NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 15, 2024
Recapping Sunday’s games, the latest on the Coyotes’ potential relocation to Salt Lake City, and updates on Kings captain Anze Kopitar, Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Tomas Hertl completed a four-goal comeback as the Vegas Golden Knights rallied to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3. William Karlsson scored twice (including his 30th of the season) for the playoff-bound Golden Knights (44-28-8). With 96 points, they’re one point behind the third-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Cale Makar had a goal and an assist for the 49-25-7 Avalanche, who sit eighth overall with 105 points.
Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche are stumbling toward the end of the season with a record of 3-5-2.
The Carolina Hurricanes doubled up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Seth Jarvis tallied twice in the third period for the 55-22-7 Hurricanes (111 points) as they sit one point behind the league-leading New York Rangers in second place in the overall standings. Blackhawks rookie Frank Nazar scored his first NHL goal on his first shot.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nazar signed his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks on Friday following the completion of his sophomore year with the NCAA’s Michigan Wolverines. He’s one of their top prospects and could become invaluable to the Blackhawks’ rebuilding program.
A three-goal third period lifted the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Jordan Kyrou broke a 1-1 tie with his 31st goal of the season and Nathan Walker had a goal and an assist. Jared McCann netted his 29th goal for the Kraken.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Jake Neighbours missed this game and is expected to be sidelined for his club’s final game of the season on Wednesday. He’s missed the last four games with an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old sophomore winger is tied for second with Pavel Buchenich among Blues scorers with 27 goals.
Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri scored twice in the third period to lift his club over the Arizona Coyotes 6-5. Andrei Kuzmenko had a goal and an assist for the Flames. Dylan Guenther tallied two goals for the Coyotes.
HEADLINES
SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Coyotes, Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that the NHL hopes to officially announce the sale of the club to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith on Thursday or Friday.
Current Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo will have five years to prove he can build a new arena, and then he’ll be granted an expansion franchise. Friedman said Meruelo is determined to do that. He will bid for a parcel of land in a June 27 auction he intends to use for an arena and entertainment complex.
The Coyotes are expected to be sold to Smith for $1.2 billion with the league facilitating the sale.
ARIZONA SPORTS: Meruelo will receive $1 billion from the league for the sale of the Coyotes to Smith. The remaining $200 million will be retained by the league as a relocation fee and distributed equally among the 31 other NHL owners.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman convinced Meruelo to sell because of the indefinite timeline for a new arena. Meruelo agreed after the league gave him that five-year window to be granted an expansion franchise provided a new arena is built within that timeframe.
Meruelo will also retain ownership of the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. He will negotiate to be an affiliate of the new team in Salt Lake City and will explore moving the Roadrunners to Tempe so it can play its games at Mullett Arena.
AZCENTRAL.COM: The Phoenix mayor’s office sent a letter to the Coyotes seeking a meeting with Meruelo regarding his proposed plan for a new arena and entertainment complex in northeast Phoenix.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Meruelo will remain part of the NHL Board of Governors in an observer role.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the last season for the Coyotes in Arizona barring any unforeseen issues. Whether there will be a Coyotes 2.0 depends on Meruelo winning the land auction in June and getting an arena built by 2029.
If the NHL does return to Arizona, and if the league also expands to Houston and Atlanta as rumored before the end of this decade, it will create an imbalance with the Western Conference having one more franchise than the Eastern Conference.
Could that finally bring about the return of the NHL to Quebec City? Does it mean a second franchise in Toronto? An expansion team in Cleveland? Let me know what you think in the comments section.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar is dealing with a nagging injury that forced him to miss Saturday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. It remains to be seen if he’ll remain sidelined for the club’s final two regular-season games.
New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson missed Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders and Sunday’s practice with an upper-body injury suffered on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. It’s uncertain if he’ll rejoin his teammates for their final two regular-season games.
