2024 Appears to be Make or Break Year for Coyotes Staying in Arizona

[@arcadeshift5071]

The Coyotes blew it when they laughed off investing money to educate voters ahead of the referendum in Tempe. Boomers vote, and exit polls seemed to indicate voters still weren't clear that no major tax payer money was going to be used beyond some cleanup and infrastructure. It was a great plan in a solid location but it was truly the last good chance. The past year has been flailing around in vain. The Mullet Arena move was made with the understanding it'd be a 3 year temporary solution in advance of the Tempe arena being approved. That didn't happen and no one wants the team to stay there indefinitely while other options try to coalesce. I've been rooting for Arizona to work even as 99% of NHL fans have moved on, but this is untenable. This can't continue. It's time to let them go. My hope is the branding and name stay behind. The Phoenix metro just needs to try again in 5+ years with a fresh start, good ownership, and a 100% approved arena in a good location. Add in favorable expansion draft rules and hockey can work in the Grand Canyon State, but it's not going to happen with the Winnipeg Jets 1.0/AZ Coyotes 1.0. Apples and oranges, but the North Stars failed due to garbage ownership, no new arena planned, etc. It was devastating when they left, but it motivated local leaders to get an arena built in a good location rather than play games with bad ownership. It only took 7 years to get a new team and the "new" franchise is stable and has tons of support. Just re-rack and try again around 2030. The sad thing is the Yotes could be like the Avs or Dallas Stars; building good teams right as the team relocates, only to win in their new cities.

[@darthvader3742]

The biggest thing was how poorly they handled the campaign up to the vote in Tempe. The no side spent 2.5 million dollars, and the yes side only spent 250,000 dollars. Plus, the no side was campaigning from the get-go. The yes side only started campaigning in the final few days leading up to the vote.

[@dennis2376]

It was a allot more then Boomers that vote down the referendum. :)

[@knutthompson7879]

Retirees from other places, which there are a lot of in Arizona, do NOT vote for taxes or infrastructure investments or civic projects because they aren’t from there and don’t really care about the future. So yeah, any sort of thing asking for public money in Arizona has a headwind to fight.

[@dmarshall5148]

@@darthvader3742 Why would anyone spend that kind of coin to keep a landfill as opposed to building a new sports arena with private money that would come with new infrastructure?

[@FischerFan]

@@dmarshall5148 It's not so much a case of wanting to maintain a landfill as it was a defense vote to prevent Tempe from becoming Glendale all over again.

[@gamingintrospection]

Shannon is such an excellent presenter. He does the research, presents with energy and humour, and keeps everything grounded. Just amazing. Thanks for your content that runs like clockwork but beats with real soul.

[@mustainefan]

He's great honestly

[@tylerjoesphmarcotte]

He is a very interesting person and I enjoy watching and listening to him.

[@LeagueOfJared]

I've been a Coyotes fan since I was born, and I'm 23. I grew up in north Phoenix, played hockey growing up because of the Coyotes, and my Dad had season tickets throughout my childhood. The Coyotes helped me bond with my siblings and stay close with my parents into my adulthood. Some of my fondest memories in my life take place around hockey. If my team moves, I can't guarantee I will continue to care as much as I do about hockey in the future. As unstable as the franchise has been, this team has been very important to a lot of people, including the current best goal scorer in the NHL right now.

[@MbisonBalrog]

Then why you guys block that development for new arena along with some condos I assume?

[@chrisbelos2834]

there is sadly not enough fans like you in AZ who likes this team.

[@memeaste7820]

@@MbisonBalrogone KZbin comment doesn’t speak for the entire state, unfortunately

[@MbisonBalrog]

@@memeaste7820 exactly not enough fans. Move team back to Canuckistan

[@jayjayson9613]

If it makes you feel better, even if you lose the Coyotes, the NHL will return one day with a new franchise. Elliott Friedman has reported that recently, the NHL doesn't want to abandon the market

[@chumpmtb2554]

Here's the breakdown: Meruelo bought the team 5 years ago. He never wanted them to stay at Gila River Arena. (with good reason) He always planned on moving to Tempe. Problem was, nothing was moving forward in Tempe, so he intentionally started shorting the bills at GRA to force the eviction, and ultimately, force the issue of getting something done in Tempe. He screwed the Tempe plan up by underestimating the opposition. Who was the opposition? Construction Unions. Meruelo is a construction mogul and planned on using his own company's labor to build the Tempe arena. Unions were opposed and outspent him 10 - 1 on advertising leading up to the vote. Absolute bone headed stupidity! If you're a billionaire, you need to make damn sure you're running your ads 1-1 when a vote is at stake, at the very least! This leads us to the current situation, and endless scramble, to find a new location.

[@desertdog3473]

Yearly Coyotes arena clusterfuck video

[@zachmontminy]

Thats really funny that their biggest success as a franchise actually came when they were owned by the NHL. When they went to the Conference Final.

[@wild_lee_coyote]

The hilarious part is the Coyotes have made it to the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoff, whereas the Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t made it past the second round in their entire franchise history.

[@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija]

they made Conference Finals in 1997 and 2002@@wild_lee_coyote

[@stevendchu]

@@wild_lee_coyote Geez talk about rent free

[@joeydrummer7929]

@@wild_lee_coyotehuh? lol. That’s factually not true. I’m not even a leafs fan but that’s not true 😂

[@ElmerFudd16]

@@wild_lee_coyote So I guess in 1993, 1994, 1999 & 2002, some other team got to the 3rd round?

