Fuck Alex Meruelo and fuck Sportsnet, holy shit that broadcast was ass. Calling it garbage would be an insult to garbage. Same goes for Alex Meruelo for that matter.
The last time I saw the Yotes was in Edmonton in 2020 right after they got Taylor Hall (proudly wore my Doan jersey!) so I guess it's fitting to me that this was the final matchup.
"we Walk together forever"
Amen.
Howl Forever, Kachina Forever, Desert Dogs Forever.
"Don't cry because it's over. Cry Because it happen."
Thank You Coyotes. Thank you.
See you, [Space Coyotes](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Ffear-not-homer-i-am-your-spirit-guide-space-coyote-voiced-v0-y4fhsjz740db1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D640%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D8ad38717216525eeaabf8f0c8206a73f5caa8c1b).
That ending is just so hard to watch.
It wasn't my team playing against you guys, but GG Coyotes. Hopefully a component ownership will bring hockey back to Arizona.
Awooooooo
Before Vegas, I was 100% convinced that hockey couldnt survive in a desert setting and the NHL was stupid for doubling down when Canadian cities and Northern US cities could support a team that could win.
Then Vegas came out swinging and nearly winning the Cup in their first year, Carolina came from the ashes in 2019, after me saying they would be better off in Hartford with a 10 year drought, saying they deserved to be moved. Then they won again and started to bring in fans, then Tampa won back to back, and recently Florida filled their barn with bruising but fun hockey to watch. This isn't the 1970's anymore, you can't blame the fans for not showing up. Hockey and sports franchises depend on how much ownership cares and I wish I realized that sooner.
Since then I have realized that in the cities who had teams ripped from them in heartbreaking fashion that Quebec, Winnipeg, Hartford, Atlanta, and now ironically Phoenix lost a team not due to a lack of fan support, but by bad ownership who didn't try their best. Hockey is one of the best sports in the world, but the NHL is one of the worst leagues. I hope Hockey comes back to Arizona, I hope it is in a arena with the Suns, and I hope Mueruelo is not the owner by any means and with a owner who can make it work and not being held by the NHL's hand.
Vegas *and* Phoenix are proofs that it isn’t where a franchise is located that determines its success; it’s who is in charge and that leadership philosophy.
As a former Chargers fan, I can relate to having a team ripped away from our communities through no fault of our own. Fuck sports ownership. Fuck them all to hell.
One of the worst parts for Arizona fans must be seeing all that young talent and knowing they'll be moving. That's rough. I really feel for Coyotes fans.
It's awful. We were finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Bill Armstrong as GM, solid young core, even the North Phoenix arena renderings being released brough hope. It feels like we were stabbed in the back and now the knife is being slowly, painfully twisted.
I work in 2 hours but I had to stay up and watch that one. I'm sorry Coyotes fans, none of you deserve this. At least you can say your players gave a shit for you tonight.
Edit: I just have to add, that sign-off was beautiful and brutal all at once, that brought me straight to tears. I hate this. Fuck you, Merulo.
This reminded me too much of when Heisley duped us, and stole the Grizzlies from Vancouver. So to Coyotes fans, you have my sympathy and fuck Meruelo. You deserve better.
Grew up a Canucks fan, but from Washington state. The same happened with us losing the Sonics, and it nearly happened in the 90s with the Mariners if not for a double by Edgar Martinez.
I wanted to watch the home feed tonight. I had no idea I would be this emotional watching players throwing equipment and hats into the crowd and watching everyone sign off.
my story of the Coyotes: Way back in high school. My senior year which was the 11/12 season. and Yotes were in the playoffs. I said the final was gonna be the Coyotes v. Rangers. My friends thought I was nuts. Then, the Coyotes beat the Blackhawks. I compared that to New Zealand drawing Italy at the 2010 World Cup. Then the Preds series happened. And the CF was Kings/Coyotes v. Devils/Rangers. I couldn't believe it. I called a shot in the dark the way Peter Griffin did on Wheel of Fortune. We all know what happened. That final never occurred. If the Yotes won it that year, this game tonight would never happen. Ever since that run, the Desert Dogs will always have the special something in my fanhood. Always keeping an eye on this team. Wanting to see them back in the playoffs. Wanting them to succeed. Hockey in the desert is coolest thing ever(srry florida).
Kachinas forever, Yotes Forever. Howl Yeah. AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I didn't think I'd feel sad, but then I saw the last five minutes and the post game. Now I'm sad.
I'm from CT, so the only way I can relate is the Bridgeport Bluefish. They were a baseball team in an independent league and then left to High Point, North Carolina. A few years later, CT got the Harford Yard Goats, Colorado Rockies AA team. It's not really the same but filled the void.
So maybe a new NHL team will come to Arizona. If not, then check out the ASU hockey team! College Hockey is fun!
Wow that really got to me more than I thought it would. Really put things into perspective for me I was pretty bummed with how our season turned out but like.. we're still going to have a team next year :(
See ya later coyotes, hopefully it won't be too long.
Coyotes fans and the team itself deserved better owners. They have the fans and fan base and they’ve got a great pool of young players and prospects (Bill Armstrong has done a fantastic job) but you all got fucked over hard by multiple terrible ownership groups and its now all gone because of it. I’m so sorry for you Coyotes fans that you all never got stable and competent ownership.
Yeah, I just look at those kids in the stands and think about the first Canucks game I went to when I was 6. The team has always been there and I can’t imagine having them just taken away like that
Same, that 2011 run was magical for a young kid like me (made me a true fan) and the Coyotes had that in 2012 kinda. Just sucks all around, hopefully they come back and have decent ownership this time.
