NHL News: Stadium Series Yields Multi-Million Dollar Payout

Oct 3, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; (left to right) Phoenix Coyotes alternate governor Anthony LeBlanc NHL commisioner Gary Bettman and governor George Gosbee during a press conference prior to the game against the New York Rangers at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

2. The team could see stronger support in Arizona

The state of Arizona is currently heavily divided on the issue of the Coyotes’ tenure in the desert. Those who want the team to remain in the Southwest want it dearly- but those who don’t are just as adamant about their feelings. This is bad news for the team, since some of those anti-hockey advocates hold public office.

One such anti-Coyotes public figure is the Mayor of Glendale, Jerry Weiers. Although he had not taken office by the time Glendale’s city council voted on the team’s Glendale Arena (excuse me, Gila River Arena) lease agreement with the city, he made it publicly known that he wasn’t a supporter of the team. He even went as far as to dig up old dirt from before the lease was even voted on, in an attempt to render the team homeless.

One reason certain Arizona residents have such strong sentiments against the Coyotes is the team’s lack of revenue. It’s widely known that the team doesn’t turn a profit- last year, they were one of two NHL franchises (the other being the Florida Panthers) who suffered severe losses during the season. The team’s attendance rates were among the lowest in the league- and due to the unanticipated presence of free parking lots near the team’s arena, the team made much less off of parking profits than anticipated. The team is already paid by the city of Glendale in the lease agreement, rather than the other way around. Adding a parking revenue of only $4.5 million of the $6.7 million anticipated to be paid back to the city, this made citizens who had no interest in the sport extremely unhappy.

The addition of a bonus $5 million in HRR means that the team is in less debt than before, though. Those in support of the team remaining in Arizona could use this past Stadium series to suggest that the team will continue to shrink the team’s margin of loss over the coming years.