The future of the Coyotes franchise...

[Yuma]

So, if the team does in fact leave for good for Utah and we get an expansion team - would the name Coyotes stay in Arizona? Utah Coyotes wouldn't make much sense, IMHO.

THat's supposedly the rumor for that scenario.

 

[Yuma]

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It wouldn't beat Trump's book for unbelievability!

 

[Yuma]

I doubt Arizona will be offered an expansion team. Quebec, Houston & Kansas City are the favorites. Plus, there is no arena for an expansion team.

It's contingent on our Billionaire securing the land and being able to build an arena.

 

[AZCB34]

It's contingent on our Billionaire securing the land and being able to build an arena.

I fear that Arizona was given ample opportunity to prove to being a hockey state and we didn’t do enough to warrant an expansion team. Yes, various owners screwed this up but the league doesn’t care about that.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I feel bad for our players. Who the f wants to live in Utah

 

[TJ]

Finally. The NHL has tried way too hard to shoehorn the NHL into Phoenix. I’m sad to see them go, but hockey is unsustainable in the Valley, especially when no one cares about the product

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Finally. The NHL has tried way too hard to shoehorn the NHL into Phoenix. I’m sad to see them go, but hockey is unsustainable in the Valley, especially when no one cares about the product

It's worse. They will give us an expansion team if the arena is built so hockey in the desert again but without all the home grown talent.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Utah will change the name. It should be the Utah Polygamist. Just embrace the embarrassment that your state is

 

[Hoop Head]

It's worse. They will give us an expansion team if the arena is built so hockey in the desert again but without all the home grown talent.

What's wrong with the arena in Glendale? Used to be Jobing.com arena. I know the Coyotes were pushed out but that was a great arena for hockey. I saw a bunch of games there in the early 2000's. It's kind of sitting empty after a horrible game of chicken was played with the Coyotes over the lease, I believe. I can kind of see why the Yotes never returned but why not a new team? Renovate it and update it.

 

[Gambler]

Apparently the majority of hockey fans live on the east side. It is a horrible commute to get to the weekday games. It works for the Cardinals as their game are usually on Sundays, thus avoiding all the traffic problems.

 

[Hoop Head]

Apparently the majority of hockey fans live on the east side. It is a horrible commute to get to the weekday games. It works for the Cardinals as their game are usually on Sundays, thus avoiding all the traffic problems.

Personally I think hockey just never caught on here. Every time the team would start building on some goodwill and a decent fan base something would happen.

I think it got hot in the late 90's and early 2000's but it was killed in the 05 lockout. Didn't help there seemed to be continual issues with the Coyotes ownership as well. Moving arenas, ownership changes, threats of moving out of state. It never was given a fair shake but as a fan who was more intrigued I tried but it felt like I was trying to give the team a chance more than the team wanted to grow and cultivate a fanbase.

 

[GatorAZ]

What's wrong with the arena in Glendale? Used to be Jobing.com arena. I know the Coyotes were pushed out but that was a great arena for hockey. I saw a bunch of games there in the early 2000's. It's kind of sitting empty after a horrible game of chicken was played with the Coyotes over the lease, I believe. I can kind of see why the Yotes never returned but why not a new team? Renovate it and update it.

I’d appreciate someone doing a complete deep dive history on the stadiums and mall at Westgate. Why did they think it would work out there in the first place and how a great hockey arena turned into to such a monumental disaster financially. Did they think it would have momentum being next to an NFL stadium?

 

[MigratingOsprey]

The hockey stadium was first - the concept was a little ahead off it's time and is pretty popular in that teams want entertainment districts.

Owners that moved the team here originally wanted to move to MN

Downtown arena terrible for hockey and the lease was probably even worse

Owners consolidated and then sold to a real estate developer.

Developer tried to build arena in Scottsdale, but couldn't get it done.

Glendale let him develop a larger project.

Initially it was a pretty good scene with solid attendance, despite a not so great approach to team building

Lockout hit the year AZ was to host the all-star game.

Caused some pain to the nearby developments and team was sold around this time to a trucking company guy

League was shaky after the lockout and then the housing crash/financial crisis hit in 08

That killed the development and expansion in the area.

Trucking guy has the team bankrupt by 09 and the team went into league control until 13

Eventually new Glendale mayor gets elected and had contentious relationships with everyone

More ownership changes, lease issues and he we are.

Also losing - so much losing, frequently boring losing and their small bit of winning wasn't exactly exciting in style

The twist is that the development they planned on 15 years ago is pretty much here now

The thing was mismanaged from the jump and everything that could have went wrong, did.