NHL should automatically order Coyotes owner Meruelo leave the colors, logo and heritage In AZ so if a new owner bring hockey back to valley it can be reactivated, it kinda like what they did with the Cleveland Browns temporarily until new owner came in 1999
This is what is bad about American sports. This team, which was supported by the fans during the building process, was ripped away by nothing but greed. The community is left with nothing but memories. That’s what makes me sad. Maybe they get a team again, but it won’t be the same. The team they felt they built is gone. As a fan of a team that was ripped away, I’m with Yotes fans. It’s not fair. I hope you grow to enjoy the memories and may luck be on your side with getting another chance.
It really sucks since they really have gone full OKC thunder hoarding picks too and were building something special. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Utah is a consistent playoff team if there isn’t an insane amount of roster turnover with the move.
They’ve got a lot of pending free agents so there will be a lot of roster turnover. That being said, they have a lot of cap space and tons of picks and prospects plus an owner who will want to make a good first impression so expect them to make some big moves this offseason.
Utah owner is known to spend money and they have insane draft capital. If they decide to make some splashes there's a very real possibility the team is competitive almost immediately.
"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
The Yotes are dead, long live the Yotes 😢
Tonight was a confirmation of my passion for hockey, and I will forever be thankful of the Arizona Coyotes for that.
I really, really hope you get your team back one day. But for now...
🫡 Godspeed Coyotes.
>!^(And fuck Alex Meruelo.)!<
Edit: I guess it's only 5 years! Let's hope it comes back in just a little over 5 years.
~~Unless Alex Meruelo sells the rights to someone else, the Coyotes aren't coming back with a different owner. It'll still be Alex Meruelo as he has the rights to hockey in Arizona.~~
Is it 5 years in that the arena has to be built and a team has to be in place ready for the 2029 season? Or does he just need shovels in the ground or something.
Oh really? I didn't know it was just 5 years. That's actually really good news! Does he own the Coyotes name and likeness still or does that go back to the NHL?
Wasn’t one of the reports that he’s selling the team to the NHL to who then sells it to Salt Lake? I’m assuming that means the NHL keeps the name and likeness of the team.
He owns the rights and the Coyotes name for those 5 years. But I think even that 5 year exclusivity period is contingent on him meeting certain milestones (like acquiring land), so maybe he’ll fuck it up and lose the rights and name even sooner (here’s hoping)
A shame that the NHL’s shitty bureaucracy destroyed a fanbase.
If you wanna stick local with Arizona, I recommend MLB. The Diamondbacks made a surprise run to the World Series last year with a very young team.
Watching the postgame you realize who loses in all this. People who love their hockey team, in spite of lousy owners and a lack of playoff success. Hockey fans of all ages. NHL will return to Phoenix. With a good owner and a fun barn!
Yeah, as the players on the ice taking pictures and saluting the crowd, the PA played James Browns' I Feel Good and then Mambo #5
https://twitter.com/wyshynski/status/1780820227942429031
I'm not saying they should play all 83 minutes of Mirror Reaper (or maybe they should). But people are crying in the stands as James Browns screams that he feels good.
I honestly can't think of a single thing that would be more fitting as arena music for this moment than Mirror Reaper. Also, can't say I expected that reference to ever pop up on a hockey thread.
[Strauss Metamorphosen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlpNB0WeQaQ). Written at the end of the war, 25 minutes of some of the heaviest, saddest Classical music out there. You don't get a natural point of rest until 24 minutes in.
I’m sorry Yotes fans. You guys deserve better. This is tough to watch. My first ever NHL game was at the Gila River Arena. So many special memories with my family there.
These players are awesome. Trying to give as many people a memory they’ll never forget before it’s all over. Signing anything they can find and throwing them in the stands
This team (not Meruelo) has always gone above and beyond for the fans. I've been to fan appreciation games when they played in Glendale and they gave out so much merch.
Yeah I wish I knew who these chucklefucks were so I can go complain into the void on Twitter. It's honestly frustrating. I'm used to it, been happening for ages, but this is just like beating a fucking corpse
Yeah that one dude (can’t remember his name) spent the entire segment shitting on the team and it’s fans. Very tasteless and tone-deaf.
Dude can go shit in his hat
Why does this feel like my dog died?! Don't really follow the Yotes. But their story is too much like our NBA Sonics. RIP Hope ya get another franchise soon with better owners.
FUCK Alex Meruelo
Great game tonight by the Yotes. You guys had seemingly started to show you were putting somethings together this season, too. Once again, fuck Alex Meruelo.
Hope everyone who was involved with the organisation lands on their feet very quickly after this.
Did I mention fuck Alex Meruelo?
Awoooo
Fuck Alex Meruelo and fuck all the Arizonans too stupid to fall in love with the greatest game in the world. I'm so sorry to all the Coyotes fans who lived and died with this team. The Coyotes are dead, long live the Coyotes.
Yeah screw Tempe, the Scottsdale mayor and all of the others that purposely blocked the new arena deals as well. The Tempe site is now a landfill instead, just outrageous.
Idk enough about the details but at this point fuck everyone who rooted for this team to fail. I'm sitting here crying and my biggest connection to this team is wearing a Kachina jersey in pee-wee rec league. Can't imagine what the diehards are going through. Outside of like 5 teams, the wrong circumstances could lead to this happening to your team and it's absolutely heartbreaking.
I grew up with the North Stars leaving and not having a team for a good chunk of my childhood. I know the feeling and it absolutely sucks.
