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Alex Meruelo, the majority owner of the now-dissolved Arizona Coyotes, made a surprising admission about his lack of public presence during a press conference on Friday.
Meruelo, appearing alongside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss the Coyotes' move to Salt Lake City, was asked why he has been largely absent from media appearances over the past year, He provided a blunt response.
"I don't like the media." Meruelo elaborated, "It's funny, I own two TV stations in Los Angeles, five radio stations in Los Angeles and I have never once been on any radio or any TV. I don't like the media, I avoid media for many reasons."
This admission came as a shock, given Alex Meruelo's ownership of several media outlets. Bettman quickly stepped in to further explain Meruelo's stance.
"Let me translate that I don't think anyone should take it personally, I think he doesn't like being public person, right? Not that he doesn't like the media, because he says owns media. All of you, he was referring to, some people don't like there in pubic."
Meruelo has maintained a very low profile since acquiring a majority stake in the Coyotes in 2019. Aside from a handful of press releases and league-mandated appearances, he has largely stayed out of the public eye.
Alex Meruelo's apologizes to Coyotes players and fans for relocation decision
In the wake of the Arizona Coyotes' relocation to Salt Lake City, team owner Alex Meruelo issued an apology to fans and players affected by the move.
"It’s horrible. I apologize. It’s something that I tried at every cost to avoid," Alex Meruelo said on Burns and Gambo Show in Phoenix
Meruelo emphasized that he exhausted every possible avenue to avoid this outcome, admitting that it's a "horrible" situation and offering his sincere apologies.
"It is simply unfair to continue to have our Players, coaches, hockey front office, and other NHL teams spend several more years playing in an arena that is not suited for NHL hockey," he said.
Referring to the Coyotes players as his "kids," Meruelo described the conversations surrounding the relocation as gut-wrenching. Many of the players had been hand-picked by Meruelo himself for the organization.
"My goal is to do what has to be done from Day 1, is build the Coyotes a facility, an arena they should be proud of that they can call their house, their home," Meruelo added
Alex Meruelo assured fans that this relocation doesn't mark the end of NHL hockey in Arizona. He has negotiated the right to reactivate the team within the next five years and has retained ownership of the beloved Coyotes brand and logo.
