Coyotes fire shots at Gary Bettman ahead of final game in Arizona
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.
Some Coyotes fans seem to believe that Bettman backed the team until someone showed up with a load of cash.
However, several others pointed out that without Bettman's staunch support, the Arizona Coyotes would have been relocated years ago.
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 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Jason Robertson | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Chandler Stephenson | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Sebastian Aho | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jalen Chatfield | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mikael Granlund | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Roope Hintz | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Wyatt Johnston | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brandon Montour | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| William Nylander | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jaden Schwartz | - | 2 | 2 | |
| John Tavares | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jamie Benn | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Evgeny Dadonov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Yanni Gourde | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Pontus Holmberg | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Fraser Minten | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Ryan Poehling | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jack Roslovic | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Daniel Sprong | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 19 | 16 | 3 | - | 32 | |
Hurricanes | 18 | 14 | 4 | - | 28 | |
Capitals | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 27 | |
Wild | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 27 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Devils | 21 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 17 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 19 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 25 | |
Stars | 18 | 12 | 6 | - | 24 | |
Golden Knights | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 24 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||