Tempe Voters Reject Coyotes Entertainment District and Arena; Relocation Next?

[Scott]

 

 

[Long live the King]

8 minutes ago, LindG1000 said:

 

Utah has something like 7 of the top 10 CX Tech company HQ in the world. They're all in that SLC-->Provo-->Orem run. The sponsorship opportunity is massive. You can totally see Smith being part of the ownership group, getting the arena, buying the sponsorship rights - total community guy. And he runs the most prolific customer experience company in the world - you KNOW that in-game experience is going to be fucking bonkers awesome.

 

Gonna be great to see the SLC whatevers at the Qualtrics Arena

 

Depends on how many people answer the surveys they send out during the intermission.  

[Phil]

From the article:

 

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Salt Lake City

If the league’s aim is to move on as quickly as possible, this is your best bet. It’s not a perfect spot, but it checks more boxes than anywhere else, starting with Jazz owner Ryan Smith, who said in an April 22 tweet that bringing hockey to Utah is “in motion.”

 

Smith, who also owns Real Salt Lake of MLS along with Devils co-owner David Blitzer, reportedly met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after an NBA board of governors meeting just a few weeks before that tweet. Either way, he’s a known party for the league; when the Pittsburgh Penguins were up for sale in 2021, Smith is believed to have been a potential buyer. Fenway Sports Group ultimately paid about $900 million for the Penguins. Now, Smith seems to be in the mix once again. Making moves so publicly is an interesting tactic.

 

The Salt Lake City corporate base isn’t great, and that fact has bitten potential NHL cities in the past. Only two American teams, the Blue Jackets and Golden Knights, would play in smaller TV markets. But the combination of factors here — a qualified, interested buyer who owns a hockey-ready arena; the possibility for yet another arena down the road, given the area’s attempt to land the 2030 Winter Olympics; a Western U.S. locale — are too good a fit to ignore.

 

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Houston

A top-10 media market with a metro population of more than $7 million, Houston is at the center of any/all NHL expansion discussions for a reason. The sheer tonnage of eyeballs in the area is too much to ignore. Throw in the area’s (relative) support of the AHL’s Houston Aeros in the past, and the fit is plain to see. Back in 2018, Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs — one of the league’s chief power brokers — went out of his way to gas up the idea of a Houston franchise.

 

It bears repeating, though, that the fit isn’t perfect. Rockets owner Tillman Fertitta has spoken in the past about his interest in bringing in a team, but his willingness to pay, say, a $1 billion, Ottawa Senators-caliber price tag is unknown. Maybe more importantly, Fertitta controls the booking at the Toyota Center — in other words, any other prospective owner would have to hammer out a lease with him. There are no obvious temporary homes, either, a problem for any buyer looking to bridge the gap between the team’s arrival and the construction of a new arena. With more runway, Houston would make more sense. The Coyotes’ timeline, though, could still be an issue.

 

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Atlanta

There’s interest, in important spots, in bringing an NHL team back to the Atlanta area. Like Houston, the media market seems too big to ignore. Also, the Thrashers’ move to Winnipeg was spurred more by disastrous ownership than anything else — so the belief that it’s never been “done right,” understandably, persists. There are at least two potential arena sites outside city limits. Work is being done, with regards to potential ownership groups. The biggest question, as with Houston, may be how to bridge the gap between now and the open date for a (still theoretical) new arena. Gas South Arena in Duluth, Ga., 22 miles from Atlanta, seats more than 13,000 and is currently home to the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators.

 

Also mentioned but with major caveats bordering on "this isn't happening," red flags: Phoenix, Kansas City, and Quebec City.

[Tonybologna]

If Dallas wins the cup this year, are any Texans really going to want to switch teams? Or are the Houstonians (Houstonites?) not really Dallas Stars fans with some sort of city vs city rivalry? Just something to consider maybe.

[H-Dreamer]

Kind of a pity, any other Franchise probably wins that vote, maybe even the Coyotes would have a decade ago.

As much of a vote against the reputation of the Coyotes as anything else.

 

A fresh start in a new city is definitly the way to go for this franchise. 

Once they inevitably expand again in a decade they can just try Arizona again with proper ownership from the start.

[LindG1000]

1 hour ago, Tonybologna said:

If Dallas wins the cup this year, are any Texans really going to want to switch teams? Or are the Houstonians (Houstonites?) not really Dallas Stars fans with some sort of city vs city rivalry? Just something to consider maybe.

 

Houstonians are brutally fairweather fans and largely transplants. They also do not like when you remind them that their beloved Astros cheated to win.

[Sod16]

In his podcast linked above, Friedman said he thinks the league still really wants to stay in Phoenix and that the first thing to happen now will be an entreaty to the Suns owner about modifying his arena to be better for hockey.  The thing is, I would think that avenue would have been exhausted before they went the ASU route.  However, I would think the local and state politicians could exert some serious pressure on the Suns to play ball, and these owners are always looking for ways to get political concessions, which he would be in line for if he helped keep the team in town. 

[fletch]

18 hours ago, Sod16 said:

In his podcast linked above, Friedman said he thinks the league still really wants to stay in Phoenix and that the first thing to happen now will be an entreaty to the Suns owner about modifying his arena to be better for hockey.  The thing is, I would think that avenue would have been exhausted before they went the ASU route.  However, I would think the local and state politicians could exert some serious pressure on the Suns to play ball, and these owners are always looking for ways to get political concessions, which he would be in line for if he helped keep the team in town. 

for whatever reason the nhl wants to stay in phoenix.  the suns specifically configured their arena upgrade to exclude hockey.  ownership of coyotes has been an issue for decades and has squandered good will among the community.  without new owners this is going to continue to be a problem franchise.

[Pete]

12 hours ago, fletch said:

for whatever reason the nhl wants to stay in phoenix.  the suns specifically configured their arena upgrade to exclude hockey.  ownership of coyotes has been an issue for decades and has squandered good will among the community.  without new owners this is going to continue to be a problem franchise.

Don't they get a new owner like every two or three years? I know this owner is clown shoes, though. 

[LindG1000]

On 5/18/2023 at 1:44 AM, Sod16 said:

In his podcast linked above, Friedman said he thinks the league still really wants to stay in Phoenix and that the first thing to happen now will be an entreaty to the Suns owner about modifying his arena to be better for hockey.  The thing is, I would think that avenue would have been exhausted before they went the ASU route.  However, I would think the local and state politicians could exert some serious pressure on the Suns to play ball, and these owners are always looking for ways to get political concessions, which he would be in line for if he helped keep the team in town. 

 

I think this is likely, but it's of note that the Footprint Center is actually owned by the city of Phoenix. While I'm certain Mat Ishbia would be kept in the loop, it's not his call.

[Sod16]

4 hours ago, LindG1000 said:

 

I think this is likely, but it's of note that the Footprint Center is actually owned by the city of Phoenix. While I'm certain Mat Ishbia would be kept in the loop, it's not his call.

In today's world, municipal ownership of arenas is typically nominal, and the team owners have complete control.  If the city could have moved the 'yotes in, it would have done so before the team opted for the absurd ASU situation.