Coyotes clear to bid on land for new arena site
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PHOENIX — The
“People are craving certainty,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said recently. “And we are, too, but this isn’t a 60-minute game where the light goes on and the game’s over. [Meruelo] is working on it. We still have some time.”
The Coyotes have been searching for a permanent home since their former owner took the franchise in 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 the contract following the 2021-22 season. Arizona has played the past two seasons at Mullett Arena, a 5,000-seat facility that is by far the NHL’s smallest and is shared with Arizona State University.
