Arizona Coyotes CEO reiterates commitment to staying in the desert

In a letter to fans, Arizona Coyotes CEO and president Ahron Cohen has reiterated his commitment to keeping the team in the desert, even if it is sold.

There has been a number of rumours floating around for the past few months, with the Arizona Coyotes expected to be bought by new ownership – with current majority owner Andrew Barroway looking to sell-up.

Along with the selling of the franchise, talks have grown about the possibility of the Coyotes being relocated – with Houston the consistent location rumoured.

The Coyotes are set to move into the Central Division when the new Seattle expansion franchise joins the league, pushing Arizona further away from their ‘local’ rivals.

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Houston, a big potential market for the NHL, makes sense as a relocation destination for the franchise, as it will be geographically closer to other teams in the Central.

However, it appears that the current ownership will do its best to ensure the team does not make the move, keeping the Coyotes in the desert for the foreseeable future.

Cohen penned a letter to Coyotes fans, via the team’s official website to reiterate his determination that the franchise will not be relocated and anyone looking to purchase the majority share will need to guarantee the team’s future where it currently is.

Attendances haven’t been great for the organisation, sitting at 13,628 on average per Sportsnet, with performances on the ice not looking much better in recent seasons.

But the constant questions around the team’s future in the desert can’t have helped the former, with people potentially wary of losing the team so not committing to attending as often.

But those fans that do attend, the team is a crucial part of their lives and it would be devastating to lose the team.

Cohen’s assurances could go a long way to restoring faith in the franchise’s future and, if proven true, could help the team grow in attendance – with the great community work they do also helping to target the next generation of hockey fans.

Keeping the team in the desert is a must, with Houston having to wait for another team to move or another expansion opportunity to come forward.

What do you think Coyotes fans? Happy to hear that the team should be staying for the foreseeable future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!