Arizona Coyotes State Of The Union Press Conference Notes

On June 9th, Anthony LeBlanc, Don Maloney, and Dave Tippett held a “State of the Union” press conference in order to provide answers in regards to the future of the Arizona Coyotes franchise. The 2014-2015 season was very eventful for the Coyotes with many roster moves and trades. The excitement is not over as the 2015 NHL Draft right around the corner. The press conference gave insight to a variety of topics from Mike Smith to the new uniforms and everything in between.

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In case you missed the press conference or did not have time to watch the thirty minute video on the website, I highlighted some of the key points that I felt were important from this meeting. I took away a few quotes from LeBlanc, Maloney, and Tippett and provided my personal responses to the topics expressed. Feel free to express your opinions in the comment box below. The video of the entire press conference is at the bottom of this page as well.

“He’s going to be critical to our success.” – Dave Tippett on Shane Doan

Mar 16, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Coyotes right wing Shane Doan (19) reacts against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center. The Kings defeated the Coyotes 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Shane Doan has been with this team since the beginning and has been a leader both on and off the ice. You have to feel for the guy in some way after dealing with a team in decline, the trading of his veteran teammates, and the mentality of a franchise rebuild. Shane has expressed his discomfort of his situation and I do not blame him. It is tough to be in the position he was in this year.

We all want Shane to win a Stanley Cup but time is unfortunately running out. We all know this. He turns 39 this season and honestly only has a few years left in his career. It is tough seeing a player of his caliber and background be put on a team that will not fully reach it’s potential for a few years.

The time for mourning has passed and Shane still has a huge responsibility going in to this season as Tippett expressed. His leadership and knowledge of the game will certainly help mold these young players in to the stars that they potentially will be. Doan needs to come in to October with patience. If he can influence these players with his style and technique, he may hoist the Stanley Cup after all.

“He’s a very interesting person. Very young, 25. He really got his start in player development from an analytical standpoint and then built his own company up too. We are thrilled to have him. I think he is going to touch all the different areas of our organization from player evaluation, minor league player evaluation, draft preparation, [and] coaching support wherever its needed. It is important that he has a title that is reflective of his value in the organization.” – Don Maloney on newly hired assistant GM John Chayka

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I had to Google his name too. The first thing that came to mind was that a rebuild of the franchise was truly happening with a 25 year old in an assistant general manager position. With that being said, this is a great hire. John founded a company called “Stathletes” that is a leader in hockey analytics. This analytical edge can only help this organization. Chayka also happens to be a former junior hockey player so he holds experience on the ice as well.

This guy knows his stuff and having his knowledge (and essentially Stathletes) work exclusively for the Arizona Coyotes is an added bonus. John Chayka will be a great addition to our team and it will be interesting to see how his statistical expertise can benefit this club moving forward.

Welcome to the desert John.

“I was approached by three teams asking me what it would take to get that pick and I’m like ‘first born, second born, maybe I could use a helicopter to take me to work’.” – Don Maloney on trading the third overall pick.

You had to see this coming. Is it a possibility? Of course! Will it happen? Unlikely. The third pick is the mystery selection this year. The average Joe walking down the street knows that Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel are going 1 and 2, but no one knows who is going at 3. Honestly, I don’t think the Coyotes know who they are going to pick yet either.

The deal must be incredible if the Coyotes were to trade their pick. The third, fourth, and fifth picks in this year’s draft can be viewed the same. You have Noah Hanifin, Dylan Strome, and Mitch Marner who are of the same caliber so it really determines on what a team needs. The Coyotes are in a position of power as they get to select whoever they want and will not have to scramble to reevaluate the draft board once one of those players are called.

Again, anything can happen on draft day.

“We will be adding a robust, high end WiFi system that all fans will have the benefit. I have been advised that even though we have two Tim Hortons in the building that maybe we should add a third.” – Anthony LeBlanc on arena upgrades.

In this day and age WiFi is essential so this is going to be a great investment not only for the Coyotes organization but for the City of Glendale as well. With the height of social media, this new system will give fans a quick and easy way to share their game day experience.

The highlight of this quote is the possibility of a third Tim Horton’s in Gila River Arena. I have had Tim Hortons once in my life and I must say it trumps Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme by a long shot. Being from Alabama, the nearest Tim Hortons location is 584 miles away in the town of Ashland, Kentucky so I advise the Arizonians to show extra excitement about the possibility of a third location in the arena.

All in all LeBlanc is making sure investments are being made to make sure your gameday experiences are top notch.

“We fully expect to get him signed; he’s important to us, he’s a key guy for us.” – Don Maloney in regards to signing Mikkel Boedker.

Dec 23, 2014; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Arizona Coyotes forward Mikkel Boedker (89) follows the play against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

This should be high on the priority list for the Arizona Coyotes. Mikkel Boedker, in my opinion, is one of the most under-rated players in the NHL. Boedker is a player that has great speed, a solid set of hands, and a strong ability to score that the Coyotes certainly missed this season with his injury. Keep in mind he scored 51 points for the Coyotes in 2013.

With the departure of Keith Yandle, Antoine Vermette, and Zbynek Michalek; Boedker is considered a veteran on this team. He (along with Hanzal and Ekman-Larsson) will need to step up into a leadership role this year in order to put this team in a position to win a Stanley Cup.

Maloney seems optimistic about signing him so I would not be too worried.

A few extra notes:

From what LeBlanc mentioned, collaboration between him and the City of Glendale have been alright. There is a focus to drive more events to Gila River Arena.

Dave Tippett praised Mike Smith’s performance in the World Championships this year as he led Team Canada to a gold medal. Tippett mentions that Smith is in the right mindset going in to next season and should perform up to his expectations.

Don Maloney touched on their new AHL affiliate Springfield Falcons. The travel from Springfield to Glendale is a lot quicker and easier than Portland.

Watch the full video below:

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