Coyotes relocating to Salt Lake City

[tweetdrivr]

Do you think the NHL imposes a deadline for the team to be relocated?

I know the Draft is really close and free agency,
but would the NHL not benefit from having the new ownership group in place before free agency?>

The Coyotes have two more years on the lease to play at Arizona St. I don’t think there is a rush and I think Bettman will still look for a way for the team to stay in Arizona.

[PenguinHunter]

Would the NHL and the other owners actually allow them to play at Arizona St. for two more seasons?

I sure hope not.

The relocation fees and the near guarantee in increased tickets sales in any other season compared to Arizona St. arena has got to make the other owners want to not let this happen?

Not to mention the revenues that come with merchandise of new team.

[2014olympicgold]

Arizona State would also have gotten all the renos for free as the Coyotes were the ones that purchased them.

But it might also be part of the ownership's plan to relocate, pay out/buyout the lease with Arizona St.

[LawMan]

It really is time to pull the plug on Arizona as an NHL market.
Bettman has been loyal, overly loyal to the idea of hockey in the dessert and tried every which way to get them a suitable, permanent arena.
Playing at ASU was clearly a stopgap while a permanent location was built and was likely sold to the other owners as such. I cannot see how the Coyotes can continue to play there when there is no permanent solution in sight.
At one time there was also talk of a new rink on Native lands near (I think Tempe) but that idea fizzled when the team went all-in on this latest failed plan.
Reviving that plan, means another year of talks and negotiations and uncertainty, while playing in the 5,000 seat arena...

I guess the next 2 weeks will be very telling. If Bettman has kept some back burner discussion regarding a rink on Native lands going then perhaps he gets those talks accelerated in a hurry. But if nothing else is even on the horizon it would be best to move the team before the start of next season, which means an announcement by the end of the month.
Houston and Salt Lake City seem like excellent fits with: arenas, owners, and fans available. Houston comes with a larger market, an instant in-state rival and a better location to remain in the Central Conference.
Salt Lake City would be a massive upgrade over what Phoenix currently has regarding arena and ticketing potential.

[TrailerParkFlyers]

Would the NHL and the other owners actually allow them to play at Arizona St. for two more seasons?

I sure hope not.

The relocation fees and the near guarantee in increased tickets sales in any other season compared to Arizona St. arena has got to make the other owners want to not let this happen?

Not to mention the revenues that come with merchandise of new team.

This is what I have been saying for years. Having a team in Arizona is depressing league revenues and it isn't just ticket sales but local tv rights and merchandise. Winnipeg may be a small city but the arena is packed and everyone in it is wearing a jersey and/or hat. I don't know how many Manitoba people watch the Jets games on tv but I suspect it is a lot and certainly way more than watched in Atlanta.

[TrailerParkFlyers]

Bettman has a tricky balancing act at the moment. He wants to see Ottawa sell for top dollar and stay in Ottawa, he wants to save Houston and possibly other US cities for future expansion, and now he may need to sell and move Arizona to a new city. Three scenarios that may result in three different franchise valuation set ups. I know nothing about Atlanta but it would seem odd to go back there after two franchises have failed. KC failed a long time ago but that is a sports mad city so I could see the Coyotes going there and doing well.

[TrailerParkFlyers]

I think hockey can work in Phoenix. I don’t think the Coyotes can. Someone tweeted it last night and I agree, I could see Phoenix being a future expansion target. But this team needs to move, the market needs a complete reset, with stable ownership who put a new rink in a smart location somewhere down the line. Houston, Salt Lake, and Kansas City are all viable locations you could move a team to today. It’s not going to be an Eastern Canada relocation.

I can see Salt Lake City or KC but not Houston. I think Bettman wants to save Houston for future expansion.

[jeff_pro_mason]

Hoping this is the final nail in the coffin ...

[PicklePickle]

The problem with the coyotes right now is that they suck. If they move to, let say, houston and they continue sucking hard it's gonna be a hard first impression.

[2014olympicgold]

The problem with the coyotes right now is that they suck. If they move to, let say, houston and they continue sucking hard it's gonna be a hard first impression.

With a bunch of prospects coming up, they can get a hold of a new city excitement during bad yrs, and become good before the honeymoon phase runs out. If they have a strong GM and Ownership group in place.

[rataylor22]

I guess the next 2 weeks will be very telling. If Bettman has kept some back burner discussion regarding a rink on Native lands going then perhaps he gets those talks accelerated in a hurry. But if nothing else is even on the horizon it would be best to move the team before the start of next season, which means an announcement by the end of the month.
Houston and Salt Lake City seem like excellent fits with: arenas, owners, and fans available. Houston comes with a larger market, an instant in-state rival and a better location to remain in the Central Conference.
Salt Lake City would be a massive upgrade over what Phoenix currently has regarding arena and ticketing potential.

I would point out that Salt Lake has natural rivals in Colorado and Las Vegas and is directionally straight north of Phoenix so no reason it couldn't stay in the central, and is a more "traditional" hockey market. But I really believe any of Houston, Salt Lake, or Kansas City are great options. It's unclear if the Hunt family would be interested in owning an NHL team.

[LawMan]

I would point out that Salt Lake has natural rivals in Colorado and Las Vegas and is directionally straight north of Phoenix so no reason it couldn't stay in the central, and is a more "traditional" hockey market. But I really believe any of Houston, Salt Lake, or Kansas City are great options. It's unclear if the Hunt family would be interested in owning an NHL team.

Fair points. I was thinking the rest of Central teams are in the Central time zone but Colorado is not.
Ryan Smith (Jazz owner, not former Oiler great) apparently is very interesting in owning an NHL team... Either Houston or SLC would be a massive upgrade over the current situation.
While the team is in shambles an owner who is prepared to spend to the cap and invest in other areas of management could turn the team around quickly.

[2014olympicgold]

Per Andy Strickland, "Salt Lake City, Utah appears to be the focus for the Coyotes internally among hockey ops."

[rataylor22]

Per Andy Strickland, "Salt Lake City, Utah appears to be the focus for the Coyotes internally among hockey ops."

Think about it more I think this makes sense, because you're more likely to get an extreme expansion fee from Houston than you are SLC. Somewhat like Winnipeg, SLC is a smaller market with what will be the smallest arena in the league (until a theoretical new one with an Olympic bid) that I think would be hard to shell out the like $750M+ expansion fee whenever expansion come around again, but would still be a stable, middle of the pack revenue driver. Houston has home run potential and I think home run markets are better expansion targets.

[LawMan]

Andy Strickland
@andystrickland
·Follow
Options the league is exploring for the Coyotes includes this coming season. Chance the #Yotes have already played their final game in the desert. #NHL
6:29 AM · May 17, 2023

Andy Strickland
@andystrickland
·55m
Hearing Salt Lake City appears to be the focus for the Arizona Coyotes internally among hockey ops. Obviously still in "early" stages. #Yotes

https://twitter.com/andystrickland/s...htmode%3Dfalse