Coyotes Tempe arena project rejected by public referendum - will remain at Mullett Arena for 2023-24

[Bouboumaster]

Bring that clown show in Québec City!!

 

[57special]

Seems to me that all the various locations mentioned for relocation would have a difficult time supporting an NHL franchise. Especially one as bad as the Yotes have been. Dispersal draft anyone?

. Hamilton, Markham, and probably one other Toronto area location would fall all over themselves to get a franchise. It's long overdue. The GTA has almost doubled in population since Hamilton was denied in the late 80's vote, and unlike ARI, Houston, and many other of the locations named, is chock full of hockey fans.

 

[Albatros]

It's been happening for a few years now, not sure how you haven't seen it.

Riots, looting, vandalism, drug use, among other criminal activities with very little consequence. Aside from the small businesses that were destroyed, corporations are now leaving because they're sick of being victims. I don't blame them.

Eh, political narratives aside Portland would be one of the safest NHL cities. Certainly more so than Phoenix.

 

[coolboarder]

Time for a realignment talk and don't expect the schedule to come out at a normal date. Relocation is a realistic move for the Coyotes unless they decide to play out one final season in Arizona to give them time to relocate. I am thinking that they'll relocate asap but is not enough time of doing a last minute relocation unless they have a plan B ahead of time before the vote took place.

 

[Voight]

Meruelo is as cheap it gets. His business is stiffing payments, avoiding debts, and generally not paying for things.

Yea I remember hearing about that.

Tho you'd think with the current situation he wouldn't be pinching pennies

 

[Scomerica]

It's been happening for a few years now, not sure how you haven't seen it.

Riots, looting, vandalism, drug use, among other criminal activities with very little consequence. Aside from the small businesses that were destroyed, corporations are now leaving because they're sick of being victims. I don't blame them.

Going by that narrative, let's not put a team in Houston as people will likely be shot. There's shootings in Texas all the time. It's not safe. The news says so.

Portland isn't that bad. Feel like these places are being cleaned up post covid.

 

[Transplanted Caper]

I, obviously, have no inside information and Friedman didn't assert anything one way or the other, but listening to him doing a live hit now on Fan590, it certainly feels like no other site is as ready now as Winnipeg was in 2011. Make of that what you will, but TO ME makes it more likely ARI is still playing at Mullet in 2023-2024, even if there's no deal to be made with the Suns, but that's me just guessing.

Now, entirely possible the league has a deal made in their back pocket ready to go, but the levels of forcing or having current ownership agree to a sale would presumably take *some* runway and there's not much left before having to lock in plans for the 2023-2024 season.

 

[DaveG]

From what I remember with Seattle's old key arena situation. The preference is generally for one big anchor tenant and the rest be concerts and events which means the arena is used nearly everyday and maximizes revenue. Two anchor tenants becomes more problematic with bookings but can still work if the owners are either the same ones or supportive of each other rather than competing against.

I think they can make smaller profits without an anchor tenant still but the aim is to try and have the arena used everyday.

I imagine the Flames could also hold the city hostage as they are the only pro sports team from a big league there. No mayor or council wants to be the ones to lose the city's pride and joy.

yep, this was the issue with PNC arena a few years back with NCSU's old AD. Corrigan has been a much easier AD for the Canes to work with in terms of scheduling. If an arena has 2 main tenants that aren't owned by the same person/group there's frequently issues with scheduling such as that.

 

[Voight]

I believe he has said he is open to an NHL team moving to his arena, but is not interested in owning the team himself. Doubt another billionaire is going to be willing to buy the team, move them to Houston to be a tennant.

Incorrect

Report: NHL, Rockets Owner Tilman Fertitta to Talk League's Viability in Houston

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman reportedly met recently to discuss the viability of an NHL franchise in Houston...

bleacherreport.com

The 60-year-old Houston resident and Galveston, Texas, native hasn't been shy publicly about his desire to own an NHL team as well.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

 

[Brookbank]

. Hamilton, Markham, and probably one other Toronto area location would fall all over themselves to get a franchise. It's long overdue. The GTA has almost doubled in population since Hamilton was denied in the late 80's vote, and unlike ARI, Houston, and many other of the locations named, is chock full of hockey fans.

Does Hamilton have a building and a prospective buyer/owner ?

 

[bossram]

The fact that the Coyotes could only muster 250K for their campaign (on a project that would be worth billions) is such a red flag that Meruelo was the fraud he was suspected of being.



And we were told that not taking money back from Ottawa was saavy and and and everytime the Coyotes did something that was obviously meant to cut costs. That fanbase got stiffed and sold yet another bill of goods.

Yea I remember hearing about that.