[@MbisonBalrog]

I hope ESPN 30 for 30 does a docu on this whole shenanigans

[@coyotelong4349]

Yep, there should honestly be a documentary on the Coyotes from the time they moved to AZ until today

[@darthvader3742]

Elliotte Friedman reported today on the TJMS that the current ownership in Arizona is in some serious trouble and that their days of running the Coyotes might be numbered. I think the press conference at the All-Star game by Gary Bettman made the board of governors, and the owners say to Bettman either fix this or we are going to start getting more involved. Something with Arizona has gotta give.

[@bustertn2014]

He is the reason the Yotes are playing at Mullet. How much of a scumbag who doesn't pay his bills do you have to be for a city to give up a certainty of at least 41 days of game rent and taxes? Answer is zero. The owner has money and deep pockets but his hands NEVER come out until he's threated to be sued.

[@Wayf4rer]

It's a threat to get them to get their shit together or sell. Nothing has actually happened yet.

[@darthvader3742]

​@bustertn2014 Absolutely, and then you take into account how he sat on his hands during the vote in Tempe, and I think that was the straw that began to break the camels back.

[@jayjayson9613]

So does that mean that he gets the team taken away from him? Owners voting another owner out is the nuclear option.

[@darthvader3742]

@jayjayson9613 I think there's a serious risk of that unless things in Arizona show signs of improvement. I think the most likely option at this point is that the team is sold to Ryan Smith in Utah, and the team moves to Salt Lake City.

[@jameshalko8713]

I became a coyotes fan this year with a couple friends. Love watching the team.

[@davechan8613]

Bad timing…

[@samweller96]

follow them when they go to Salt Lake City, and you'll be fine

[@ThrasheReyes]

Been a fan for two years now. Its rough dude

[@agent00puffball]

I find it hard to see how the Coyotes stay in Arizona now. We haven't had an update from them in months about this and it really feels like the owners are getting tired of it, and that's not even counting the PA. I honestly think it will take a miracle for them to stay in Arizona at this point.

[@GizmoBeach]

The way Bettman’s gone about it, it’ll take a miracle for them to MOVE to where they can be watched, and successful. He’d have them play on a pond behind some warehouse in Phoenix, just because of this crapola concerning the TV market there. 🙄

[@FischerFan]

@@GizmoBeach I have speculated all this stubborn behavior on behalf of the Coyotes has been about the U.S. television executives. Even after 31 years of Bettman at the helm, the NHL remains mostly a gate-driven League and keeping this team in Arizona does nothing for players' salaries, nor for franchise values. The Coyotes are dead last in the NHL at US$0.5 billion. It makes you wonder just how generous that number is.

[@moonytheloony6516]

@@FischerFan It's a little higher than that...from all the resources I've found online, the Coyotes are valued at 675 million dollars which still puts them last in the NHL. Whether that number is inflated, without evidence, is speculation. Here are the lowest valued teams in the NBA, MLB and NFL by comparison. NBA : Memphis Grizzlies (2.4 billion) MLB : Miami Marlins (1 billion) NFL : Detroit Lions (2.8 billion) This illustrates just how awful things have been for the Coyotes as a business. That's a LOT of teams in front of them in the line. However the great news is that the Colorado Rapids of the MLS are valued at 350 million which is worse than the Arizona Coyotes 😜 So they got THAT going for them...

[@InsignificantNick]

I think back to a news video you did at the start of December where Arizona was "finalizing" a deal for land. This organization has made so many broken promises. Marty Walsh's quote on their situation was explosive. They're in their second season playing in a broom closet where the tickets are unnecessarily expensive, and they still don't have a concrete plan! It's just hilarious at this point.

[@maxpowr90]

It's weird how much Shannon seems to dislike Marty Walsh. Maybe Shannon isn't used to someone that actually cares about the NHLPA since Donald Fehr was apathetic at-best. The NHLPA definitely got a fighter in Marty Walsh which I think is great for the players.

[@deonal]

SLC with a deep pocket owner building his own arena (current one too) that fits geographically in the NHL structure has some major upside for sure!

[@davechan8613]

The Jets should never have moved to Phoenix. The plan was to move them to Minnesota, but that fell through at the last minute, so a rush move to Phoenix was completed. It was clumsy from the start and never had stability.

[@audibletapehiss3764]

I was thinking about that the other day. If Bettman had it to do over, he wouldn't have wasted a big city/big TV market like Phoenix on a relocation project. Phoenix came across like a small hockey market because it was new, but it's actually a gold mine when you take away the rotten franchise. He just needed to groom that city for another 10 years and he'd have had a Vegas type scenario on his hands. He'll get that market back, and he'll get full expansion fees from a bulletproof owner to do it.

[@FischerFan]

@@audibletapehiss3764 Unfortunately, Gary Bettman only sees dollar signs because that is his God. He also only considers markets through his tenure as NBA Commissioner. The demographics for hockey in the U.S. are much different.

[@audibletapehiss3764]

@@FischerFan Well, yes. But which market do you think he's wrong about? Phoenix or SLC?

[@FischerFan]

@@audibletapehiss3764 The former, obviously.

[@coyotelong4349]

Actually it was fine for the first 6 or so years they were here in terms of fan support. It’s ancient history now, but in the beginning the Coyotes had their best years in terms of fan support and success in downtown Phoenix. The Roenick & Tkachuk years. If ONLY their arena at the time (the Phoenix Suns arena) had been built with good sightlines for hockey. Sadly it was not.

