Coyotes fire shots at Gary Bettman ahead of final game in Arizona
PUBLICATION
TJ Tucker
April 16, 2024 (8:55)
With just one game left to go in the team's history, Arizona Coyotes fans are placing the blame squarely on NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman for the loss of their team.
It may have been a long-time coming, but the Coyotes are officially done in Arizona with just one game left on the schedule against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night. The buzz around the team's final game in the desert is causing absurd ticket prices, while fans lament the loss of their team. In the meantime, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman seems to have become a target of blame for the team's relocation.
At the Ice Den in Scottsdale, where the Coyotes hold their practices, someone let a note for Bettman with an insult that will be familiar to any fans of Monty Python.
"Gary Bettman's mother was a hamster, and his father smelt of elderberries. AZ Coyotes forever!"
Some Coyotes fans seem to believe that Bettman backed the team until someone showed up with a load of cash.
"Commissioner Bettman strung along the fans, saying he supported Meruelo's bid for the land auction, and then dropped us when a bag of cash showed up. Also, have y'all heard of Monty Python?"
However, several others pointed out that without Bettman's staunch support, the Arizona Coyotes would have been relocated years ago.
"You do realize the team could've been relocated already Gary is the only reason it lasted this long if Gary had his way coyotes wouldn't be leaving."
Die hard Coyotes fans (yes, they do exist despite what many might think) have a right to be angry about losing their team. However, the anger might be better directed at current owner Alex Meruelo, who failed on more than one occasion to find a new, permanent home of the team, something the NHL said needed to happen if the Coyotes were to stay in Arizona. The team will start the 2023-24 season in its new home in Salt Lake City, Utah. No word on what the team will be called yet.
POLL |
AVRIL 16 | 322 ANSWERS Coyotes fire shots at Gary Bettman ahead of final game in Arizona Who's to blame for the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes? |
Alex Meruelo | 122 | 37.9 % |
Gary Bettman | 58 | 18 % |
Both | 102 | 31.7 % |
Neither | 40 | 12.4 % |
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