NHL.COM: Boston Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk was fined over $2,700.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks signed winger Cutter Gauthier to a three-year entry-level contract. He’s expected to play in his club’s final regular-season game on Thursday. Gauthier completed his second season with the NCAA’s Boston College and led all American Division 1 collegians this season with 38 goals.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Philadelphia Flyers selected Gauthier with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The Ducks acquired him in January after he refused to sign with the Flyers.
SPORTSNET: The Montreal Canadiens are expected to sign prospect Luke Tuch to an entry-level contract. The younger brother of Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch, Luke completed his fourth year with Boston University.
Cutter played mostly center with the Eagles. Will he remain in as a center with the Ducks. They also have a shot at getting Celebrini! If so they will have an opportunity to trade Zegras for a haul!
I suggest moving Nashville to the Eastern Conference.
Perhaps, eventually, something like this;
Pacific Division
Vancouver
Edmonton
Calgary
Seattle
San Jose
Anaheim
Los Angeles
Vegas
Utah
Central Division
Chicago
Winnipeg
Colorado
Dallas
St Louis
Minnesota
Arizona
Kansas City
Houston
Atlantic Division
Boston
Florida
Toronto
Tampa Bay
Detroit
Buffalo
Ottawa
Montreal
Quebec City
Metropolitan Division
NYR
NYI
Carolina
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
Washington
NJD
Columbus
Nashville
Wow 36 NHL Teams…❗️
That would have to happen over a large time period…
other wize it would be quite diluted
product on the ice
What about Ontario…Hamilton or Markam areas they are Huge Hockey hot beds❓
Jeff
You moved the problem child from the Pacific Division to the
Central
No to Coyotes part II
36 teams is too much now
In 15 years maybe
I hate to say it; but a Tiered league (akin to Soccer) would be a better watch than a diluted 36 team NHL
Setting aside the hyperbole; I can’t see anybody arguing that a 28 team NHL ; with cream rising to the top, would have to have better overall quality of players in each game (your reducing NHL by 92 players; and by logic; they’d be (on average) , the weakest 3 players on each team)
I wasn’t even born when the NHL doubled in size (66/67 to 67/68) . From what I’ve read (we’ll have to ask the seasoned posters on here like George and Iowa Prince for their actual perceptions of when it happened) quality plummeted
From 66/67 to 79/80 , 13 years, the NHL more than tripled (6 teams vs 21 teams)
I’d love to see hockey in Quebec and Houston; but relocation maybe instead of expansion
There are a lot of bottom dwelling teamsthats dont Fill the Arenas
when your paying $150 ++ a ticket you want to see a quality NHL game..
SJ has had some very poor attendances over the past month… Half filling it with fans,
Now they are in a full re-build its going to be 5-7 years of Poor Attendance,
The NHL needs to put expansion on the back burner to improve the product and young player coming up to the NHL….❓
I don’t know about an expansion team in Ohio. Cleveland and Cincinnati are about equal distance from Columbus and would likely draw fans away from the Jackets.
Why not Cleveland, would draw fans from Colombus, Detroit, Buffalo, Toronto and Pittsburgh…
I vote for QC. They have had a building ready to go for years and Bettman tries to keep jamming Arizona down our throats. I’m ok with Cleveland, too . Why not?
W. Karlsson trying to make a case of him staying in Vegas next year. “Sorry but Hertl is younger. Besides you will be easier to trade this summer.”
Current Coyote ownership is an utter failure, there’s no chance they get their act together in 50 years, let alone 5.
If Arizona was going to be a huge success/revenue/profit generator with a well placed building wouldn’t some well capitalized individual or group have stepped forward over the last 20+ years and bought them?
As for Murello I’ve read that his “style” is quite confrontational, refusing to pay bills and trying to negotiate them down etc. I hope the NHL has seen the last of him.
You are likely correct, Joel.
If you follow the link provided and read the letters Meruelo sent to the Phoenix mayor he says in the first letter that he is disappointed the mayor has refused to meet him.
The mayor says he never received such a request.
You’ll also note that Meruelo in the second letter changes his tone and praises the incredible leadership of the mayor.