[@AstroTrain100]

This has been going on for decades, I won't believe this team will move until it actually happens.

[@chrisguardiano6143]

Kind of like what is happening with the A's in MLB & their situation with moving to Vegas.

[@666mathew]

@@chrisguardiano6143 Nowhere close. Coyotes situating is far worse.

[@willygoat4113]

The owner of the Suns is my CEO (United Wholesale Mortgage) Hearing you mention him was really weird lol. That would be wild if he bought this team. He’s a brilliant business person.

[@beneasler8868]

I really don't see this team not moving not SLC in the next year or two. Which is a shame because they're actually building a competitive team for once

[@MarkVrem]

Not gonna lie, A Salt Lake City team is kind of the perfect rival for Colorado and Vegas. Even Dallas... Works for the NBA

[@beneasler8868]

@stockrex Yeah, I'd be sad about losing the Yotes, but I'd be lying if I said I'm not excited about the prospect of a Salt Lake team. Especially since the owners of said team would be a lot more confidence inspiring than anything the Yotes have had

[@jasonandros9395]

Same happened when Quebec ended up being the Avalanche.

[@FischerFan]

@@MarkVrem Not too bad for the Sharks and Kraken, either. It's like long-time NBA rivalries.

[@ElmerFudd16]

6 straight losses...looks like they're plummeting.

[@bostonwarrior4824]

The NHL was so willing to get out of Quebec city so fast and they didn’t want to give them another chance but, yet they’re willing to hold onto a poverty franchise in the desert for the last 25 years that has been losing millions of dollars and making people unhappy. I get there are some differences, but damn

[@edwarddobrowolski9398]

Salt Lake City already has an ECHL team

[@APigthatflys]

As a Yotes fan (who doesn't live in AZ) it's disappointing to see how the team's arena situation has evolved over the years. From the city of Phoenix all-but saying they didn't want the Coyotes, to previous ownership doing everything they can to force the NHL to move them out of the desert, to the Suns owner telling the team to go f* themselves (who, btw, would have no desire to buy the team except to sell it out of state at this point) to now, where Tempe decided that an empty tax-dollar-eating landfill was better than a 100% privately-funded entertainment district that would have attracted millions of dollars in tourism. The Yotes haven't just been given the short straw, they've not been given a straw at all. Meruelo seems to be doing everything he can to keep the team in AZ but it feels like the writing was on the wall before he bought the team; the desert doesn't want them. Disappointing that Matthews hasn't spoken up about protecting AZ hockey yet given he grew up through the AZ minor program(s).

[@gabetalks9275]

They should move to Utah, but keep the Coyotes branding and move the Roadrunners to either Tempe or Scottsdale to keep the Arizona hockey market alive.

[@NHLCrazy2007]

On a side note, ignore the comments in here for all of them wanting the Coyotes to relocate.

[@valitsemllaluokanavahyvaks3556]

ASU exists thats enough already.

[@ElmerFudd16]

Matthews doesn't care about the Coyotes, same as 99.99% of fans/people involved with the NHL.

[@NHLCrazy2007]

@@valitsemllaluokanavahyvaks3556 Excuse me... without the Coyotes, there would be no ASU hockey. Such an ignorant comment.

[@666mathew]

Coyotes went to the conference finals in 2012, and stil finished last in attendance. Ticket prices in Glendale were amongst the cheapest in the league, sometimes at par with AHL prices.

[@ozzydo2314]

If the team was in canada struggling like this, bettman would have ripped it out of canada long ago.

[@kenkunz1428]

Absolutely.

[@generalimlerith8356]

The flames new arena might be finished before the coyotes find a new location 😂

[@FischerFan]

Very likely, and yet there will still be a few American trolls suggesting that the Flames, rather than the Coyotes should relocate. Pfft!

[@dem1s3]

I was listening to an AZ-based Coyotes podcast and they mentioned that there was a smear campaign against the ballot issue last year that started early and was spearheaded by the contractors that *didn't* get hired to build the arena, etc. There may be more of a mess down there than just finding the land.

[@theamaeve8175]

It wasn't the contractors. It was the union they didn't promise to hire from

[@robertparker6280]

​@@theamaeve8175Sometimes unions suck balls

[@bustywaifus]

@@theamaeve8175 AKA the local guys, while Meruelo wanted to bring in his construction company from California. Bad bad move.

[@theamaeve8175]

@@bustywaifus I'm sure they would have been fine with him using his own construction company so long as he hired workers from the union in AZ but he refused to promise that

[@redred222]

@@theamaeve8175 the state was not going to pay anything for the stadium so why shouldnt the guy spending his money on chose who to build it

[@drew10981]

I agree with you Shannon that what Walsh said the other day isn't a huge deal on its own with having impact on what's going on, but I do think that Bettman is acutely aware that continued patience shown to Murello and the Coyotes creates a situation that invites yet more sand into the gears of the owners & players relationship ahead of the next CBA negotiation. I think that Alex Murello has painted himself into a corner by being a cheap and difficult owner during his time with the Coyotes. The Coyotes didn't NEED to be playing games at ASU, but they are because Alex and his employees in the front office didn't make reasonable attempts to pay their bills to the vendors in Glendale which includes the city, and they also didn't do enough to negotiate in good faith with the city. So while what has happened up until now is a damn shame, and I truly feel for the Coyotes fans who have waited patiently for things to improve, the sad reality is that nobody ever came along to own the team in Arizona that would do their due dilligence and run the team the right way. As such, the Coyotes are going to Utah this summer. I think Bettman, the other 31 owners, and the players association are just done with the shit show and they need a resolution.

