Today is a joyous day for some, and for others, a “here we go again” day – depending on how you feel about the Arizona Coyotes. Their second effort to secure a long-term home in the Phoenix metropolitan area took a significant step today, with the Coyotes announcing they’ve submitted a letter of intent to purchase a parcel of land in Mesa, Arizona, on which to build an arena and entertainment district similar to the team’s failed plan in Tempe, which did not pass a public referendum.
The release didn’t specify exactly where the parcel of land is located, however. It’s unclear whether the letter of intent is in reference to the abandoned Fiesta Mall, which the Coyotes have had reported interest in as far back as May. PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reported last night that a number of other potential sites in Mesa had proved “problematic” – which could also include Fiesta Mall.
It is, however, important to note that this does not solely pave the way toward a purchase and new arena on the site in question today. The Coyotes are still free to explore other options in the Phoenix metro area, which they clearly plan to do with haste as the uncertainty around their playing home drags on. Morgan also says the team is considering sites in Phoenix proper, as well as Scottsdale, but there’s still a “long way to go” until a final deal is reached.
Mesa is worse drive than Glendale, especially at rush hour. I’m glad I’ll only do it once a year when the Rangers come to AZ.
Move back to New York. Your ilk is ruining Arizona.
Can only imagine what “your ilk” implies in relation to NY. Maybe don’t blame random folk on a hockey rumors comment section for your life’s problems
Judging people by their immutable elements and not considering their material needs objectively makes one a lousy neighbour. Don’t matter if they’re from New York or Texarkana or some swamp in Mississippi – the same holds true.
Sorry, couldn’t hear you over that Jason Aldean playing in the background of your post.
I was about to come to Denny’s aid here until that dumb comment.
Denny816’s reply to “Better Than
You” was not only clever, but accurate as well.
Quebec City. Kansas City. Hamilton. Toronto. Portland. So many cities that would love to have an NHL team, but we’re keeping hockey on life support in Phoenix despite constant burned bridges with the people down there over sleazy demands to pay for the team’s new arena.
End this madness.
Please name one legit ownership group that has stepped up and said that they are ready to bring an NHL franchise to any of these cities.
Quebec City has an ownership group, that’s not their issue. Toronto would have lots of interest if there was a chance it would happen.
I will note about Portland that BetterThanYou and his ilk would say the same about Seattle, which has the highest priced ticket in the game. Portland is just a small market and the Trailblazers, who I think own the building, might not welcome the competition.
Jim Balsillie for Hamilton and Videotron for Quebec. No idea about the American ones.
Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has said publically he’s ready and willing when the opportunity arises for an NHL team in SLC. Connecticut governor Ned Lamont has also put forth funding to bring the Coyotes to Hartford.
I would advocate for the Coyotes staying personally, but there is legit documented interest, as has been reported here.
Jesus, you are a troll. Go slink back under your rock.
“Pardon me, sir, but can you point me to the Coyotes new rink?”
“Why, yes, it’s right down that dark hallway, past the tattoo parlor & vape shop, but before you get to the Karate school.”
“Thank you!”
@fightcitymayor – Excellent manners, there! :)
You obviously have never been to an NHL rink before. That describes every NHL location.
The Leafs play in a building literally connected to Union Station, Toronto’s largest transportation hub, right off Front St. Please cease.
And so do the Bruins. And so do the Rangers. I expect quite a lot of teams have rinks that are in key civic locations.
Mesa? Isn’t that a worse choice than Glendale? Houston or Milwaukee…and still in the Cental. Milwaukee would require a waiver from the Hawks tho.
Mesa means table.
Why does Chicago get to hold Milwaukee hostage? Or is that just a trope, and actually Milwaukee is just too small for NBA & NHL?
It is in a 100 mile radius of Chicago and is deemed their territory. It is an archaic rule, but Chicago still choses to enforce it.
Milwaukee already has NBA team. They average 17.500 a game. But the AHL team doesn’t draw much.
#1. I live in Scottsdale, so obviously I’m very familiar with the Phoenix area. No, Mesa is not just as bad location for an arena as Glendale. Mesa is in the East Valley. A very high percentage of season-ticket holders reside in East Valley. In addition, more people would be inclined to buy season tickets if the arena is in the East Valley. The Coyotes are going to be major contenders within five years or less, that too will generate interest as well. Having the arena in the East Valley will also generate more money from corporate sponsorship.
#2. And listen very closely please…..
THE COYOTES WILL NEVER LEAVE THE PHOENIX AREA. It’s just not going to happen.
I know all the haters are in denial over that. My RX to you all with consideration for your mental health, is that it’s best to move on to something else to get your you know want in a wad.
My dude, I think the Space Coyote is one of the best logos and jerseys in the league. I love the Coyotes as a brand. But if they’re gonna continue to be nothing but a dumping ground for bad contracts playing in a half empty arena in perpetuity, nothing is going to make this team successful. But your season ticket holder hypothesis is interesting, hopefully it pans out for you guys. You’re gonna start have to filling the building though.
I also live in the East Valley, and yes you’re correct! The west side (Glendale) is full of retired people on fixed incomes. The East Valley is where the working class resides, not to mention where all the companies from California are moving to.
The Coyotes will be just fine, and I say this as a Sharks fan.
Appreciate the love Pyramid. Arizona took on all those bad contracts and in return got a plethora of first and second round draft picks.
They haven’t taken on any bad contracts this year. In fact, they signed some really good players. Some of whom, I’m sure they’ll flip at the trade deadline and get even more high draft picks.
