Speculations Of Tucson Roadrunners Move To Tempe Intensify As NHL Coyotes Prepare For Departure From Arizona

Discussions are swirling at the possibility that Tucson could lose their professional hockey team, with a rumored move to Tempe.

With the recent talks of the NHL Arizona Coyotes likely to leave the state and move to Utah, there has been news about the possible departure of the Tucson Roadrunners from Southern Arizona. The news has surprised the City of Tucson and other local officials. As there has been no official announcement on an official news, but the buzz have left many wondering.

According to sources, the Coyotes, which are currently under the ownership of Alex Meruelo, may soon be acquired by Smith Entertainment Group based in Utah and relocated to Salt Lake City. The official announcement of this transaction is expected to be made on Wednesday, coinciding with the final NHL game in Arizona later that evening.

Meruelo who also owns of the Tucson Roadrunners, would maintain ownership of the Roadrunners, the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate and the main occupant of Tucson Arena since 2016, he would also retain the Coyotes logos and trademarks. These would be used in his future plans to potentially bring the NHL back to Arizona in the next five years.

According to the reports, Meruelo is considering relocating the Roadrunners to Tempe’s Mullett Arena after the sale of the Coyotes has been finalized.

Roadrunners leadership declined to provide a comment on the reports.

According to a report from InsideAHLHockey.com, a website that covers the primary feeder league to the NHL, they were the first to announce that the Roadrunners may be relocating from Tucson due to the potential relocation of the Arizona Coyotes.

The Roadrunners were brought to Tucson in 2016. Tucson officials are of course worried that the potential departure of the team would negatively impact the Tucson Convention Center and the millions of dollars invested in new ice, locker rooms, and facilities for the Roadrunners.

The departure of the Roadrunners is not yet confirmed, as the details of their involvement in the overall series of transactions are still uncertain.

A source has reported that discussions are in fact in progress to relocate the Roadrunners from Tucson and have them take the place of the Coyotes at Mullett Arena in Tempe.

In 2022, the Mullett Arena was established by Arizona State University with a capacity of 4,600 seats to serve as the home for its NCAA Division I hockey team. The Coyotes from the NHL utilized the Mullett Arena for the past two years, despite it being the smallest venue among the 32 teams in the NHL. During this time, Meruelo has been trying to acquire land in various locations within the Valley in order to construct a multi-billion-dollar arena and entertainment district, which would serve as a permanent home for the Coyotes.

The Coyotes have moved from their previous location in Glendale, which is now known as the Desert Diamond Arena, following the 2021-22 season.

The relocation of the Roadrunners to Tempe raises several logistical concerns, such as the potential obligation of the ownership to the City of Tucson in order to terminate the existing 10-year arena lease two years ahead of schedule. This amount, estimated to be between $3 and $4 million, would likely consist of both rental fees and a prorated reimbursement for the expenses incurred in renovating the arena to meet AHL standards.

The Roadrunners are currently ranked second in the AHL’s Pacific Division and expected to hold a full first-round AHL Calder Cup playoff series at Tucson Arena later this month.