A few days ago, Lyle and I had a long set of exchanges about why the Yotes were moving. This supports one of Lyle’s points that it is bad leadership that is a core issue in the move.
But there are still some murky issues here:
Lyle also pointed out most of the time owners move franchises to get better deals elsewhere. Here Meruelo wants to stay.
When the Edmonton and Calgary franchise owners threatened to leave their city councils came through – which happened because the city councils felt pressure from their constituents. No such support in AZ.
I know the NHLPA complained (fairly) that playing in a 5,000 seat arena was costing players a share of revenue, but what has never been fully explained is why the NHL decided to relocate the team prior to the result of the land auction. Yes it would have cost a few more years of revenue in AZ. But not a dramatic amount, and we all know Bettman’s stubborn devotion to AZ up to now …
Anyone, did I overlook an explanation as to why the move before the land auction result?
The land auction is June 27, way past the “best before” date for NHL scheduling. There was also the uncertainty over whether Meruelo would win the land auction after he screwed the pooch in Tempe last year. Don’t overlook the rising grumbling over the situation coming from the NHL BoG and the NHLPA. It’s bad enough having one side complaining but when both sides aren’t happy with the situation, something’s gotta give.
Fortunately for the league, they have the Utah Jazz owner hot-to-trot over getting an NHL franchise and willing to fork out $1.2 billion to do so.
It’s almost like the Atlanta Thrashers situation in 2011. The ownership collapsed, no suitable candidates emerged willing to keep the team in Atlanta, but in Winnipeg, there was Mark Chipman and his billionaire boss David Thomson keen to bring back the NHL. They’d courted the league for several years before the Thrashers’ collapse and it worked in Bettman’s favor and made the dreams of Winnipeg Jets fans come true.
The land auction is just smoke and mirrors. I seriously doubt they win the auction, it’s just another excuse.
Heck no to 34 teams, let alone 36. Goaltending availability itself is a simple reason against, but the overall watering down of the game is inexcusable. Unfortunately the team owners are addicted to Lil Gary’s one money making scheme – expansion – so it’s inevitable.
I agree that the NHL has more than all the teams they need now. I’d argue 1/3 of the NHL teams don’t have rosters with legit NHL talent. What will happen with more expansionis a league where there is parity, with poor quality.
As there is the distinct possibility that Meruelo will not win the land bid in June or any other time that might forestall expansion for now.
That and at some point potential owners are going to see that expansion is like a pyramid scheme: those in early make money. Those that get in late see no or little growth in their equity.
I’m with you guys on this. I don’t think expansion is needed or appropriate right now. But if it does come about then a new team in Arizona would be ridiculous and a team in Atlanta almost as ridiculous.
As for a Canadian team I’d pick Hamilton or a town elsewhere in the 905 over QC.
Re:
“Current Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo will have five years to prove he can build a new arena, and then he’ll be granted an expansion franchise. ”… this should be referred to as the Bettman ego/idiot clause of the deal
NHL in the greater Phoenix area didn’t work; doesn’t work; will not work
Bettman already spinning this as his negotiation skills the sold reason for gaining owners $200 M to split; but never alludes to his mistakes of keeping them there so long costing not only owners but players , cumulatively hundreds snd hundreds of millions of dollars in lost HRR.
Re “Meruelo agreed after the league gave him that five-year window to be granted an expansion franchise provided a new arena is built within that timeframe.”
Muerelo is getting at least double the value of the franchise (depending on source, the vslue of the Coyotes is between $440 M – $500 M. He goes from losing money EVERY single day; to gaining a minimum of $500 M on asset value. This 5 year clause is just window dressing; and Bettman trying to save face
SLC is substantially smaller than Phoenix but already has enough fans to sell out, Same players, same team.
I am not scrooge; I do feel sorry for those few (and they are few) true Coyotes fans. They can still follow them, they will be on TV.
