12:24 PM
TheArizonaCoyotes say they're staying.
The team denied a Forbes report on Thursday that said the team is up for sale with the idea of a buyer moving the team to a new arena in Houston.
The state of Arizona issued a statement.
This is not true. "Totally false," the statement read. We're not selling. We are not moving. The team is committed to playing in Arizona.
There have been a number of relocation rumors surrounding the Coyotes, and not the first one involving a move to Texas.
Tilman Fertitta, the owner of the Houston Rockets, met with Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, to discuss buying the NHL club and moving it to Houston. Fertitta didn't say anything about a pending partnership.
Andrew Barroway, a hedge fund manager, held a controlling interest in the Coyotes. Barroway sold his controlling interest to Meruelo on July 29, 2019.
The Coyotes need to find a new rink, but they aren't actively looking for a new city to play in. The Arizona Coyotes will not be playing in the 2022-23 season after the city of Glendale opted out of a joint lease agreement.
The lease worked on a year-to-year basis, allowing either side to opt out. The city terminated the agreement after long-term negotiations fell through due to the team's outstanding balances.
In August, the team was disappointed that the city of Glendale had broken off the multiyear negotiations and that they wanted to find a permanent home in the area.
"We are hopeful that they will reconsider a move that would damage the small businesses and hard-working citizens of the city," he said. We are open to restarting good-faith negotiations with the city. The Coyotes are committed to finding a long-term arena solution here in Arizona, and nothing will change their determination to do what is right for our organization, residents of the entire valley and, most important, our fans.
The Coyotes are trying to build a new 16,000-seat venue in Tempe, but they face opposition there as well. The club's proposal includes hotels, apartments, and a shopping area over 46 acres of city-owned land.
The development is close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which has two busiest runways. The Coyotes promised to work with officials in the area to address any issues that came up after they claimed the building heights they were proposing would not impede planes' descent to the airport.
