Arizona Coyotes May Not be Dead Yet

Per Galvin, “Losing the NHL Coyotes was a low point, and I cringed when local politicians took glee in the demise of our hockey team. I have had several meetings with the NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and he looks forward to working with us to identify an owner and the best location for a world-class building.” Bettman confirmed via Zoom that he met with Galvin before Christmas.

While Good News for Arizona Coyotes Fans, it May Be a While

We all know from past experiences that these things take time. When politics gets involved, it gets complicated. On the bright side of things, many fans, including this writer, have to be enthused. We lost our team, and any positive news is much better than the doom and gloom we have already experienced. The community had an NHL team for 25 years. Unlike what some detractors have suggested, you don’t just forget and move on. The city of Phoenix, the surrounding area, and the entire state had tie s to the Coyotes. The players were investing in the community.

All of that went away mostly when the former owner, Alex Meruelo, decided to give up building a new arena in the East Valley. He was a total failure as an owner. Meruelo seemed more interested in the surrounding plans of apartments, shops, and all that than he was in running the hockey team. He proved that by placing his son, who had no experience in the complicated issues of running a sports franchise, in charge of things way over his head.

Getting an expansion team will take time. We all know that. But before this news broke today, that timeline was almost infinite, like after many of our lives had ended. Now, there is at least some hope, thanks to Tom Galvin. The NHL is doing great financially and will raise the salary cap due to profits. When there are profits, any organization will want to expand, and the NHL is no different. Now, we must wait to see how long before an expansion occurs.

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Getting an Owner and Building Must Now be the Priority

Meruelo’s bungling cannot be overstated. Getting a responsible owner (i.e., Ryan Smith) and building an arena must take place BEFORE Arizona can be awarded an expansion franchise. That could take some time, but the wheels are moving now instead of being stuck in the mud. It may be time to get Mat Ishbia involved, as he has stated he is interested in bringing back the Arizona Coyotes. He wants a new arena for his NBA Suns, and including the Coyotes in that scenario could be the best solution. Getting the NHL back to the Phoenix area is the goal.

The best location for an arena is in the East Valley. Most hockey fans with the resources to buy season tickets reside there. We can all hope that a future owner learns from Meruelo’s mistakes. This writer’s personal choice would be for a hockey arena to be built so as not to be forced to share or be a tenant in an NBA arena. From a financial perspective, the profits from parking and concessions can stay with the hockey team. As a tenant, you get the crumbs on the floor… whatever the primary occupant leaves behind, including the second choice on game dates and times.

The Work Starts Now

There’s no doubt a ton of work needs to be done. Finding an ownership group to plan things is vital. Wouldn’t it be awesome if Arizona Coyotes legend Shane Doan could somehow form an ownership group? He knows the community and how to form a team, which are essential attributes for starting a new franchise.

Until now (and let’s not get ahead of ourselves), we have been forced to watch our former players perform in another state or city. That hurt, but it was all we had. And for now, we must look forward and be positive. No matter what naysayers say, THIS IS A HOCKEY TOWN. And when/if we get a new team, let’s show up at games and cheer the boys on!

GO YOTES GO!!

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