[@dktrox]

To me the Yotes in Utah makes a lot of sense. They stay in the Central Division, you can create an Intermountain rivalry with Colorado, and Utah can actually support a major pro team. I lived there for a few years and they love Winter sports. I wish the best for the Yotes and their fans.

[@Dratchev241]

big question is would the rest of the owners approve the move? idk. something tells me the owners would rather rake in milti millions from a new expansion team.

[@keithck3720]

​@@Dratchev241They'd certainly prefer the expansion money but remember they've been subsidizing the Coyotes for a long time now. At this point in time, they'll probably be OK with literally not throwing their money away into that money pit of a franchise anymore.

[@Area52-uhc]

We’ll take them but change the name. Yotes has been tarnished

[@harmagician1]

Come on up to SLC boys! We're ready to roll.

[@kennyr2744]

Great breakdown of the situation, as usual. The next few years will be interesting for sure.

[@williammontroy9024]

I feel bad for the fans .. but I mean it’s got to be time man .. they’ve been a constant struggle. Again coyotes fans I’m truly sorry you’re going through this and if a miracle happened and somehow it started to work I hope you keep the team

[@BoyNamedSue4]

The coyotes have been on life number 9 for a while. I think this is near the end.

[@Scantronimus466]

It’s cats that have nine lives, not dogs.

[@choppergunner8650]

​@@Scantronimus466 Panthers have 9 lives.

[@nofuturestudios]

man, this sucks. ive been a fan of the yotes my whole life, a product of the az youth hockey community, and have grown up with the team my whole life. honestly though i dont even know whats going on now but i want it to end one way or another. enough is enough. its not fair for the entire league, Coyotes fans, and potential relocation cities. it hurts my heart, but this needs to get resolved swiftly one way or the other.

[@aniballopez2719]

Its heart breaking. I went through this with the NJ Devils relocation scare to Nashville back in 1995 but that only lasted a few months. I cant image what Coyote fans are going through with this endless saga.

[@robbynicolas]

I was living in Phoenix when the jets came to town. There was so much excitement! This is just sad. Good hockey market that supported the Roadrunners prior to the NHL coming to town.

[@BN6499]

I live far away in Minnesota, but love the Coyotes. Those days at America West Arena were the best.

[@mercywilliams2698]

When I worked in LA hockey I learned first hand that there were entrepreneurs who were part of growing the sport..guys with vision made plans went in search of properties and got things done..figured out streamlining for permits etc. since moving here to Vegas a decade ago the same thing. Things got built amazingly fast. The Arizona is a plight and now a blight on the NHL..as there has not been an individual or a group with the necessary spirit of entrepreneurialism.

[@cardiac19]

Well if there is serious talk about Atl getting a third team in that market, maybe AZ can get a second shot with a new team down the line. Time to move the team to UT.

[@kenyonbitter8444]

Rick Bowness played in SLC, JOEY MULLEN, PLAYED HERE.

[@rwpintx]

Some perspective please, regarding “potential new markets”: Texas is bigger than 3 Utahs; Houston alone is bigger than 10 Salt Lake Cities. The Greater Houston Metropolitan Area is over twice the size of the Salt Lake/Ogden/Provo Metro. In fact, BOTH San Antonio and Austin Metro are EACH bigger than Salt Lake Metropolitan area.

[@LegionOfEclaires]

The fact that the people of Tempe chose a landfill over the team says a lot... I feel bad for Yotes fans.

[@moonytheloony6516]

It's not that simple as you're describing it. Arizona is not an overwhelmingly popular NHL destination, if it was then Tempe would have voted for the stadium project, instead it overwhelmingly lost. It's not that Tempe voted it down because they prefer a landfill...that's creating a strawman which is fallacious reasoning. Phoenix and it's surrounding towns are fed up with rich owners of sports teams. The public fallout regarding the Diamondbacks relationship with Chase Field that began in 2016 played a role in the Coyotes failure to secure Tempe. Voters put themselves on a vigilant watch. Arizona is not interested in providing any generous handouts to sports teams and their need for a shiny new toy. It was voted down by both red and blue voters alike who are very united on this issue. Perhaps if the Coyotes owner focused on community incentives such as education, health care facilities, homeless facilities, elderly facilities etc. then maybe that landfill isn't a landfill. It's very sports anti-ownership in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks & Coyotes have been notified.

[@paullarsen4987]

Houston

[@knutthompson7879]

The NHL really, really wants to stay in the Phoenix market and have endured a lot of pain to keep the team there. But there is a limit and it is getting close.

[@saskcch]

A) I believe the team will be in SLC next year. I can't see the NHL missing on the opportunity to move the team to a willing owner. B) I want a full BTS documentary on the process. Basically start filming now, or quietly get cameras in there when the NHL knows the team is moving but before it goes public, if that is possible. I would love to see the process of moving an entire organization. The only reason I don't know if we would see that is the NHL might not want to highlight what could be seen as a failure in AZ.

[@HenryHoolington]

What isn’t a failure is the college and youth Hockey in AZ that has created players like Austin Matthews

[@jacobdill4499]

I am still not sure about SLC being their destination. Houston has to be an attractive option for the NHL as well.

[@EvanEscher]

I don't think it will be as soon as next year. They'll be in Arizona next year, it's 2025-26 that's the question mark.

