Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on the Jeff Marek Show on the owner of the Utah Jazz, Ryan Smith requesting to initiate the NHL expansion process, and a message to the Arizona Coyotes that there may be an alternative.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Friedman: “First of all, I think that if for them to, for Ryan Smith to go public like this, there has to be a nudge nudge wink wink from the National Hockey League. Like I just don’t think you’d do this.
Like Mark Chipman who is in Toronto actually. He wrote the book on them. And that was, don’t say a peep, keep quiet, follow the NHL. And things would happen when the NHL is ready.
NHL Rumors: Will Jakob Chychrun be the odd man out in Ottawa?
And so I don’t think Ryan Smith is any different. I think when he did that interview with us last week, last year, it was with the passive approval of the National Hockey League. And I think this happens with the passive approval of the National Hockey League.
I mean, so, and I’ve always believed since even before we spoke to him, he’s getting a team. The league wants him in the NHL. He’s a really smart guy. Utah is a really growing market. You know, like it’s one of the fastest growing markets in the States. They want him in. And so I think you’ll get to see him eventually.
I thought the most interesting thing about the release was like, the second, was the end of the first paragraph, where he talks not only about an expansion team, but he also talks about, he also talks about just the fact that basically, if you, if you needed a space right now, the delta center will work until we build our new arena for the 2034 Olympics.
And the timing of this. I know people were very upset about it , which is fine. But the timing about it is, yeah, but the timing of it. Like to me that’s a message for the Arizona Coyotes. And you know, the NHL has basically said they need to know about Arizona by All-Star break. Well Jeff, were a week and a half from the All-Star break.
NHL Rumors: Expansion is on the Horizon in the NHL
So like it’s, it’s impossible not to look at that and say there’s a reason for the, for this to happen around this time. And so, I think number one, it opens up the expansion conversation around the NHL. And I think number two it’s a message to Arizona that if you don’t find out something we have an alternative.”
