Report: Coyotes closer to staying in Phoenix

[Forever_Habs10]

Well,after everything that has gone on here in Phoenix.....now this.

Report: Coyotes closer to staying in Phoenix

[Nine1One]

THey have the fans, they just need them in the regular season.

[kinot-1]

I wonder if the report (if true) is because of how well the Dogs are doing. If they didn't make the POs, would there be the same interest?

[thethrillisgone]

I wonder if the report (if true) is because of how well the Dogs are doing.

Of course it is. If they finished 9th or worse nobody in Arizona would care. I guess we'll have to wait for Columbus or someone else to lose their team before we get our rivals back.

[Forever_Habs10]

If they didn't make the POs, would there be the same interest?

I'll say......no.

[FirstStar]

Gee big surprise... Yotes close to staying in phoenix.

It's not like bettman has done everything possible to keep them there.

I just don't get why he's so set on having hockey in the desert. This is the same guy who had the all-star game in vegas then couldn't understand why the ice was melting by the 2nd period.

Bettman wouldn't let Winnipeg have the yote back, but didn't bat an eyelash when they asked about the thrashers. I think that was one of the fastest moves i've seen in the NHL.

[hatethosebruins]

1) If phx wins, combined with the bruins win last season, Ill say that the NHL has rigged the past 2 cups. A win for PHX( Who ive heard give away tickets for free) is exactly what Bettman would want to attract interest when they NEED an owner.

2) When they find this new owner, I give him 5 years max to decide the team is unfixable.

[thethrillisgone]

1) If phx wins, combined with the bruins win last season, Ill say that the NHL has rigged the past 2 cups.

Why? The Bruins win wasn't rigged at all.

[kinot-1]

Why? The Bruins win wasn't rigged at all.

:lol:

[WinnipegJet]

Gee big surprise... Yotes close to staying in phoenix.

It's not like bettman has done everything possible to keep them there.

I just don't get why he's so set on having hockey in the desert. This is the same guy who had the all-star game in vegas then couldn't understand why the ice was melting by the 2nd period.

Bettman wouldn't let Winnipeg have the yote back, but didn't bat an eyelash when they asked about the thrashers. I think that was one of the fastest moves i've seen in the NHL.

I think there's a lot more backstory the the Coyotes saga than we all know. I've watched tonnes of interviews with Mark Chipman over the past year, and in one of the first ones after the announcement of the Thrashers purchase, he mentioned that two (or maybe three?) years ago, they were sitting in a board room somewhere literally 15 minutes away from locking down the purchase of the Coyotes. But in those 15 minutes, the City of Glendale decided to save the Coyotes. Chipman did mention that Bettman told him if he remained patient, that he'd basically get his team eventually. And that he did.

While Bettman is the face of everything and certainly has done a lot, the City of Glendale government is partly why the team is still around there. It's not as though there have been buyers waiting in line to purchase the team and move it either - there has certainly been interest, but outside of Winnipeg having been actively pursuing a team and Hamilton (which had Balsillie, who basically screwed himself out of getting anyone), there didn't appear to be too many people ready to make a huge commitment in such a short time-frame.

Granted, had there been a longer period (ie. had the idea of purchasing the Coyotes ever started to work itself out earlier in the season, or for the following season), perhaps it would have been different too.

While Bettman does deserve some fury, I wouldn't direct it all to him. While he does have some power and autonomy and has always been a proponent for hockey in the south, he's also only just a representative who speaks on behalf of 32 other people.

And slightly off-topic, but the NHL in the south hasn't been all that awful. One of Phoenix's biggest pitfalls is their arena location. But the addition of hockey to southern markets in California, Nashville, and Dallas has really created a huge influx in youth hockey. There are some great articles out there about how popular it has become in Dallas, and I know I've heard the same about LA and Nashville as well. I'm sure there's something positive out in Phoenix too, but it's a bit trickier to read as its more populated with snow birds than the other two.

[roy_133]

I think there's a lot more backstory the the Coyotes saga than we all know. I've watched tonnes of interviews with Mark Chipman over the past year, and in one of the first ones after the announcement of the Thrashers purchase, he mentioned that two (or maybe three?) years ago, they were sitting in a board room somewhere literally 15 minutes away from locking down the purchase of the Coyotes. But in those 15 minutes, the City of Glendale decided to save the Coyotes. Chipman did mention that Bettman told him if he remained patient, that he'd basically get his team eventually. And that he did.

While Bettman is the face of everything and certainly has done a lot, the City of Glendale government is partly why the team is still around there. It's not as though there have been buyers waiting in line to purchase the team and move it either - there has certainly been interest, but outside of Winnipeg having been actively pursuing a team and Hamilton (which had Balsillie, who basically screwed himself out of getting anyone), there didn't appear to be too many people ready to make a huge commitment in such a short time-frame.

Granted, had there been a longer period (ie. had the idea of purchasing the Coyotes ever started to work itself out earlier in the season, or for the following season), perhaps it would have been different too.

While Bettman does deserve some fury, I wouldn't direct it all to him. While he does have some power and autonomy and has always been a proponent for hockey in the south, he's also only just a representative who speaks on behalf of 32 other people.

And slightly off-topic, but the NHL in the south hasn't been all that awful. One of Phoenix's biggest pitfalls is their arena location. But the addition of hockey to southern markets in California, Nashville, and Dallas has really created a huge influx in youth hockey. There are some great articles out there about how popular it has become in Dallas, and I know I've heard the same about LA and Nashville as well. I'm sure there's something positive out in Phoenix too, but it's a bit trickier to read as its more populated with snow birds than the other two.

Great points all around.

The NHL initially fought for Phoenix because it didn't want Balsillie to take control of the team and go rogue and them and fight their bylaws in court (if the NHL looses that case it creates severe problems and changes everything). It was a fight any league would have fought.

But the reality is, as long as the city of Glendale is going to continue to be as stupid as they are being, it makes no sense for the NHL to leave. It keeps potential markets (Quebec, Toronto, Seattle, Kansas City) open for when other teams in problematic markets leave or dare I say, expansion (which is where the league makes real money).

1) If phx wins, combined with the bruins win last season, Ill say that the NHL has rigged the past 2 cups. A win for PHX( Who ive heard give away tickets for free) is exactly what Bettman would want to attract interest when they NEED an owner.

If anything, Bettman would probably want a Rangers - Kings Cup final and New Jersey is in serious financial trouble as well as Phoenix. So essentially, if any of those 4 of the 5 remaining teams win, it's rigged.

The Cup wasn't rigged last year and it isn't this year.