Tho you'd think with the current situation he wouldn't be pinching pennies

Meruelo is just a cheap swindler, straight up. He never had any interest in actually running the Coyotes. He literally tried to build as inexpensive of a roster as humanly possible, filling it out with the all-time LTIRetired lineup. He's been stiffing vendor payments since he took over. That's why they got kicked out of Glendale; they wouldn't pay the rent.

His previous history is also littered with instances of refusing to pay for things.

I guarantee his only goal was to hope the Tempe arena got approved, then immediately turn around and sell the Coyotes at a profit. Now he's probably hoping a buyer in Houston can get him out of this.

 

[patnyrnyg]

According to the website, t-mobile arena holds over 100 ticketed events per year.

PNC arena, where Carolina plays holds over 150 events per year, so the KC number, without NHL seems to be in the ballpark.

So, a full NHL season less events? Now, if what Mike Jones says is true about teams expecting a piece of all revenue in the building, it is a different story. T-mobile can easily take on an NHL team without sacrificing other events.

Incorrect

Report: NHL, Rockets Owner Tilman Fertitta to Talk League's Viability in Houston

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman reportedly met recently to discuss the viability of an NHL franchise in Houston...

bleacherreport.com

Have anything that is less than 5 1/2 years old?

 

[bossram]

What is happening in Portland?

Too woke or something or other.

 

[WingsToPick4th]

. Hamilton, Markham, and probably one other Toronto area location would fall all over themselves to get a franchise. It's long overdue. The GTA has almost doubled in population since Hamilton was denied in the late 80's vote, and unlike ARI, Houston, and many other of the locations named, is chock full of hockey fans.

Hamilton would go crazy for an NHL team, soooo many hockey fans

 

[Whalers Fan]

What about the rivalry? The passion for the sport? You're going to forget about that for 1-2 hour delays?

That Colorado rivalry was just a few years. The Wings and Leafs had a longer rivalry than that. I'm not a Wings fan, but have lived in southeastern Michigan for my entire life (61 years). I have never met a Wings fan who liked having the team in the Western Conference.

 

[Transplanted Caper]

Does Hamilton have a building and a prospective buyer/owner ?

Neither within the timeline Arizona is looking at. They're renovating the arena and the OHL tenant is temporarily moving to Brantford.

 

[patnyrnyg]

Meruelo is just a cheap swindler, straight up. He never had any interest in actually running the Coyotes. He literally tried to build as inexpensive of a roster as humanly possible, filling it out with the all-time LTIRetired lineup. He's been stiffing vendor payments since he took over. That's why they got kicked out of Glendale; they wouldn't pay the rent.

His previous history is also littered with instances of refusing to pay for things.

I guarantee his only goal was to hope the Tempe arena got approved, then immediately turn around and sell the Coyotes at a profit. Now he's probably hoping a buyer in Houston can get him out of this.

I remember reading about the issues with the vendors. IIRC, it was so bad that none of the vendors would take his business unless he paid in full up front?

 

[HaNotsri]

Jesus Christ, man. Hate to see anyone losing their team like this.

Toronto Maple Leafs invested those 2 million to make sure matthews stays put.

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

So if the Coyotes did relocate, would their fans switch to Knights fans? Seems like the next closest NHL team, maybe I'm wrong.

 

[ViD]

I have a feeling it’s going to be between Houston and SLC, both make total sense

 

[patnyrnyg]

That Colorado rivalry was just a few years. The Wings and Leafs had a longer rivalry than that. I'm not a Wings fan, but have lived in southeastern Michigan for my entire life (61 years). I have never met a Wings fan who liked having the team in the Western Conference.

As I have said before, if it has to be Quebec City, fine. Can keep them in the Central for a few years. I think people are to hung up on not having another team in the ETZ.

 

[ViD]

So if the Coyotes did relocate, would their fans switch to Knights fans? Seems like the next closest NHL team, maybe I'm wrong.

There’s a thread on Coyotes board discussing exactly that, seems most people say they will be done with NHL altogether

 

[LOFIN]

As I have said before, if it has to be Quebec City, fine. Can keep them in the Central for a few years. I think people are to hung up on not having another team in the ETZ.

Good luck convincing the rest of Central division to play divisional games in Quebec. Not going to hapen, period.

 

[bleedblue94]

The "contingency" is going to be trying find a buyer in Houston. They have don't have a ready-to-move-in backup plan.

The NHL is run worse than lemonade stand. Foresight? Lol.

It's not find a buyer I'm Houston, the only way these things work is if the team owner owns the arena. The rockets owner has to want to spend the money on the team and to this point he has made it clear he is not spending what the league wants for ownership. It's not as simple as you say