[@Mansini77]

Okay…I read “BTS documentary” and thought “WTH does a KPop group have to do with this??” Then I realized you meant Behind the Scenes. I’ll show myself out now.

[@AnoobisSaibotis]

Actually, Houston should be declared a more attractive market, because they have Tillman Fertitta interested in acquiring the Coyotes, and have them play at the Toyota Center, which is a proper NHL caliber arena with the minimum amount of seats, and no sightline issues. Hockey related renovations are coming too. Those are what will have the Board of Governors and the Players’ Association agree on Houston getting them.

[@MrT8599]

I don’t understand why this team has been in limbo for so long. I thought that they would finally be set in Arizona with a new arena on the way by now.

[@subzero9113]

All of Us in Az did too, Marcello is,a film flam man. Yotes luck.

[@audibletapehiss3764]

Seems like there are a lot of "powers that be" throughout Arizona who have had enough of this owner's shady business tactics. No one is on their side, from other businesses to unions, to local officials in multiple cities, to the State.

[@dumbcow1]

I've been a die hard Yotes fan for years and years and years. When Meruelo bought the team, and I shook his hand opening night that season at the red carpet event, I truly thought he was the one who was going to save the franchise. Its been a pit of misery endlessly, I've had to fight tooth and nail online to defend this team being here....but damnit, can we get a solid ownership? Its always been shaky ground as long as I can remember. As a Tempe resident, I can attest that they ran one of the least effective campaigns politically I've ever seen. The nay side hammed home endless "no help for the super rich" "it will raise your taxes" and the one that I actually think killed the arena "It will make traffic in Tempe even worse than it already is" . Meruelo group never soothed ANY of those issues, never proposed any solutions to those concerns...and I am sorry, while the actual proposal was a slam dunk fiscally for the city...most laymen never read the proposal, only saw the street corner signs and radio ads. The Coyotes should of been out EVERY single weekend, throwing community BBQs...Q&As....and all around been accessible...they weren't. They rented out Four Peaks brewery for their victory party, had a whole host of people show up including the past 4 mayors....they never for a nano second considered they weren't going to breeze to victory. Instead they were handed a RESOUNDING defeat. There was never a back up plan, everything happening now is a mad scramble to keep status quo. Ownership tried to cheap and has paid the price. From the rumblings I've heard locally, he was being cheap when dealing with Mesa too, and Mesa has pretty much said "no thank you" to any more business with Meruelo group because they keep low balling. Perhaps in Vegas, these tactics work because they are the norm, but its not how Maricopa County works. I can not begin to express fully my frustration and displeasure with the current situation this club is in, I have been die hard loyal for a decade. I missed the 2011-2012 fun, its been NOTHING but pain from day 1 with on-ice product. And now, GM Bill Armstrong has really built an amazing young beefy squad, and a lot more being developed in Tucson too....all to finally make an on ice product...and I may lose the team. Scratchin' n' clawin'.

[@MrT8599]

Here’s an idea for a new arena for the Coyotes. The Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. My idea would be to do what they did with the Seattle Arena. Basically keep the exterior but gut the entire interior and then construct a brand new interior. It saves time trying to find and acquire land and it also saves money. Especially with the footprint remaining in place, you could probably get the reconstruction done in a few years. Then when the Coyotes lease is up at Mullet Arena, they are ready to move into their new permanent home.

[@neon-tv9ie]

I, for one, and more than willing to welcome the future Utah Coyotes as the NHL’s newest team (they don’t even need to change the name, it totally works)

[@vinceniederman]

I Agree With U From a Flyers Fan and Seeing The Coyotes in Utah Would Be Interesting To Say The Least!

[@Area52-uhc]

We want a new name/logo/colors.

[@TT-rt9vv]

I think it could work with the right ownership, but they've never had it. They've basically always been a gong show. The best move at this point for the league is to force a sale of ownership, move them to Houston or Salt Lake City and do an expansion franchise in Arizona at a later date with good owners.

[@corndogg4279]

Salt lake has 2 places they could play and I for one would support the move

[@tmoore4075]

I'm with Friedman. Move them and then when they expand again (and they will) they'll go back there if they have an arena. That gives them time to get it built.

[@fphlflash]

It's the end of the 'Yotes as we know it, and I feel fine.

[@chesterjackson666]

The Yotes were/are the Banana Republic of the NHL with all those bought career ending contracts. What kind of a hockey business was that?...Hoorah -Utah!!

[@joseph7696]

Hopefully AZ moves to Utah and keeps the name. Just need to upgrade their current arena to be larger

[@vinceniederman]

I Wouldn’t Mind If The Coyotes Were in Utah Even Though Houston is My Top Pick!

[@JaredLand]

Move them to Kansas City, Missouri problem solved they already have an arena where the ECHL team Kansas City Mavericks play and can share it just makes sense well at least to me it does.

[@tominator99988]

In Salt Lake City, they could build the new arena right across the street from the Delta Center and use it for Jazz Coyotes games. The City could keep the Delta Center until the Olympics so it could be used for figure skating and short track. One could consider the Delta Center a pre-Olympic white elephant.

[@jeremyhelquist]

From what the Smith Group (who are the ones pushing for an NHL team) has said, they are looking to build a dedicated arena for just the hockey team and they want to build it quickly as they are hoping to have it for the 3034 Olympics as a new venue.

[@matthewmidigi4903]

I want someone to love me as much as Gary loves the idea of hockey in Arizona. If this works out, it will be thanks to Bettman and Auston Matthews.

