Coyotes to bid on arena site at June land auction
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
The Arizona Coyotes‘ future could be decided on June 27, when they will bid on a parcel of land in the hopes of finally securing a site for their new arena.
In March, the Arizona State Land Department Board of Appeals unanimously approved a $68.5 million appraisal of a 95-acre parcel of land in north Phoenix. On Thursday, the department officially posted an auction for that parcel, with the auction set for June 27.
The Coyotes released images of what they intend to build on that land should they win the bid, including an arena, a practice facility, a theater and housing units.
Coyotes president Xavier Gutierrez said the team plans to start construction in the second quarter of 2025, adding, “We hope to drop the puck in the fall of 2027.” He said that was the same timeline the team had for its arena project in Tempe, which was defeated in a public vote in May 2023.
Gutierrez said the project will be developed without taxpayer funding.
The proposed arena would have 17,000 fixed seats for NHL games and capacity for roughly 1,500 additional temporary seats for non-hockey events. The Coyotes’ new home would also include a 150,000-square-foot practice facility and headquarters, a live music theater for 3,000 concertgoers, 400,000 square feet of retail and a multipurpose watch party plaza equipped with a supersized screen for viewing events.
The main entertainment district will also have a 170,000-square-foot roof canopy extending from the arena to the theater.
The Coyotes’ development plans also include approximately 1,900 luxury residential units, 400,000 square feet of Class A office space, branded retail, dining and other amenities.
The Coyotes have played their home games at Mullett Arena, a 5,000-seat facility on the campus of Arizona State University, since the 2022-23 season. Gutierrez said their deal with ASU was for three years plus two one-year options that would take them through the 2026-27 season.
“This has been a very good financial arrangement for Arizona State University,” Gutierrez said. “Should we have to extend it, we don’t believe that will be a problem,” Gutierrez said.
The Coyotes’ time at Mullett, and the overall length of their arena construction plans, have come under fire from critics such as NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh, who believes the team should relocate if there isn’t a suitable arena plan in place by the end of this season.
“I think the league feels that Arizona is a good market and I can understand that,” Walsh said at NHL All-Star Weekend in February. “The issue I have, and the players have, is how long do you wait to get a home? They’re playing in a college arena and they’re the second tenant in that arena. This is not the way to run a business.”
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has supported the Coyotes’ bids to remain in the market for well over a decade. He said last month that Arizona owner Alex Meruelo had informed the league that “he was certain he was going to get this done” and “I’m both hopeful and reasonably confident that he’s going to do what he says.”
At last month’s general managers meetings in Florida, deputy commissioner Bill Daly was asked whether the NHL would be able to pivot and have the Coyotes play elsewhere next season if this auction bid were not successful. Daly indicated that the timing of the auction means the Coyotes are likely in Arizona next season.
“I’m focused on the current,” he said. “Currently, they are going to play hockey games in Arizona next year.”
While Bettman has stressed that the NHL is not looking to expand or relocate teams, the NHL has received overtures from several markets seeking to join the league. Chief among them is Salt Lake City, where Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has formally petitioned the NHL for a franchise.
“The Utah expression of interest has been the most aggressive and has carried a lot of energy with it,” Bettman said.
While he said he can’t speak for how the NHL feels about this land auction plan, Gutierrez said “this is the way to finally resolve the facility challenge” that’s plagued them.
Is there a chance that the Coyotes could go through this process and the NHL still decides to relocate the franchise?
“I have no idea,” Gutierrez said. “I can’t comment on that because I have no idea. I can tell you that they are very happy with the plan that we’ve put [in] front of them. They believe that it’s a solution. I don’t know if it resolves the concerns that they may have or other folks may have, like the players’ association or what have you. The sense I’ve gotten is they’re happy that we have this plan that it’ll be public and that we can move forward.”
When asked if the NHL might force Meruelo out from his ownership spot if Arizona fails at to win the land auction, Daly said it was “not a hypothetical I would entertain” and confirmed the league is in constant communication with Meruelo that has been “businesslike and fine.”
The Coyotes have been searching for a permanent home since their former owner took the franchise into bankruptcy in 2009. The team appeared to have stable footing at then-Gila River Arena, but the city of Glendale backed out of a multimillion-dollar lease agreement in 2015. The Coyotes had leased Gila River Arena on a yearly basis before the city terminated its lease following the 2021-22 season.
The team moved to Mullett Arena while seeking an arena solution in Tempe. The Coyotes believed they had one with a 16,000-seat arena in a proposed $2.1 billion entertainment district, but voters rejected that plan in May 2023.
A month after the vote in Tempe failed, the Coyotes said they met with the Arizona State Land Department and submitted an application for 212 acres of state-owned land on the corner of Scottsdale Road and Arizona State Route 101. Gutierrez said this was happening parallel to other potential arena projects the franchise was exploring.
The Coyotes knew the city of Phoenix would require the project to bear the cost of infrastructure. Their initial analysis was that it would cost the team about $150 million. But by December 2023, the Coyotes realized that actual cost for that land would be over $230 million.
Gutierrez said that “changed the equation” for the team. The Coyotes opted to resubmit their application for 110 acres of land instead. He said it’s zoned for 2 million square feet of commercial use. In an interesting twist, the land the team is trying to acquire is zoned for an indoor hockey arena, a relic of a previous attempt to build a youth hockey facility in the area.
The new parcel of land carries an estimated infrastructure cost of $120 million for the team.
“We’re not taking any taxpayer dollars. We’re not asking for taxpayer money,” Gutierrez said. “We’re going to buy the land, we’re going to build every building, we are going to maintain it and we’re also going to pay for the public infrastructure. So that is coming out of our pockets.”
At the GM meetings, Bettman reiterated that the NHL wants to have a team in the greater Phoenix area. Gutierrez believes that team is still the Coyotes, and that this arena deal will finally help them find stability.
“This is a hockey town,” he said. “There is wealth here to spend on entertainment. It’s all about the facility.”
ESPN’s Kristen Shilton contributed to this report.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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