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Impartial peoples aren't showing up at all. Just go to the general league discussions, any time this whole situation comes up and most people take it for granted the team is leaving.
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I consider myself to be an impartiel person, so allow me a couple of comments.
It is clear that the Coyotes have lost a lot of money in the last 8 years.
It is also clear that a good reason for that is lack of Arena management rights, or other sources of income directly connected the area around the arena. One reason that Winnipeg and Nashville work is that their owners have other sources of income dierctly associated with the teams. Does this mean that the team itself has as much HRR in a year as the Preds or the Jets? No. But it is a factor, and reasonable people will consider that.
The Tempe proposal is a move on the part of the Coyotes to arrange to have exactly this kind of extra which they need.
The league must surely realize this - for the league is very aware of the Winnipeg, Nashville and even Florida situations.
Now, as for timelines.
City of Tempe is going to vote on whether or not to continue the process a week from tonight. There are clearly 2 possibilities.
If they vote 'yes' then the project goes on, but there is no contract yet, and said contract might take months to arrange, since there have to be funding negotiations, and also community involvement. Since the BOG meet later in June, it is absolutely
absurd to think that the NHL will pull the plug at this point, when everything Meruelo has planned for is still in the works. Therefore, like it or not, in the case of a "yes" vote, the Coyotes will play at ASU in 22-23 no matter what eventually happens.
If they vote 'no' then there again 2 possibilities:
1 - There is no other plan from Meruelo which has any substance at all to it right now. In this case, a relocation is likely, however, it is very late to do a relo, as even the Thrashers moving to Winnipeg was announced earlier than this. Obviously, if a relo happens this summer, it will have to be to Quebec, because no where else is in any way prepared for it. (This is, of course, what you want to happen). However, it is my thought that it would be too late for a relo this summer, and so again, the team will be at ASU for at least a year.
2- There is another plans which Meruelo has in place. In this case, also, if you are the BOG, why pull the plug? No reason. If Plan B is close to being a sure thing, then you let it play out. It's really too late to relocate anyway, so you give them a year.
In general, it seems that any relocation which might end up being necessary can't happen until Fall 23.