[@richardferguson6893]

What makes me laugh is that when the first arena deal in Calgary got knocked down, Bettman wasted ZERO time in wagging his finger and talking about how easy it wouls be to move the team. Total joke.

[@Rob-vc6xw]

I came looking for an update after watching the EDM vs ARZ game for a bit yesterday. Seeing the world's two best players in Connor and Leon play in front of 5000 fans really made it hit home how sad this situation is. Same with when the Leafs go and Matthews, in his own home town, is playing in front of 5000. McDavid played in front of more people as a 15 year old in the OHL on a regular basis. So would the NFL have Mahomes and Jake Allen playing in a high school stadium ? Would the NBA have Luca, Lebron, Giannis playing in a D2 college Court. Or lets have MLB playing in a minor league ball park (non covid year). When you look at it that way it really drives home the total insanity taking place in ARZ hockey.

[@mikelfrance-l6x]

So, just look at the ease of each these events happening. To buy this new property, get through all the legal battles, ask the league to wait it out years before they move in while staying at ASU--- 5% it goes off without a hitch. Now look at moving to Utah. Easy move in the same division and time zone. Bigger place to temporarily play, Brand new excited fan base eager to get their 2nd major league team. No problem with $$$ or government in building an arena. 95% chance it happens without a hitch. Bottom line: 95% The Coyotes move next year. Aside from them being "a major market", the VGK do far better with a lot less population and size.

[@kellenc_]

Give me the Salt Lake Seagulls, this has gone on long enough

[@duck.2849]

When they do build their arena, will they be able to sellout or even get close to selling in a 20K seat arena?

[@dustyb58]

How many videos would be in a playlist about this team?

[@carter7944]

What about contraction?

[@neilallen507]

Once they were bounced from Glendale they should have had a plan B, C, D & E. They didn’t. The newest ownership group doesn’t seem to have an urgency to assure the fans or the league that they have something concrete in the works. Been that way for years. It’s time to move them.

[@theblindjedi41]

The Coyotes saga is such a farce. Any Canadian team that had even 10 percent of these problems would have been moved immediately.

[@mattlabrecque7842]

Any other team in any other market would have been moved.

[@FischerFan]

@@mattlabrecque7842 A team bleeding red ink like this in any other pro sports league in North America would've relocated instantly. Christ-sakes! The NFL, the most lucrative sports enterprise on the planet, has 32 franchises all making multi-millions yet still moved three of them in short succession because they were draining league revenues by staying in outdated stadiums. They wouldn't have stood for a situation like the Coyotes for two seconds!

[@Thunderduck1]

......no economic sense what so ever........

[@FischerFan]

@@mattlabrecque7842 Any team in any other pro sports league in North America would've been moved. The NFL is the most lucrative sports enterprise in the world. All of its teams, as a rule, make money. Yet, that still didn't stop it from relocating three of its own franchise in succession because the teams were not generating sufficient revenue by playing in obsolete stadiums. The NFL wouldn't have stood for this Coyotes situation for two minutes!

[@tonyk501]

It's over. The Coyotes are moving to either Houston or Salt Lake City at the end of this season. Time's up. The NHL will try again in Phoenix a few years from now via expansion with a different owner who builds a proper building.

[@robfreedman6496]

Coyotes arena issues are a broken record!

[@snowysnowcones]

Delta Center (where the ECHL team plays) in SLC holds over 2x the seating compared to Mullett arena in Tempe. So would be an immediate upgrade from that perspective. Utah makes a lot of sense geographically -- i.e. not having to switch conferences for any teams, which might be required if they relocated to Houston. Personally would love to see a team in Kansas City, as they have a 17000 seat arena in downtown waiting and ready!

[@jeremyhelquist]

Actually, the Grizzlies (ECHL team) plays in their own separate facility, The Maverick Center in a different area/city of the valley. That’s makes the Delta Center even more promising because there’s no logistics involved. It’s just sitting ready to use as a temporary home until a new stadium is built. From what the Smith Group (who are the ones pushing for an NHL team) has said, they are looking to build a dedicated arena for just the hockey team and they want to build it quickly as they are hoping to have it for the 3034 Olympics as a new venue.

[@connyjohnson855]

Very interesting. Thank you Shannon! I can't see how they are going to be able to cough up an arena in the very near future so I guess the only option left is to move the team. But doesn't Salt Lake want to start as an expansion team? Anyhow it's going to be interesting to follow this.

[@anadaroth]

Another attempt to give my favorite franchise a black eye. Let it play out!

[@OfficialChrisW]

Best thing is for them to move to Utah, then hope for an expansion team in 10 years if a new arena is built by then. Nostalgia will always lure people back, and I think if the Yotes disappear for a while, people will be starved for them in the future.

[@orangecounty2033]

Flashback to 2004-2005, imagine if the Coyotes moved to a new arena in Scottsdale instead that clusterfk in Glendale :::sigh:::

[@starkiller34]

Yeah, Betman is gonna be real careful about what he says about Arizona. The league knows they are headed to the courts with Meruelo. I can see the situation getting much worse. The Yotes are cursed.

[@robertmclean2812]

Phoenix is an amazing city with a good fan base. The Coyotes do a horrible job of community outreach and obviously the roster isn't good enough. Building a winner in Phoenix is very possible with the right leadership. In my opinion they aren't trying .

[@JaredLS10]

The franchise became a running joke. The team taking for years was taking salary cap dumps from other teams just so they would hit the cap floor. Hossa, Datysuk etc. I don't understand how the league let this situation get this bad especially after the whole not paying rent fiasco a couple years ago.