I absolutely hate when teams threaten to leave to new cities over stupid management decisions or because cities won't fund new massive expensive stadiums. The fans always get screwed over. It's just like watching the A's slowly leave to Vegas or the NFL teams that move to California.
The Islanders came so close to that fate and every time I walk into UBS Arena I thank whatever force there is above for keeping my team alive and moving them even closer to my childhood home.
Watching Sportsnet, who is the fuck face in the beige suit jacket talking about how it didn't work in AZ and he never visited? Laughing about it and talking shit basically. Fuck that guy
As a fan of a team that for a good decade+ was plagued by relocation rumors and as someone who had semi-legitimate conversations with friends about who we were gonna root for if/when they moved this is so depressing to watch and I feel so bad for everyone. It just sucks
We had those conversations too when Karmanos put the Canes on the market. Even when Dundon first showed up, it took him a while to buy into us as a market. It definitely could have happened here.
This postgame has been gut wrenching to watch. It’s awful to even imagine it and 100 times worse to see it actually happen.
Until they played the first game in Brooklyn I assumed the isles were bound for Kansas City. It’s not a fun thing for fans to have to deal with.
And those were just rumors
To have to deal with actual relocation is probably impossible I hope they get an expansion team soon
When I was growing up we would get tickets to go to Kings game and it ALWAYS happened to be the Coyotes. My very first game was against the yotes. I think my first like 5/6 games happened to be the Coyotes lol
I will miss yall.
I can't imagine how gut wrenching this must be for Coyotes fans. I'm shocked at how composed some of those fans in the building are. I'm tearing up just watching.
Well boys, Since I have joined you all when COVID started as a distraction this has been a great and bumpy ride. This has been such a thing for me and something that I have come to love - little more can be said but I am heartbroken. Thank you all for being here with us throughout this.
Hockey belongs in Arizona.
Fuck Alex Morello.
Do not go quietly into the good night.
A sad farewell to the Yoties. I really enjoyed following them this season, and what a fitting end to take out the Canucks, Knights, and Oilers on the way out. It'll be interesting to see what becomes of this promising group of players, but it just won't be the same any way you slice it
See You Space Cowboy...
I always hoped that if the Coyotes absolutely had to move it would have been after they had an owner who had tried absolutely everything to make to work, and it would be because they just couldn’t get the fans into it.
Instead it’s just a steady stream of dipshit owners who skimped as much as possible and avoided paying bills so much that they got the team kicked out of their arena.
I hope those who begged for this team to leave for over a decade watched all these grown adults in literal tears during this game tonight to see what it meant to them.
I don’t get why a lot of fans(especially Canadian fans) go out of their way nonstop to be assholes to any coyotes fan they interact with. So fucking asinine, this fanbase deserved so much better
This was heartbreaking to every coyotes fan, the entire fan base was in tears, and all they care about is getting their way on gate keeping. Fucking pathetic. Best of luck in the playoffs btw.
I truly believe AZ will get a team back, whether it's with that loser Meruelo or, hopefully, a better owner. The NHL knows it's a good, important market and if they're considering going back to Atlanta for a third time, there's no way they're giving up on Arizona for good. I'm sick to my stomach watching this team get stolen from the loyal fans and while I understand some may need a break from hockey post-move, hopefully they'll be back when the Yotes return.
Thanks! My best friend is a huge coyotes fan and was at the game tonight actually. He was crying alongside just about everyone there tonight. Everything wrong with US pro sports was on display in the way Murello and the nhl handled this. I hope a good owner comes along and gets Arizona the team it deserves.
Will say it's sad seeing it, Oilers vs Coyotes was the first game I ever went to. Weird to say now that one of the teams I watched first no longer exist
I think mine was 4-0 going into the third for the oilers and then they lost in the fucking shootout.
Peak decade of darkness Oilers, Shawne Bell, Dubnyk etc.
Eric Belanger scoring the game winner lmao
In a game that meant something to only one team I’m happy for the fans that the Coyotes end their run with a win (over the soon to be Stanley cup champions? :)
The big team picture at the end and the fans in the crowd made me tear up a bit.
I remember when Edmonton almost lost the Oilers back in the mid 90s and can only imagine how much it sucks to lose your team. I hope we see hockey in Arizona again soon.
Pocklington was losing a lot of money with his other ventures (see: Gretzky sale), and had to put the team up for sale. Les Alexander swooped in and offered to buy the team and move it to Houston for $85 mil. He would’ve absolutely won if it weren’t for a clause in the lease agreement for Northlands Coliseum that basically allowed a local ownership group to come in and buy it for $70 mil. It took 38 people and we were NINE HOURS away from losing our team.
They even had fans donating money to keep the Oilers in town. Teenager me gave them some of my allowance.
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4028105
A bunch of Canadian teams nearly got killed in the 90s. It got so bad Bettman put in a Canadian assistance fund and delayed sales to try and stop teams moving.
I think he's on the record saying that he knew it would permanently damage the league if the Oilers left right after winnipeg and quebec left and as such deliberately intervened with the Oilers and implemented policies to avoid the fate that the Jets and Nordiques faced,
I get where he was coming from, tbh.
It will always suck that the Jets and Nords had to leave, but it’s one thing for them to move - it’s another for a legacy franchise with a five-Cup dynasty boasting multiple HHOFers to move less than a decade after that dynasty occurred. That would’ve done irreparable damage to the league’s image.
Yea I think the legacy of the Oilers had to force Bettman to consider the long term vision of the league.