Hockey has been played out here for a long time and there is an audience, but there are only a handful of markets that will support constant cellar dwellers.

What they've built for community engagement, youth programs, etc has been solid.

My son took advantage of the Little Howlers program and enjoyed learning how to play

If there was a team with settled ownership, a settled arena in almost any location and a 4 year playoff streak things would look different

 

[Yuma]

IMHO, this could have all been avoided had the new BILIIONAIRE owner paid his rent and fees on time to the city of Glendale. They could have continued to play there while the search for a new stadium was underway. If you are a billionaire, why are you paying your rent late? Also, why do you not have a top notch staff staying on top of those things and kissing butt to the officials and staff in Glendale? Finally, where was the media blitz and TV commercials explaining why Tempe needed the Yotes? They did some outreach, but not what was needed to really reach out to voters and educate them on the issue. That left the anti Coyote contingent free rein to get their side out unopposed. I saw street corners covered everywhere by people in signs giving the impression to Tempe residents that there was a strong presence to vote no. Some of those people were just paid to be there and weren't even from Tempe. I think this owner has been short sighted all along.

On the good side he hired Armstrong and Tourigney which turned out to be very good moves.

So I am torn on getting an expansion team because I have seen the latest two get players in the expansion draft and been playoff ready from the start, which I would love. Then you look at the owner and I have my doubts.

 

[Yuma]

If you like the players on this team and are concerned for them moving to Utah, I think they are going to a great situation. The Utah owner from what I am reading and hearing on the radio, is a super progressive owner. He is the Utah Jazz owner and wants to bring NBA Marketing to the NHL. He also conducts fan surveys to find out what fans want, and then actually implements them! They have a large facility they can move into, while having already achieved funding and OKs needs to build a brand new facility. (Perhaps he needs to help Meurelo here in AZ on how that's done?) I am kind of envious of the new owner our guys are getting. I expect them to really take off in Utah.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

SLC is also ramping up for another winter Olympic bid, so there could be good sentiment for an arena

I get Chris, but there is a lot to like in Utah in general - I've always enjoyed my time there

 

[Yuma]

SLC is also ramping up for another winter Olympic bid, so there could be good sentiment for an arena

I get Chris, but there is a lot to like in Utah in general - I've always enjoyed my time there

That's why he has funding already. It will be state of the art since it is eyed for one of possibly TWO Olympic bids. Utah wants the Olympics again pretty bad. My Sister in Law was there for the last one, and she said the parties she went to there were epic!

 

[TJ]

Utah will change the name. It should be the Utah Polygamist. Just embrace the embarrassment that your state is

Utah Crackers

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I feel bad for our players. Who the f wants to live in Utah

Show us where Utah hurt you.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Apparently the majority of hockey fans live on the east side. It is a horrible commute to get to the weekday games. It works for the Cardinals as their game are usually on Sundays, thus avoiding all the traffic problems.

This - nobody wants to drive to the west side on a consistent basis.

 

[Yuma]

Show us where Utah hurt you.

Youngest state per capita. Should be a lot of energy at those home games.

 

[Yuma]

This - nobody wants to drive to the west side on a consistent basis.

I know East side people keep saying this. Those of us on the West and south sides suck it up when we go to cactus league games, etc. There's fans all over. That's why I am more in favor of a centralized location. Ideally all the sports franchises would be in Laveen where I live, LOL! Aside from Tempe evidently, most people that are sports fans want the games to be easily accessible to where they live.

 

[AZCB34]

So, if the team does in fact leave for good for Utah and we get an expansion team - would the name Coyotes stay in Arizona? Utah Coyotes wouldn't make much sense, IMHO.

Been thinking about this and so we really want the stench of the Coyotes brand and logo if the deign too give us an expansion franchise? I say flush the whole thing and start fresh…even though I am doubting AZ is really in a position for expansion

 

[AZCB34]

I know East side people keep saying this. Those of us on the West and south sides suck it up when we go to cactus league games, etc. There's fans all over. That's why I am more in favor of a centralized location. Ideally all the sports franchises would be in Laveen where I live, LOL! Aside from Tempe evidently, most people that are sports fans want the games to be easily accessible to where they live.

The west side thing is utter BS. It’s false logic as you point out. People in other cities travel just as far in worse traffic for games and are happy to do so.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

Agreed.

Have a competitive, entertaining product and people will figure out the rest - especially with the size of everything now