[@FischerFan]

Okay, let's see how many of that fan base shows up for the rally to try and save the team! Do you think they can exceed the 200 that showed up in Atlanta back in 2011? How 'bout the 35,000(!) that showed up in 1995 when the Die-yotes were still in Winnipeg?

[@samuelattias7506]

Glendale or Mesa

[@1196695]

There is more information on the PHNX Coyotes podcast and yes I do agree the hour glass is going down and just frustrating but if the team goes then so it be.

[@JFoxman]

NHL IN HOUSTON

[@jimbobogie8204]

The only thing dumber than a city with two major league arenas is a city with three. If they're going to stay in Arizona the Coyotes should do the smart thing and cut a deal with the Suns to use Footprint Center, Hockey people say that the Footprint sightlines are bad for hockey...I don't think that bad sightlines will ever be a problem for the Coyotes.

[@davidmatuschannel5467]

Just sucks feels like the team and management on the ice is finally got it together and the future is bright. Really sucks being a fan and season ticket holder and not know if we are going to have a team.

[@christechnica]

I hope the fans in Arizona don't lose their team, but I'm also eager to get some resolution on the situation. It's been going on for a while now.

[@petergaudet4721]

A while is a couple of years. People finish PhDs faster.

[@Kosm1c_Toast]

I really hope we don't have to relocate. This is the first time in a decade where the talent on the ice is actually good, and coyotes fans have something to look forward to. Hockey Belongs in the Desert

[@rwall3450]

Vegas is the desert and the Golden Knights are doing just fine.

[@chrisguardiano6143]

The Coyotes situation is very similar to the situation that the A's of MLB face though with one major difference. That difference is that at least the Coyotes would not need to find a temporary home for 4 years if they relocated like the A's have to (though the A's owner John Fisher has also thought about just shutting the team down after this season when the lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires & then restarting them in 2028 as an expansion team when the new ballpark in Vegas is supposed to be finished). The MLBPA along with the other MLB owners would be absolutely livid if Fisher did that as it would mean lower revenues for MLB & players losing their jobs & they would likely force Fisher to sell the team. It is very possible instead in a few years that SLC is home to the Coyotes as well as the temporary home of the A's since that is one of the cities that John Fisher is looking at moving the team to while the Vegas ballpark is being built. As someone who visited Arizona a few months ago & went to a game there, I feel bad for the fans who have supported the team for years just like I feel bad for the A's fans in Oakland who have to deal with John Fisher & his terrible decision making.

[@dumdawgpro]

they would be in a temp place if they moved as theres not a nhl level arena sitting around outside of maybe KC made for hockey or going to be redone for hockey.

[@ShadowWalker-ng1it]

I think what spd brought up yesterday is the most likely outcome: The land acquisition is slow -> team has to move -> land acquisition is finally settle and whoever is going to be the owner can build the district and then be granted an expansion franchise (because we know the nhl wants to be in arizona, but at one point the bleeding has to stop and the best is to start on fresh, solid bases)

[@kimcokevin]

Move them. I swear this team would have lost less money if it had stayed in Winnipeg.

[@TPCIO2]

Houston despises all things Dallas, we’d rather not watch hockey than root for the Stars. Hell that’s why I became a Wild fan.

[@samuelattias2627]

Glendale, AZ

[@ElmerFudd16]

They're beyond unwelcome in Glendale

[@heldermoreira8554]

Hi Shannon !...

[@brandonb.6099]

Great job by THG getting so much information about the Arizona coyotes into one video. I would love to see the franchise move to Salt Lake City Utah because i think a rebranding is in order. Utah and Arizona are geographically close enough to one another that i wouldn't be surprised if hockey fans in Arizona became fans of the team if it moves to Utah. The NHL needs this franchise to play in an arena that can generate enough revenue to ease the financial burden on the other 31 teams.

[@TylerMorganShow]

Paul Heyman, ECW

[@SkyFellowship]

The Houston Coyotes coming to an NHL near Houston Sucks for Yotes fans, but they've been failed by a ton of people right now And even worse I said 3 years ago watch them be the next Nordiques, as in the year they move they became Cup winners. Cause they have so much potential with alllll those picks, they could be lethal soon.

[@michaelleroy9281]

Renamed the Houston Aeros

[@loupgarou1317]

Getting a feeling this team is going to Houston or Utah before it is all said and done......

[@ketuwonder5118]

1:50 "Cautiously Optimistic" we can get the land....

[@kenyonbitter8444]

Land available to build site of old state prison for development

[@alexlovelock4648]

Moving to Utah makes the most sense, same conference and division. Houston also can work. Quebec City would be exciting if Phoenix was an eastern team.

[@coyotelong4349]

Even as a Valley native who wants to see the Yotes find their way out of this 20+ year nightmare and find a stable home here, I’m ready for this to end one way or the other I hope this North Phoenix land buy pans out, but if not, I’m ready for them to move out of AZ altogether. Enough is enough.

[@tweitner]

I lived in an NHL city in Denver and I really missed that when we moved to Maryland (MD has ZERO POINT ZERO interest in hockey). It was great to be back in an NHL city again and I want the Coyotes to work out. But, you can only hold things back for so long. We had news that Mesa was almost a done deal, yet that seems to have fallen through. There was talk of finding a deal to use reservation land, but Merullo wouldn't want to share any gambling revenue (according to rumor) so that seems to have failed. Now, they want state trust land in NE Phoenix, near where it borders Scottsdale. That's basically the same distance from the population base as Glendale is, so now we have the distance issue. I truly don't want to lose NHL hockey, but I'm even coming to grips with the situation of losing the team. Just move a minor league team here and I can get my fix that way while watching the Stars (favorite team since they were back in Minnesota) whenever they sneak onto national TV!