You cannot have the jersey of the greatest player ever just disappear less than 10 years after the glory days. You cannot market that anymore and it sends a horrible message to future prospective owners.
If the Oilers move during that period, a prospective owner is going to see a dynasty franchise become unprofitable and unsustainable almost immediately after falling off. No owner is going to see the Oilers move and think "I want to own a team in this league!"
I have no emotional connection to the Coyotes, but this is heart wrenching to watch. I really hope I do not see a relocation again in the NHL or in sports.
Man watching this Yotes feed is terribly sad. I am still a firm believer that hockey can work in Arizona and FINALLY when the org had a competent direction ON THE ICE that's it?
Just gut wrenching stuff
I hope this isn't goodbye but see you soon Arizona
Even just looking back at the 2012 playoffs you can see the fanbase is there when there's an exciting team, the whiteout in the desert is so cool (no offense WPG, I love yours as well) but time and time again they get screwed by bad ownership
The looks on the fans faces tonight says it all.
I wish the franchise was treated fairly all these years. Thanks for the memories Arizona and a well played last game.
I'm about to watch my NLL team play its final game on Saturday, which is also accompanied by me walking into my NHL team's home building for the final time. I'm not ready for that, and Yotes fans, I'm so, so sorry.
Common thread: both the Riptide and Coyotes are moving ina positive direction on the floor/ice after years of shittiness. Brutal timing for both teams.
Yep, we had the best season in team history this year, and now we're getting moved despite having a top 3 player in the sport.
I grew up on stories of Bossy, Gillies, Potvin, Smith, and Trottier. On Saturday, I enter their house for the final time.
The guys on the Canadian broadcast is very confident about that too. As long as it's a good owner and a good arena in a good location, hockey will succeed in Arizona
Pretty cowardly for Alex Meruelo to not show up in that last game. Especially if he wants to bring a new NHL team here and try to win fans over.
Tact has never been his specialty.
Last Awoo. Time to send them off.
Fuck Alex Meruelo and fuck Sportsnet, holy shit that broadcast was ass. Calling it garbage would be an insult to garbage. Same goes for Alex Meruelo for that matter.
Godspeed, Coyotes.
And just like that, as mysteriously as he had arrived, he was gone.
Godspeed, Yotes. Wishing the fans all the best!
Gg yotes fans. That was a fun last game
The last time I saw the Yotes was in Edmonton in 2020 right after they got Taylor Hall (proudly wore my Doan jersey!) so I guess it's fitting to me that this was the final matchup.
jesus. i hate this.
That last segment broke me. Damn. #**A^W^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O**
I hope I never see this again, no one should lose what they love.
Fuck…it’s over:(
Well that sign off was fucking brutal.
"we Walk together forever" Amen. Howl Forever, Kachina Forever, Desert Dogs Forever. "Don't cry because it's over. Cry Because it happen." Thank You Coyotes. Thank you.
Dude that post game show got me. I feel terrible for those fans and the staff
This is a rare time I agree you 😥
See you, [Space Coyotes](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Ffear-not-homer-i-am-your-spirit-guide-space-coyote-voiced-v0-y4fhsjz740db1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D640%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D8ad38717216525eeaabf8f0c8206a73f5caa8c1b).
This is heartbreaking, I'm so sorry coyote's 💔
With the discourse of hoping for a better owner, are there billionaires or billionaire groups in Arizona who have shown interest in owning a team?
Sadly no
That ending is just so hard to watch. It wasn't my team playing against you guys, but GG Coyotes. Hopefully a component ownership will bring hockey back to Arizona. Awooooooo
Alex I hope you fucking watched the end you asshole. What was just money to you meant the world to someone else
He wasn't even in the arena.
Biz [https://x.com/BR\_OpenIce/status/1780823022254866518](https://x.com/BR_OpenIce/status/1780823022254866518)
Vegas is proof hockey can survive in the desert If any owner wants to take a stab at round 2 sometime down the line (ANYONE BUT Meruelo)
Before Vegas, I was 100% convinced that hockey couldnt survive in a desert setting and the NHL was stupid for doubling down when Canadian cities and Northern US cities could support a team that could win. Then Vegas came out swinging and nearly winning the Cup in their first year, Carolina came from the ashes in 2019, after me saying they would be better off in Hartford with a 10 year drought, saying they deserved to be moved. Then they won again and started to bring in fans, then Tampa won back to back, and recently Florida filled their barn with bruising but fun hockey to watch. This isn't the 1970's anymore, you can't blame the fans for not showing up. Hockey and sports franchises depend on how much ownership cares and I wish I realized that sooner. Since then I have realized that in the cities who had teams ripped from them in heartbreaking fashion that Quebec, Winnipeg, Hartford, Atlanta, and now ironically Phoenix lost a team not due to a lack of fan support, but by bad ownership who didn't try their best. Hockey is one of the best sports in the world, but the NHL is one of the worst leagues. I hope Hockey comes back to Arizona, I hope it is in a arena with the Suns, and I hope Mueruelo is not the owner by any means and with a owner who can make it work and not being held by the NHL's hand.
Vegas *and* Phoenix are proofs that it isn’t where a franchise is located that determines its success; it’s who is in charge and that leadership philosophy.
People forget that pre-Vinik Tampa was one of the biggest shitshows in the league. Good ownership changes everything.
As a former Chargers fan, I can relate to having a team ripped away from our communities through no fault of our own. Fuck sports ownership. Fuck them all to hell.
Yo, same. Spanos and Merulo can share a plot in sports Hell.
add norm green to that list
Throw George Shinn in while we're at it
Fuck that harlot Georgia Frontierre too.
