'No factual basis' to Coyotes' reported complaints to NHLPA
Things just seem to be going from bad to worse for the Arizona Coyotes.
Try as they may, the Arizona Coyotes can’t seem to wriggle their way out of public scrutiny.
After a tsunami of relocation rumors, followed by a social media admin gone rogue, then reports that they may in fact remain in The Valley, the past week has been a chaotic mess for the NHL’s redheaded stepchild, in every sense of the word.
The club’s latest shenanigans, it appears, come in the form of multiple alleged grievances filed with the NHL Players Association, though the validity of the reported claims remains in dispute for the time being.
As reported this past Sunday, the New York Post’s Larry Brooks detailed that Coyotes players had allegedly filed multiple grievances with the NHLPA over the course of the season on a range of issues, including “sub-standard travel, lodging and logistical issues that were in violation of the collective bargaining agreement."
In response, PHNX Sports reporter Craig Morgan reports via a statement from NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly that those claims had been misconstrued.
“There is no factual basis for the blurb. The only issue ever brought to my attention related to player concerns related to construction delays in connection with the completion of Mullett Arena,” Daly said via the statement on Monday. "No other player complaints were ever brought to my attention; no grievances were filed; and no complaints were adjudicated, either formally or informally."
Morgan also added that an NHLPA spokesperson has informed him that there are no outstanding complaints against the Coyotes organization, and that there were no CBA violations by the club this season.
In addition to concerns regarding player treatment, The New York Post further outlined that, as expected, the NHL plans to do everything in its power to keep the Coyotes from relocating.
Combined with the “commissioner’s unwavering and zealous support,” per Brooks, the National Hockey League’s aim is to prevent a relocation from wiping a potential expansion destination from the league’s slate — in addition to the potential $1 billion expansion fee that would be divided up amongst the league’s owners.
The Coyotes’ future remains up in the air following a failed vote to build a new arena in Tempe, with reports stating that the club is eyeing a possible new destination in Mesa, on the site of an abandoned shopping mall.