[@RickinBaltimore]

I wouldn't say 0.0% interest. The Caps, specifically in the DC suburbs in Montgomery and PG Counties, get a good amount of interest. Then there is that oddball in Baltimore who's a diehard Blues fan...

[@tweitner]

@@RickinBaltimore The only 2 hockey fans I worked with in Baltimore was a Flyers fan from Philly and a Caps fan. I'm sure the DC suburbs would be interested in the Caps, but not much North or West of there. Did go up to Philly one time with the Flyers fan for a Stars-Flyers game, that was a blast!

[@ChuckSSoul]

We talked about this topic 20 years ago, Lol not my circus not my clowns

[@kjorlaug1]

Move the team to Houston or SLC, then when the next round of expansion comes go back into the Arizona market.

[@boxercourage4384]

I remember John Scott said in one of his podcast episodes that of all the teams he played for, there was an obvious difference in Arizona regarding their budget & the amenities provided to the players, much less & not as nice in AZ.

[@moonytheloony6516]

They can't sustain what they've been building as a team by staying in Arizona....because they lose money. Good players that are young are going to want to play where the bigger money lives and it does not dwell in Arizona by a long shot, so whatever they are building, will be lost when contracts are up...its a business. I'm not an expert by any means, but I think the Tempe vote that neutralized the stadium project was their last chance. They had political support in that scenario which is often critical to have, and it wasn't enough because the voters weren't buying into the Coyotes sales pitch. The overall "new stadium" climate in Arizona isn't one of tolerance. Simply look at the general public perception regarding the Diamondbacks relationship with Chase Field... If the Coyotes want a new stadium, and they do for practical reasons, then they'll need to acquire land that's privately funded to build a stadium that's also privately funded that will have ZERO impacts regarding anything & everything related to public funds. The people of AZ are not interested in helping the rich get richer by providing assistance of any kind that's either up for a vote or hidden within the fine print. Political support is always helpful if one is an owner and that wasn't enough in Tempe and I don't see other cities falling over themselves trying to lure the Coyotes to their town. And even if the Coyotes somehow manage to acquire said land off the 101 in that auction...there's the matter of Sky Harbor Airport's interest regarding anything that can be perceived as an issue with their landing paths...which always seems to be an issue when building an arena is the subject in that general area.... And then there is the matter of the arena itself. How is it to be funded? Will there be incentives, or tax breaks or whatever, that are at the public's expense? If so, you can count on court filings that will challenge such construction with the aim to delay or stop any progression beyond the purchase of that land, and to tell the truth, this could influence the auction of that land to begin with, to what effect, I do not know, but one thing that I learned is this...resistance to arena or stadium construction against a very rich owner can be effective. People are watching the Coyotes organization...and I don't think they'll be in Arizona much longer because the trending arrow on the chart has been descending for quite awhile now, which is what I'm looking at. That Tempe vote was VERY telling about how people, by majority, within a community, is seeing this organization and it's not through a favorable lens. Fans may love the Coyotes as a team, but people aren't fans of the Coyotes as an organization and the latter is overwhelmingly in charge of the former when an arena is the main subject of the sentence. I've read many comments by interested fans weighing i on this story. Some are referencing the Oakland Athletics situation in Las Vegas but to them I say this, MLB approved the move...that generally means it's going to happen. The A's asked for league approval and they got it. They also appear to have the political support they need from the state legislature which is generally a plus not a minus. Las Vegas has been very aggressive in wanting to be a major sports kinda town. They got an NHL team. They lured the Oakland Raiders which led to hosting their first Super Bowl They want MLB in Las Vegas and the Athletics got league approval to move there. So it's not the same situation. I think Houston could steal the Coyotes...The Rockets owner has expressed great interest in bringing pro-hockey back to Houston. (The WHL's Houston Aeros were very successful winning back-to-back championships in the mid 1970's with a guy named Gordie Howe, so there is a history) The Toyota Center is built for basketball AND hockey...it can seat 17,800 for an NHL game which is roughly 13,000 more seats than what the Coyotes have right now. The Toyota Center is obviously been open ol for business so a team can simply move in...no arena construction will be required. And Houston has roughly 700,000 more people than Phoenix...so I wouldn't focus on Utah only in this situation. The old Houston Aeros my be making a comeback...in the NHL.

[@HisNameIsX1]

As a local it’s so funny hearing people cover the situation

[@loC2ol]

What’s the vibe in the Valley about it?

[@justinstriff9847]

I would imagine moving to Atlanta

[@DaComebakKid]

Same reason why they won't go to Quebec, eastern timezone

[@myothercarisadelorean8957]

I went to a few games when they played in Glendale. I don't get what the problem is. Glendale arena is nice and so is the outside. There's a shopping mall, bunch of restaurants... so WTF is the problem?

[@gabetalks9275]

Just move them to Utah, but keep the Coyotes branding and move the Roadrunners to either Tempe or Scottsdale to keep the Arizona hockey market alive. I wouldn't be surprised if the PWHL expands there either because women's hockey is thriving in Scottsdale.

[@Area52-uhc]

No..we don’t want the coyotes name.

[@Chevelle602]

I would rather have the roadrunners in Phoenix than the coyotes.