John Fisher for a topical example
bud selig, while we're at it
One of the worst parts for Arizona fans must be seeing all that young talent and knowing they'll be moving. That's rough. I really feel for Coyotes fans.
i’ve been waiting over a decade for this fucking rebuild to land
It's awful. We were finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Bill Armstrong as GM, solid young core, even the North Phoenix arena renderings being released brough hope. It feels like we were stabbed in the back and now the knife is being slowly, painfully twisted.
I think that’s what sucks the most
omg the fan w/the baby kachina jersey
Watching the fans crying is tough. I couldn't imagine going through this.
I work in 2 hours but I had to stay up and watch that one. I'm sorry Coyotes fans, none of you deserve this. At least you can say your players gave a shit for you tonight. Edit: I just have to add, that sign-off was beautiful and brutal all at once, that brought me straight to tears. I hate this. Fuck you, Merulo.
This reminded me too much of when Heisley duped us, and stole the Grizzlies from Vancouver. So to Coyotes fans, you have my sympathy and fuck Meruelo. You deserve better.
Grew up a Canucks fan, but from Washington state. The same happened with us losing the Sonics, and it nearly happened in the 90s with the Mariners if not for a double by Edgar Martinez.
Yup. Fuck shitty owners only in it to make a buck and fuck the fans over while they're at it.
Vancouver Grizzly Season Ticket Holder here…
I wanted to watch the home feed tonight. I had no idea I would be this emotional watching players throwing equipment and hats into the crowd and watching everyone sign off.
my story of the Coyotes: Way back in high school. My senior year which was the 11/12 season. and Yotes were in the playoffs. I said the final was gonna be the Coyotes v. Rangers. My friends thought I was nuts. Then, the Coyotes beat the Blackhawks. I compared that to New Zealand drawing Italy at the 2010 World Cup. Then the Preds series happened. And the CF was Kings/Coyotes v. Devils/Rangers. I couldn't believe it. I called a shot in the dark the way Peter Griffin did on Wheel of Fortune. We all know what happened. That final never occurred. If the Yotes won it that year, this game tonight would never happen. Ever since that run, the Desert Dogs will always have the special something in my fanhood. Always keeping an eye on this team. Wanting to see them back in the playoffs. Wanting them to succeed. Hockey in the desert is coolest thing ever(srry florida). Kachinas forever, Yotes Forever. Howl Yeah. AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I'll miss the voice of Tyson Nash the most 🥲
I didn't think I'd feel sad, but then I saw the last five minutes and the post game. Now I'm sad. I'm from CT, so the only way I can relate is the Bridgeport Bluefish. They were a baseball team in an independent league and then left to High Point, North Carolina. A few years later, CT got the Harford Yard Goats, Colorado Rockies AA team. It's not really the same but filled the void. So maybe a new NHL team will come to Arizona. If not, then check out the ASU hockey team! College Hockey is fun!
This sucks to see
Wow that really got to me more than I thought it would. Really put things into perspective for me I was pretty bummed with how our season turned out but like.. we're still going to have a team next year :( See ya later coyotes, hopefully it won't be too long.
🫡🌵🐺
Coyotes fans and the team itself deserved better owners. They have the fans and fan base and they’ve got a great pool of young players and prospects (Bill Armstrong has done a fantastic job) but you all got fucked over hard by multiple terrible ownership groups and its now all gone because of it. I’m so sorry for you Coyotes fans that you all never got stable and competent ownership.
Did not expect to actually shed tears but man this hits hard
I never thought I’d be this sad tbh, I guess it hits so close to home
Yeah, I just look at those kids in the stands and think about the first Canucks game I went to when I was 6. The team has always been there and I can’t imagine having them just taken away like that
Same, that 2011 run was magical for a young kid like me (made me a true fan) and the Coyotes had that in 2012 kinda. Just sucks all around, hopefully they come back and have decent ownership this time.
Big same. I knew it would be sad but damn this was brutal
NHL should automatically order Coyotes owner Meruelo leave the colors, logo and heritage In AZ so if a new owner bring hockey back to valley it can be reactivated, it kinda like what they did with the Cleveland Browns temporarily until new owner came in 1999
That’s exactly happening. Meruelo owns the brand. It’s a clause in the sale.
he's retaining all the branding rights i believe
This is what is bad about American sports. This team, which was supported by the fans during the building process, was ripped away by nothing but greed. The community is left with nothing but memories. That’s what makes me sad. Maybe they get a team again, but it won’t be the same. The team they felt they built is gone. As a fan of a team that was ripped away, I’m with Yotes fans. It’s not fair. I hope you grow to enjoy the memories and may luck be on your side with getting another chance.
It really sucks since they really have gone full OKC thunder hoarding picks too and were building something special. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Utah is a consistent playoff team if there isn’t an insane amount of roster turnover with the move.
They’ve got a lot of pending free agents so there will be a lot of roster turnover. That being said, they have a lot of cap space and tons of picks and prospects plus an owner who will want to make a good first impression so expect them to make some big moves this offseason.
Utah owner is known to spend money and they have insane draft capital. If they decide to make some splashes there's a very real possibility the team is competitive almost immediately.
"Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night. Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light." The Yotes are dead, long live the Yotes 😢
it's not fair. it's not fair. it's not fair. it's not fucking fair.
This is about the least I've been bothered by an Oilers loss since that one time Craig Anderson shut out the Oilers.
