The Coyotes have been looking for some stability for a new arena for years now and while they’ve seemingly come close to finding a long-term solution, nothing has materialized and they are now playing out of a year-to-year lease in Glendale. Recently-hired team president Xavier Gutierrez told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan that this is his top issue after team owner Alex Meruelo called it “priority one through 10”. Arizona has already agreed to play out of Glendale for next season but Gutierrez indicated that they are evaluating whether or not that’s the best approach or if a mid-term agreement would be more beneficial while they pursue a more feasible arena location.
More from the Pacific Division:
- Oilers defenseman William Lagesson is expected to be part of their expanded postseason roster, notes Postmedia’s Derek van Diest. The 24-year-old made his NHL debut this season, getting into eight games with Edmonton over five separate stints with the team. However, he only got into 25 games at the minor league level with AHL Bakersfield where he picked up 10 points. With a fully-healthy back end to start, it’s unlikely that he’ll be part of their top six against Chicago but injuries strike, he can hold down a limited role on the third pairing after averaging nearly 12 minutes a game in his NHL action this season.
- The Flames announced details about the construction of their new facility. We’re still more than a year away from construction getting underway and a target completion date has been set for May 2024. HOK, a global design firm, is among the groups that will be assisting in the process and they have recent NHL arena construction experience after being involved in the new arenas for Detroit and Edmonton.