Zucker
Kerfoot
Sanford
Bjugstad
Stecher
Dumba
In addition to locking up a Calder finalist in Maccelli, and I’m sure Logan Cooley will make the team this year as well.
For a team that’s been through what they have, and playing in a rink smaller than many AHL facilities, they were surprisingly competitive this past year. Their problem definitely isn’t the on-ice product, it’s the never ending soap opera of off-ice issues. Hopefully it gets resolve soon, one way, or the other.
Best of luck, 320 Driver
Coyotes will leave Phoenix if there’s not shovels in the ground next spring. Phoenix will be top of the expansion list if that happens, but your clock is ticking…
You’re right. Playing at ASU obviously cannot be sustained long-term. We Coyote fans have four types of season with regards to hockey.
Off-season, preseason, regular season, (sadly, we’ve been absent from the postseason quite a bit as of late, so I won’t include that)
And lastly….
Arena season.
No question about it. I predict. They’ll be shovels in the ground right after the holidays, approximately the beginning of the new year.
Most people don’t understand market size.
Phoenix is one of the ten biggest cities in America. There is just no way they are moving for a market ranked in the twenties or thirties like Milwaukee, KC, Portland, etc. Even less chance of them moving for an even smaller Canadian city in Quebec.
Houston is bigger but would be non-traditional hockey market starting from zero. Not an upgrade over Phoenix.
But, even LA lost their football teams so if they keeping F-ing around they might eventually find out, but…the solid bet is them staying.
Well said. Sick of all the losers who have an idiotic comment to make about the Yotes. Leave us alone and complain about your crappy franchises.
I just have this image of the Coyotes playing under a large refrigerated teepee a few years from now.
They’ll be in Salt Lake City soon enough.
Gbear, you should really stop day drinking. Thanks for the laugh though.
Reality will kick you in the you know where soon enough.
Eventually you’ll (maybe) grow up and comprehend how the corporate world works.
If the Coyotes saga was only attributed to lack of attendance, they would be long gone right now.
I know it may be hard for you, but put your thinking cap on and REALY think about that, even if it hurts your lil head.
You’re a clown.
The only thing keeping the Coyotes going is from the revenue created by the other teams. That can only go on for so long. Even you should be able to figure that out.
Yawn. Name calling, am I chatting with a child?
I Captain commercial jets for a living, so I’m overqualified to be a clown.
No, every team benefits from revenue sharing. The reason why the Coyotes are still in (and always will be in PHX) is that Phoenix is the sixth largest city in the United States, and one of the largest media market as well.
Money talks, something you probably don’t know much about.
I don’t care what you do, you sound like a juvenille fanboy.
Atlanta is a huge market too and hockey failed there twice. And they had a nice arena.
Everyone wishes it would’ve worked out in AZ, but it didn’t.
“ Juvenile?” Look in the mirror child.
In actuality, I’m an educated professional. Who has probably flown you safely to your destination in a aluminum tube flying at 550 miles an hour. You’re welcome!
Unless you can’t afford an airplane ticket, and you take the bus.
Gbear. Continue on with your wet dreams hoping for relocation from Phoenix metropolitan area. Mark my words, it’ll never happen.
I think your mom is calling you from the basement as it’s time for your din-din.
You just proved in that one post that you are indeed a juvenille trapped in an adult body.
Anyone who tries to use their profession as a trump card during a completely unrelated topic is a clown.
No, I proved nothing of the sort with regards to your baseless accusation.
Yesterday. I tried to initially enlighten you with facts with regards to the subject matter, but the sparrows flying around your head where most of us have brain matter disables you from processing basic information. (Sorry for all of the $10 words, I hope you can comprehend them, if not, you could Google them) In other words, or shall I phrase it in way you may be able to comprehend.
“You ain’t too smart” don’t you know, a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
I’m from Tucson, and seeing all the Coyotes future stars has been exciting. I hope the Coyotes stay.
To all the Phoenix area readers, isn’t there a ton of room out by Talking Stick? Enough for an arena?
Thanks for your good thoughts! It’s not easy being a Coyote fan. But when they eventually raise the Stanley Cup, it’ll be that much more sweeter.
The land out near Talking stick is on the Indian reservation, and there’s acres and acres of it. Please don’t get me wrong, I have a a lot respect for the Native Americans. However, it appears Coyote ownership is trepidatious about doing business on tribal land.
Muruelo wants the casino/gaming himself.
Building on an Indian Reservation is complicated because of land ownership issues, since non-tribal members cannot own the land, so it gets complicated with loans and collateral and all this other business-y stuff.
Like, if a bank loans money for the building, they can’t repo the arena because they can’t own property on Indian land.
If I didn’t explain that very well, sorry, i’m not actually a lawyer. but it’s basically the story
“It’s complicated” that is why AZ owner wants nothing to do with it. He wants the casino for his business. He could care less about that hockey team. He makes money when his development company builds the arena and has the gaming.
they should move to Houston, San Antonio or Austin. there should be at least 2 more hockey teams in Texas.
My bet is Houston is the next expansion team. It is the fourth most populated city in the United States. There’s a lot of high paying jobs in Houston, and it has a lot of corporate sponsorship potential, in addition to a natural rival with Dallas on day one.
And all it needs is an owner wanting to bring a team there. And who might that be?
Tilllman Fertitta. I might’ve spelled his name wrong. He’s a Houstonian that happens to own the Houston Rockets. He has said numerous times to have expressed interest in bringing a hockey team to Houston.
That’s who.
Bettman and NHL teams want more of that expansion franchise money!!!
Good. Houston would be my first option to move the Coyotes to.