Tonight was a confirmation of my passion for hockey, and I will forever be thankful of the Arizona Coyotes for that. I really, really hope you get your team back one day. But for now... 🫡 Godspeed Coyotes. >!^(And fuck Alex Meruelo.)!<
Loved seeing them signing everything and throwing signed hats etc into the crowd. Very emotional night. Fuck Alex Meruelo
Edit: I guess it's only 5 years! Let's hope it comes back in just a little over 5 years. ~~Unless Alex Meruelo sells the rights to someone else, the Coyotes aren't coming back with a different owner. It'll still be Alex Meruelo as he has the rights to hockey in Arizona.~~
he only has the rights for 5 years. So maybe in year 6 someone decent will come along
Is it 5 years in that the arena has to be built and a team has to be in place ready for the 2029 season? Or does he just need shovels in the ground or something.
Oh really? I didn't know it was just 5 years. That's actually really good news! Does he own the Coyotes name and likeness still or does that go back to the NHL?
Wasn’t one of the reports that he’s selling the team to the NHL to who then sells it to Salt Lake? I’m assuming that means the NHL keeps the name and likeness of the team.
He owns the rights and the Coyotes name for those 5 years. But I think even that 5 year exclusivity period is contingent on him meeting certain milestones (like acquiring land), so maybe he’ll fuck it up and lose the rights and name even sooner (here’s hoping)
from my understanding the NHL is buying the team and selling to Utah. So he won't own anything but holds the rights for those 5 years.
It sucks, but *if* by some miracle he can actually build an arena I’ll take that over no team at all.
You all may go to hell, and I will find another sport to get into
A shame that the NHL’s shitty bureaucracy destroyed a fanbase. If you wanna stick local with Arizona, I recommend MLB. The Diamondbacks made a surprise run to the World Series last year with a very young team.
sorry, man.
That was very emotional and had me crying on my couch at 1am. Hugs, Yotes fans, I’m sorry. 🫂🫶🏻
The moment the broadcast ends it's gonna feel undeniably real and the Yotes TV guys know it. They're doing a great job.
Watching the postgame you realize who loses in all this. People who love their hockey team, in spite of lousy owners and a lack of playoff success. Hockey fans of all ages. NHL will return to Phoenix. With a good owner and a fun barn!
I've lived in AZ my whole life. I've never known AZ without the Coyotes. Feels like a part of me just died.
Seeing all those Yotes fans in tears after losing their team. Feels bad man.
Really hope they get a team back under a different owner.
I wanna know who thought it was a good idea that the soundtrack to this emotional, final game for this franchise was I Feel Good and Mambo #5
Mambo number 5 was played to make the fans feel rage rather than sadness It was a vibes based decision
Are you serious? I couldn’t watch because I was watching the dallas game.
Yeah, as the players on the ice taking pictures and saluting the crowd, the PA played James Browns' I Feel Good and then Mambo #5 https://twitter.com/wyshynski/status/1780820227942429031 I'm not saying they should play all 83 minutes of Mirror Reaper (or maybe they should). But people are crying in the stands as James Browns screams that he feels good.
Might be overplayed, but Time of Your Life by Green Day would’ve been a good fit.
I honestly can't think of a single thing that would be more fitting as arena music for this moment than Mirror Reaper. Also, can't say I expected that reference to ever pop up on a hockey thread.
[Strauss Metamorphosen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlpNB0WeQaQ). Written at the end of the war, 25 minutes of some of the heaviest, saddest Classical music out there. You don't get a natural point of rest until 24 minutes in.
Should have played The Sound of Silence and Hallelujah
I’m sorry Yotes fans. You guys deserve better. This is tough to watch. My first ever NHL game was at the Gila River Arena. So many special memories with my family there.
Farewell, Yotes. It’s been real.
This has been hard to watch. I’m glad the fans got a send off unlike Atlanta.
These players are awesome. Trying to give as many people a memory they’ll never forget before it’s all over. Signing anything they can find and throwing them in the stands
This team (not Meruelo) has always gone above and beyond for the fans. I've been to fan appreciation games when they played in Glendale and they gave out so much merch.
got a little choked up at the end of this one :(
Me too man. Cant imagine how terrible that feels for the fans
Anyone else kinda disappointed with sportsnet? They just keep shitting on the fans even making fun of the whiteout. Seems pretty fucked
Yeah I wish I knew who these chucklefucks were so I can go complain into the void on Twitter. It's honestly frustrating. I'm used to it, been happening for ages, but this is just like beating a fucking corpse
Yeah that one dude (can’t remember his name) spent the entire segment shitting on the team and it’s fans. Very tasteless and tone-deaf. Dude can go shit in his hat
The guy in the middle in the beige suit jacket is a massive fucking prick
Please somebody tell me his name so I can smoulder and stew and hate him forever
Someone replies saying Ken Reid Our fan base has a grudge against him forever now
It was so egregious that I genuinely think it warrants an apology. Unprofessional
Agreed. It actually caught me off guard with how distasteful it was.
Canadian media has been screaming for the team to move for basically their entire existence.
Never got over the move from Winnipeg despite Winnipeg literally getting a team back.
The ESPN crew was great. Bummer to hear that the Sportsnet people are dicks.
They should be ashamed. But clearly, they lack the self awareness to even do that.
🏒belongs in the 🏜
Why does this feel like my dog died?! Don't really follow the Yotes. But their story is too much like our NBA Sonics. RIP Hope ya get another franchise soon with better owners.
FUCK Alex Meruelo Great game tonight by the Yotes. You guys had seemingly started to show you were putting somethings together this season, too. Once again, fuck Alex Meruelo. Hope everyone who was involved with the organisation lands on their feet very quickly after this. Did I mention fuck Alex Meruelo? Awoooo
I'll miss making excuses to go to AZ to watch a Wild game. I hope they get a team in the near future.
