywoman Danielle Gallant and other state lawmakers. Gov. Joe Lombardo signed the A’s stadium funding bill into law in June.
For some reason, Gallant found it necessary this week to explain her vote ten months after she endorsed the bill in Carson City.
The $380 million in public assistance for the A’s stadium includes $120 million in bonds that will be sold by Clark County. The county will have to pay interest on the bonds during the debt repayment period, but Gallant thought the county was making interest on the bonds.
Quite a few people called out Gallant for that line of financial thinking.
So, she responded: “Recently, I’ve come to realize a misunderstanding I had regarding the financing of the A’s stadium project. I am grateful to those who have corrected me respectfully. Your input has spurred me to delve deeper and better understand the nuances of the financial arrangements involved.”
Gallant also said some other controversy-tinged statements like the A’s are moving from Oakland because it’s too dangerous to attend games at the Coliseum and generally took some cheap shots against the city of Oakland.
The WNBA defending two-time champion Las Vegas Aces unveiled their red, WNBA Nike Rebel Edition uniform for the 2024 season Thursday.
Aces fans can purchase their own Rebel Edition jerseys through a presale beginning April 23 on AcesTeamShop.com. Rebel Edition jerseys will be available for purchase at home games when the Aces debut the uniform on-court in June. You can watch watch the Rebel Edition Unveiling On YouTube (Clip 1/Clip 2).
In addition to the Aces, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Seattle are all debuting new Rebel Edition uniforms this season.
Finally, the “Battle for Vegas,” the Vegas Golden Knights vs Las Vegas Raiders charity softball game, returns for a fifth year at the Aviators’ Las Vegas Ballpark in Downtown Summerlin on July 13 at 8 PM.
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel takes over as team captain for the 2024 softball charity game replacing Reilly Smith.
Gates open at 6 PM. The Home Run Derby, sponsored by the Athletics, begins at 7:00PM, with the opening pitch at 8PM.