The NHL announced on Friday that it has indefinitely suspended Andrew Barroway, a minority owner of the Arizona Coyotes, after he was arrested for domestic violence involving his wife in Colorado this past week.
According to a court affidavit, Barroway is facing a class 4 felony charge of second-degree assault related to strangulation and a third-degree assault charge.
“We are aware of the allegation regarding Mr. Barroway and we are working with the League to gather more information,” said the Coyotes in a statement. “When we have enough information, we will have an appropriate response. Until the investigation is complete, we will have no further comment.”
Barroway, a hedge fund manager, currently owns five percent of the team.
He first bought into the Coyotes back in 2014 when he purchased a majority stake in the team, owning 51 percent of the franchise. He eventually became the sole shareholder of the team before selling the majority of it in 2019 to Alex Meruelo.
Along with his current stake in the ownership of the Coyotes, he is also the majority owner of Greek soccer team Athens Kallithea F.C.
As part of his suspension with the NHL, Barroway is banned from attending games, practices, team events and any official team function.
Ownership, arena issues and an uncertain future have plagued the Coyotes for decades, and this is just the latest black eye for the franchise. The Coyotes not only have one of the league’s worst records on the ice this season, they are also playing their home games in a 5,000-seat college arena this season and the next two seasons as they wait for a new arena to—hopefully—be built in Tempe, Ariz. That project will be voted on in May.