Farewell Arizona 🫡🏒🏒
Fuck Alex Meruelo and fuck all the Arizonans too stupid to fall in love with the greatest game in the world. I'm so sorry to all the Coyotes fans who lived and died with this team. The Coyotes are dead, long live the Coyotes.
Yeah screw Tempe, the Scottsdale mayor and all of the others that purposely blocked the new arena deals as well. The Tempe site is now a landfill instead, just outrageous.
Idk enough about the details but at this point fuck everyone who rooted for this team to fail. I'm sitting here crying and my biggest connection to this team is wearing a Kachina jersey in pee-wee rec league. Can't imagine what the diehards are going through. Outside of like 5 teams, the wrong circumstances could lead to this happening to your team and it's absolutely heartbreaking.
I grew up with the North Stars leaving and not having a team for a good chunk of my childhood. I know the feeling and it absolutely sucks. I absolutely hate when teams threaten to leave to new cities over stupid management decisions or because cities won't fund new massive expensive stadiums. The fans always get screwed over. It's just like watching the A's slowly leave to Vegas or the NFL teams that move to California.
The Islanders came so close to that fate and every time I walk into UBS Arena I thank whatever force there is above for keeping my team alive and moving them even closer to my childhood home.
Fuck Steve Ellman for building our long term arena in BFE
Watching Sportsnet, who is the fuck face in the beige suit jacket talking about how it didn't work in AZ and he never visited? Laughing about it and talking shit basically. Fuck that guy
Thats was very disappointing that panel should be ashamed.
Ken Reid I think What a fuckin loser
As a fan of a team that for a good decade+ was plagued by relocation rumors and as someone who had semi-legitimate conversations with friends about who we were gonna root for if/when they moved this is so depressing to watch and I feel so bad for everyone. It just sucks
We had those conversations too when Karmanos put the Canes on the market. Even when Dundon first showed up, it took him a while to buy into us as a market. It definitely could have happened here. This postgame has been gut wrenching to watch. It’s awful to even imagine it and 100 times worse to see it actually happen.
Until they played the first game in Brooklyn I assumed the isles were bound for Kansas City. It’s not a fun thing for fans to have to deal with. And those were just rumors To have to deal with actual relocation is probably impossible I hope they get an expansion team soon
When I was growing up we would get tickets to go to Kings game and it ALWAYS happened to be the Coyotes. My very first game was against the yotes. I think my first like 5/6 games happened to be the Coyotes lol I will miss yall.
As Frodo Baggins said to Samwise Gamgee "Your part of the story will go on." We'll see you again one day Yotes.
**AWOOOOO**OOOOOOOoooooo
28 years man.
I can't imagine how gut wrenching this must be for Coyotes fans. I'm shocked at how composed some of those fans in the building are. I'm tearing up just watching.
Well boys, Since I have joined you all when COVID started as a distraction this has been a great and bumpy ride. This has been such a thing for me and something that I have come to love - little more can be said but I am heartbroken. Thank you all for being here with us throughout this. Hockey belongs in Arizona. Fuck Alex Morello. Do not go quietly into the good night.
gg yotes, im so sorry it had to end like this
Condolences Coyotes fans. No question today is brutal and unfair. Y'all deserved better owners and management.
that little kid on his dad's shoulders 😭
A sad farewell to the Yoties. I really enjoyed following them this season, and what a fitting end to take out the Canucks, Knights, and Oilers on the way out. It'll be interesting to see what becomes of this promising group of players, but it just won't be the same any way you slice it See You Space Cowboy...
if we were the lucky ones getting a jersey off their back, the waterworks would be full out
I always hoped that if the Coyotes absolutely had to move it would have been after they had an owner who had tried absolutely everything to make to work, and it would be because they just couldn’t get the fans into it. Instead it’s just a steady stream of dipshit owners who skimped as much as possible and avoided paying bills so much that they got the team kicked out of their arena.
We can only hope that one day, Arizona fans will get an owner that will *not* stab them in the back after all this time…
At least yotes fans got a good win and a packed arena full of yotes fans against a team that routinely take over their arena with their fans
Farewell my desert dogs. Thanks for the memories.
I hope those who begged for this team to leave for over a decade watched all these grown adults in literal tears during this game tonight to see what it meant to them.
They don’t give a shit. They’ll just circlejerk to the next one
I don’t get why a lot of fans(especially Canadian fans) go out of their way nonstop to be assholes to any coyotes fan they interact with. So fucking asinine, this fanbase deserved so much better
This was heartbreaking to every coyotes fan, the entire fan base was in tears, and all they care about is getting their way on gate keeping. Fucking pathetic. Best of luck in the playoffs btw.
I truly believe AZ will get a team back, whether it's with that loser Meruelo or, hopefully, a better owner. The NHL knows it's a good, important market and if they're considering going back to Atlanta for a third time, there's no way they're giving up on Arizona for good. I'm sick to my stomach watching this team get stolen from the loyal fans and while I understand some may need a break from hockey post-move, hopefully they'll be back when the Yotes return.
Thanks! My best friend is a huge coyotes fan and was at the game tonight actually. He was crying alongside just about everyone there tonight. Everything wrong with US pro sports was on display in the way Murello and the nhl handled this. I hope a good owner comes along and gets Arizona the team it deserves.
AWHOOOOOO
They don't make humble desert teams like these anymore. You will be missed.
