The Arizona Coyotes in 2019 were once again purchased by another ownership group led by Alex Meruelo, a billionaire businessman with interests in real estate and casinos. This was the purchase from Ice Arizona, another group who took over from NHL ownership that started in the bankruptcy of 2009 by Jerry Moyes. I bring up this brief history lesson to begin to say that this ownership group has been the group we’ve desperately needed in all the 27 years the Coyotes have been in Arizona.
Why do I think Meruelo is the right owner to get the Coyotes on track?
It’s weird to praise an owner, especially given the track record of owners in Arizona as Suns and Diamondbacks fans can certainly agree with.
The Coyotes started out in ’96 bringing Arizona flavor to the NHL with the Hopi Native Tribe-inspired Kachina jersey which at the time was lauded for being “nontraditional” which would extend to the “peyote Coyote” head alternate jerseys shortly after. In 2003 we hit a huge rebrand which brought in red, desert sand, and black to the color scheme and a more generic howling Coyote head logo. This is a time that I would say we began to try to fit in with the rest of the NHL crowd and appeal to the more “traditional” NHL fan.
6/26/15 – Although leaked online a few hours before, the Arizona Coyotes unveiled their newest set of uniforms (the third set in franchise-history) during their draft party at Gila River Arena. The biggest change to the uniform from the prior set was the addition of black. #Yotes pic.twitter.com/LLauiegSAB
— Arizona Sports History (@AZSportsHistory) June 26, 2022
Fast forward to 2020, the midst of a pandemic and the stoppage of NHL play. The NHL made a “bubble” and had a play-in tournament similar to the NBA. The Coyotes brought back the Kachina jersey for this and in the 2021 season made it, and the white Kachina jersey, our primary jersey and logo. This is the moment I would say ownership embraced Arizona fully as we always should have. No more “not your father’s original 6” taglines (sorry for reminding you of that one) They made an entire video and ad campaign about being Arizona and doing hockey our way featuring the desert and roller hockey. They brought in fashion designer Rhuigi Villasenor, founder and creative director of Rhude, to design a jersey completely inspired by the beautiful nights of Arizona featuring two crossed saguaro cacti as the A patch and crescent moon logo for the Captain’s patch when we do get one.
Mr. Meruelo is embracing the Coyotes and the 48th state in ways we didn’t get to see in the past 27 years. The owner also had a first Fridays collection debut, attracting people who may not like hockey but now will see Coyotes everywhere, getting the brand out there and thusly growing the fandom!
The last thing I’d also like to mention is that Meruelo also embracing a complete rebuild and is not afraid to be in the trenches and get this team the roster, and hopefully playoff success, we fans have deserved for so long. This ownership group is setting the bar for this new wave of sports owners in the Valley, and I hold my head and kachina jersey high for what is to come.
I hope. I don’t like that he is going cheap thos season and hamstrung GM BA for the trade deadline dumping small contracts like Stetcher and Ritchie should got more assets but dumped small salary