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Arizona Coyotes Aren’t Going Anywhere

By William Grigsby |

It has been rumored that since Las Vegas wants an expansion team, why not just re-locate the Arizona Coyotes there?

On June 3, 2015 Commissioner Gary Bettman dispelled those rumors, as just that — rumors.

“There have been lots of stories written. Based on our ongoing dialogue, they have a lease that’s in full force of effect. Their obligations are being met currently. The club is not going anywhere,” said Bettman of the Coyotes.

The City of Glendale has made charges that the money from the taxpayers is not being used to run the arena, and instead is going to Fortress Investment Group, the New York-based asset manager which financed holding company IceArizona’s purchase of the Coyotes. The distressing reported losses of $34.7 million of last season just adds fuel to the fire of speculation about the team’s future in Arizona.

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Some say if the Commissioner is stating so categorically that the Coyotes or Florida Panthers are NOT going to re-locate that it must mean that it will happen. Sorta like when the GM states a coach’s job is safe, that it is in all reality NOT safe.

Does NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman have an investment in keeping the franchise in Arizona? Of course. It is a large TV market, (12th in the U.S.) and their TV ratings have improved. Youth hockey is really taking off, and next year’s number one pick in the NHL Entry draft may very well be home grown product Auston Matthews of Arizona.

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So why all this talk about re-location to Las Vegas? True, the Vegas site has sold over 11,000 trial season tickets for a team which has not been awarded a franchise yet. And, they are building a 17,300 seat, $350 million building, being built by AEG and MGM Resorts International on the Vegas strip. Along with 735 suite seats that have been sold as part of 10-year deals, it is believed the group will shortly have commitments for more than 13,000 seats.

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    • The other factor to consider is alignment. If the predicted two new expansion franchises become Las Vegas and Seattle, you have an alignment dilemma on your hands.

    Do you move Arizona to the Central Division since it is the furthest eastern city (Phoenix is barely east of Edmonton on the map) in the Western Conference? A tough choice, indeed, and how would that affect the rivalries already established for the Arizona Coyotes?

    The other speculation is the location of the Glendale Gila River Arena. When the decision was made to move the Coyotes from the ill-equipped downtown Suns facility, the original option was for an arena to be built in Scottsdale. The City of Scottsdale had so many delays and obstacles preventing that to take place, that the City of Glendale stepped right up and took the opportunity to build an arena in Glendale.

    Now some fans say driving from the east valley to Glendale is cumbersome and annoying. Apparently most of the Arizona Coyotes regular attendees come from the east valley.

    Some of you say, “well the Arizona Cardinals are selling out every game in their stadium, just down the road from Gila River Arena.” This is true, but what is also a factor is the Cardinals don’t play 41 regular season home games in their stadium. They play 8-10 games, and mostly on a Sunday, not a weekday where traffic is a factor for travel time to the stadium.

    The Arizona Coyotes are righting the ship, which frankly was about to capsize in recent years. With new ownership, and a commitment from the Commissioner that the team is staying put, one can only hope — as a fan, that things will transpire in a positive manner and the team will prosper.

    Others are concerned about the $50 million of losses opt-out clause over a five-year period. The new owner, Andrew Barroway has stated he did not purchase a majority ownership of the team to make a profit. Whether that translates into him losing money in large proportions as has been experienced, is yet to be determined.

    What may help is the way GM Don Maloney is trying to re-structure a team who lost big time last season. Possessing the third overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft will certainly help. Being $17 million under the salary cap basement, will add to that help.

    Other teams have turned around their fortunes, and with the promise of young prospects like Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, Christian Dvorak, Henrik Samuelsson, and Brendan Perlini it just could turn this franchise around.

    Having a winning team will only bring more fans to enjoy the game of NHL hockey in the valley of the sun – resulting in anything but discussion of this team moving. Let’s hope we’ve heard the last of that.

    Next: Who Should The Arizona Coyotes Select Third Overall? (poll)

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