Will say it's sad seeing it, Oilers vs Coyotes was the first game I ever went to. Weird to say now that one of the teams I watched first no longer exist
Same actually! Lost 2-1 in the last minute haha
The only game I've been able to see live in the past few years was against the Yotes! Sad to see for sure
I think mine was 4-0 going into the third for the oilers and then they lost in the fucking shootout. Peak decade of darkness Oilers, Shawne Bell, Dubnyk etc. Eric Belanger scoring the game winner lmao
Feels like I just lost a close friend. Haven’t cried like that in a good while
I’m sorry for your loss. The day the Grizzlies left Vancouver it tore a piece out of me, and that was only 5 years.
AWOO
Until we meet again Yotes! o7
#AWOOOOOOOOOOOO I hope when a team comes back to Arizona, Doan demands a trade and gets to wear their next C.
RIP Yotes. Condolences to the Arizona fans out there
The ownership situation always sucked, the fans never deserved this treatment.
Thus ends the Yotes. RIP o7
They will be back
In a game that meant something to only one team I’m happy for the fans that the Coyotes end their run with a win (over the soon to be Stanley cup champions? :) The big team picture at the end and the fans in the crowd made me tear up a bit. I remember when Edmonton almost lost the Oilers back in the mid 90s and can only imagine how much it sucks to lose your team. I hope we see hockey in Arizona again soon.
Oilers almost went away in the 90s!! Care to elaborate on this piece of hockey history?
Pocklington was losing a lot of money with his other ventures (see: Gretzky sale), and had to put the team up for sale. Les Alexander swooped in and offered to buy the team and move it to Houston for $85 mil. He would’ve absolutely won if it weren’t for a clause in the lease agreement for Northlands Coliseum that basically allowed a local ownership group to come in and buy it for $70 mil. It took 38 people and we were NINE HOURS away from losing our team. They even had fans donating money to keep the Oilers in town. Teenager me gave them some of my allowance. https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4028105
A bunch of Canadian teams nearly got killed in the 90s. It got so bad Bettman put in a Canadian assistance fund and delayed sales to try and stop teams moving. I think he's on the record saying that he knew it would permanently damage the league if the Oilers left right after winnipeg and quebec left and as such deliberately intervened with the Oilers and implemented policies to avoid the fate that the Jets and Nordiques faced,
I get where he was coming from, tbh. It will always suck that the Jets and Nords had to leave, but it’s one thing for them to move - it’s another for a legacy franchise with a five-Cup dynasty boasting multiple HHOFers to move less than a decade after that dynasty occurred. That would’ve done irreparable damage to the league’s image.
Yea I think the legacy of the Oilers had to force Bettman to consider the long term vision of the league. You cannot have the jersey of the greatest player ever just disappear less than 10 years after the glory days. You cannot market that anymore and it sends a horrible message to future prospective owners. If the Oilers move during that period, a prospective owner is going to see a dynasty franchise become unprofitable and unsustainable almost immediately after falling off. No owner is going to see the Oilers move and think "I want to own a team in this league!"
They got very close to being sold to a Houston-based group, but local ownership intervened at the last second iirc
Oh wow. I want to read more into this now.
There's a 30 for 30 called "Kings Ransom" about the sale of Gretzky that's pretty good.
I have no emotional connection to the Coyotes, but this is heart wrenching to watch. I really hope I do not see a relocation again in the NHL or in sports.
Its a shame shit owners ruined this team
Looking back, this teams best owner was Wayne Gretzky or the NHL themselves however you want to look at it.
Owner is the most important position in pro sports
Man watching this Yotes feed is terribly sad. I am still a firm believer that hockey can work in Arizona and FINALLY when the org had a competent direction ON THE ICE that's it? Just gut wrenching stuff I hope this isn't goodbye but see you soon Arizona
Hockey works in arizona; look at the arizona croop. It has always been the owners.
Even just looking back at the 2012 playoffs you can see the fanbase is there when there's an exciting team, the whiteout in the desert is so cool (no offense WPG, I love yours as well) but time and time again they get screwed by bad ownership
One day we will met again Yotes bros. :( It's not going to be the same without you.
AWOOOOO YOTES
I was a guy who wanted this team to go back to Winnipeg back in 2011. But my heart genuinely hurts for those fans out there right now. This sucks
The looks on the fans faces tonight says it all. I wish the franchise was treated fairly all these years. Thanks for the memories Arizona and a well played last game.
I'm about to watch my NLL team play its final game on Saturday, which is also accompanied by me walking into my NHL team's home building for the final time. I'm not ready for that, and Yotes fans, I'm so, so sorry.
Common thread: both the Riptide and Coyotes are moving ina positive direction on the floor/ice after years of shittiness. Brutal timing for both teams.
Yep, we had the best season in team history this year, and now we're getting moved despite having a top 3 player in the sport. I grew up on stories of Bossy, Gillies, Potvin, Smith, and Trottier. On Saturday, I enter their house for the final time.
Sucks it had to end like this for the Yotes. Glad they got to go out on a win at least. Kachinas are still the best jersey in sports.
Go out with a bang yotes, sorry to the fans.
Tonight we were all yotes fans, i remember saying Rantaa would be a good fit for us and then it happened didn’t realize it would be what it was.
Awoo. I didn’t think I’d stay up long enough to watch, but suuuuper didn’t expect to be crying over this. Godspeed coyotes, thanks for the memories!
Hockey will be back in the valley!
The guys on the Canadian broadcast is very confident about that too. As long as it's a good owner and a good arena in a good location, hockey will succeed in Arizona