Coyotes slam cancellation of Arizona land auction
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
The Arizona State Land Department has cancelled a land auction scheduled for Thursday that the Arizona Coyotes‘ owner was counting on to reactivate his dormant NHL franchise.
In April, the NHL board of governors approved the establishment of a franchise in Utah, with Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo transferring his team’s hockey assets — from the roster and draft picks to the hockey operations department — to Smith Entertainment Group while retaining the team’s intellectual property.
As part of the sale, the NHL approved a plan that rendered the Arizona Coyotes franchise inactive, with a right to reactivate if Meruelo has fully constructed “a new, state-of-the-art facility appropriate for an NHL team within five years.”
The Coyotes had targeted a 95-acre parcel of land in north Phoenix as a potential new home for an arena. Earlier this year, the ASLD board of appeals unanimously approved a $68.5 million appraisal of the land and set the auction date.
The Coyotes released images of what they intended to build on that land should they win the bid, including an arena, a practice facility, a theater and housing units. The Coyotes planned on starting construction in the second quarter of 2025 with an eye toward being ready for an NHL team in 2027.
Multiple sources told ESPN that the auction issue is related to the kind of hockey arena that Meruelo could build on the land.
The Coyotes said the land was already zoned for an indoor hockey arena, which was a relic from a previous attempt to build a youth hockey facility in the area. But that apparently does not cover the construction of a 17,000-seat NHL arena, the capacity of which could grow to 18,500 for other events.
“ASLD recently confirmed that the proposed arena will require a Special Use Permit,” the land department wrote in its letter announcing the cancellation. “As a result, we are requesting that that the applicant file for and receive a Special Use Permit prior to the auction. The afford the applicant and ASLD certainty that the applicant can build what it intends to build for its anchor tenant.”
The ASLD added: “It is not uncommon for ASLD to require applicant to secure zoning/use permits prior to auction.”
The Coyotes released a statement Friday that slammed the cancellation and declared that they are “exploring all of our legal options given this shortsighted decision” by the ASLD.
“After over a year of planning and meeting every obligation required under Arizona law, the Arizona State Land Department unilaterally cancelled the auction that was scheduled to occur on June 27 for the site that has been identified as the future home of the Arizona Coyotes,” the Coyotes said. “This unprecedented action by the State of Arizona seriously jeopardizes the future of NHL hockey returning to the desert.”
The Coyotes claim they were expecting to win the auction.
“The organization has worked in good faith with the ASLD and has been on track to win the auction next week until the sudden reversal,” the team said. “By cancelling the land auction, the state is forgoing millions, and potentially billions, of dollars that would have gone directly to K-12 education.”
Scottsdale mayor David Ortega told the Arizona Republic on Friday that he had noted the land had “questionable zoning entitlement” ahead of the auction.
“Mr. Meruelo’s fantasy hockey proposal was just a smoke screen as he exited after running the franchise under,” Ortega told the paper.
The Cincinnati Reds on Monday acquired veteran infielder Gavin Lux from the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Los Angeles will receive a Competitive Balance Round A pick (around No. 37) and outfield prospect Mike Sirota in the deal for Lux, 27, who hit .251 last season with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs.
The Reds have been looking for infield help after they dealt second baseman Jonathan India to the Kansas City Royals in November. Cincinnati added veteran right-handed pitcher Brady Singer from the Royals in the India deal.
Lux played in 139 games for the Dodgers last season, and 129 the season before. In Los Angeles’ run to the World Series title last season, he had one home run and four RBIs in 12 games.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After some uncertainty, the Tampa Bay Rays now support a $55.7 million city plan to repair hurricane-shredded Tropicana Field in time for the 2026 season opener, while the team prepares to play this year at the New York Yankees‘ spring training home in nearby Tampa.
Matt Silverman, the Rays’ co-president, said in an email to the St. Petersburg chief administrator that the team wants to “clear up” any questions about its support for the reconstruction. The city must pay for the work under its current contract with the Rays.
“While we had been open to considering a scenario in which the city bought out of its obligation to rebuild the ballpark, the Rays support and expect the city to rebuild Tropicana Field in accordance with the terms of the current use agreement,” Silverman wrote.
Hurricane Milton tore the Trop’s fabric roof to pieces when it came ashore Oct. 9, causing water and other damage to interior parts of the now-exposed ballpark. Work has been ongoing to ensure no further damage is caused by weather but there had been questions about the full repair in part because it would eventually be torn down to make way for a new, $1.3 billion ballpark under current plans to keep the Rays in St. Petersburg another 30 years.
Time is of the essence, Silverman said in his Dec. 30 email to the city, which released it Monday. Even a partial 2026 season at Tropicana Field “would present massive logistical and revenue challenges for the team,” he wrote.
“It is therefore critical that the rebuild start in earnest as soon as possible” with a realistic construction schedule to be ready by Opening Day 2026, he added.
The city had no immediate comment on the email. Its own architect presented the repair proposal initially Dec. 12 but it has not yet been fully approved. Members of the city council have balked at the cost, especially with residents and businesses still recovering from Milton and Hurricane Helene before that.
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch has said that insurance and Federal Emergency Management Agency funds should cover the bulk of the cost. Silverman said Major League Baseball has told the team it will hire its own adviser to monitor the repair work and timeline.
The planned new downtown Rays ballpark is part of a $6.5 billion project that will include affordable housing, a Black history museum, retail and office space, restaurants and bars. The project is known as the Historic Gas Plant District, which was once a thriving Black community displaced by the construction of the ballpark and an interstate highway.
The Rays are preparing to play 2025 home games at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees’ 11,000-seat spring training location in Tampa. Once Tropicana Field is repaired, Silverman acknowledged the Rays are obligated to play there three more seasons under the contract with St. Petersburg.
“We look forward to a grand reopening,” Silverman said.
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