That said; for all hockey in general; for NHL fans in general; for all owners (including Murello); for entire NHLPA…. They all gain; at the expense of those few fans in Phoenix
This was the right move
The move out of Phoenix is at least 15 years too late
Any other commissioner, and this team would have already been thriving (for at least 15 years) in another city
For those who argue that a much better product on ice would mean more fans; my argument remains that there needs to be hockey fans (or the expectation of future hockey fans) to sustain a franchise; and it is NOT “size [raw population] DOES matter”; and true hickey fans will support poor on ice products
It’s the size of the current and/or potential hockey fans
Cite: Columbus
Jackets will finish in 29th spot; at least 10 points behind Coyotes; and Jackets have roster/personnel issues and other issues.
Columbus pop: 900K; Metro 2.1 Million
Phoenix: 1.7 M, with 4.9 Million in it’s Metro
Yet Columbus attendance and fans on the rise:
See article from Colin Gay (Columbus Dispatch) of Yesterday : “Columbus Blue Jackets on pace to set highest home attendance totals in 20 years”
Why the difference (Coyotes/Jackets). Waaaay waaaay way more HOCKEY fans in Columbus despite being less than half of the Metro population as Phoenix
Size DOES matter when it comes to population of Hockey fans; but raw population totals are completely irrelevant as indicators of NHL franchise success.
If it were relevant, NHL would have already had a franchise in North America’s largest Metropolis (which has over 22 million in their Metro, but maybe 100 total citizens who even know what hockey is!!!).
Salt Lake City is going to make Arizona look Rea Bad When it takes of…
Ryal Smith Know how to do it….👌
Honestly I would almost bet money that there is a now a finite number of teams that will ever play NHL in Canada. If QC ever gets a team, it will be because the Jets move there.
QC has been salivating for a new NHL team and has put in all the required infrastructure and Booooottman has completely snubbed them at every turn.
As soon as Bettman retires; then Quebec City gets either an expansion franchise or a relocated franchise.
We may not see eye to eye with Canadians; but we all respect them. All of us that is , except for Bettman.
He hates Canada/Canadians
It certainly feels that way. And maybe you are right.
I wish there was a term limit on commissioners but oh well.
Bottom line is he makes the owners some money so they love him.
8787: Bettman hates Canadians? Really?
So why did he implement a revenue-sharing play in 2000 for Canadian teams when the Canadian dollar was at its lowest to prop up those clubs, especially those in Western Canada and in Ottawa? That plan was in place until it was replaced by the current revenue-sharing agreement in the 2005 CBA and is still in place today to help all smaller market teams provided certain criteria is met.
Why did he save the Ottawa Senators from relocating by bringing in Eugene Melnyk to buy the team in 2003?
Why did he and the BoG approved the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg in 2011?
Why did he get involved in efforts to build new arenas in Edmonton and Calgary?
If Bettman hates Canadians, he’s got a funny way of showing it.
The real reason why Quebec City hasn’t received a franchise is because of the size of its market. Don’t take my word for it, here’s NHL executive committee chairman Jeremy Jacobs on the topic in 2016:
“Quebec is challenged, to put it nicely,” Jacobs told reporters.”Look at the income base and the population base. There probably isn’t a smaller market, so they’re really going to have to distinguish themselves in some other way.”
“You look at Houston and you look at (Quebec), it’s the fifth largest city in North America versus the 105th, let’s say, so they have a different situation there,” Jacobs added. “Economically, they’re challenged and numerically there is challenge to them. They just don’t have the numbers.
“But we’ve got enthusiastic fans there, there is no doubt about that. It’s a great market and I’m not being critical of it.”
https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1545545
“I’m not being critical of it, I’m just pointing out it’s a really small market with way less money.” 😂
Those talking about Quebec City, I would love if they had a team, but at a $1B price tag, there’s no chance. Winnipeg got lucky with the timing and price, there’s likely no way that move happens at $1B, let alone $500M. At the current prices, unless it’s a second GTA team, there’s just no way to justify the cost to put another team anywhere else in Canada.