Seravalli: NHL Back to AZ Within 5yrs ?!?

[BB79]

I guarantee you neither Chicago nor Nashville would hate being in the Eastern Conference.

I'd love to see Chicago come over. Join the rest of us O-Six franchises..maybe we should have our own division

The auction wasn't cancelled until mid June, well after the Coyotes were sent to Utah.

True, the land auction was supposed to be what layed the foundation to bring a franchise back. I believe it was cancelled 2 months after the team was already sold to Utah ownership. I really don't think it was going to get done. It wouldn't surprise me if they cancelled it because they didn't want to deal with Meruleo TBH

Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega said Friday that he had previously pointed out the land had "questionable zoning entitlement."

"Mr. Meruelo's fantasy hockey proposal was just a smokescreen as he exited after running the franchise under," Ortega said in a text message. Ortega also criticized Meruelo's intentions of seeking a "theme park district" designation as a mechanism to fund the development. However, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego has previously said she is not interested in granting a tax incentive like a theme park district."

MSN

 

[MikeyMike01]

It's not dumb to want teams in big-city telly markets. The Arizona cities, Houston, and Atlanta markets are all within the top 10 in terms of telly and corporate sponsorships. They would be dumb not to want to go to those locations.

You also project these places to grow in the future.

 

[rt]

@rt is this true ?

Yes. It gives the men huge cocks and high IQs. It makes the women charming and virtuous.

 

[Coffees]

Yes. It gives the men huge cocks and high IQs. It makes the women charming and virtuous.

@Maple Leaf get owned kid

 

[AKL]

Yes. It gives the men huge cocks and high IQs. It makes the women charming and virtuous.

Put the team in Scottsdale then where the soil obviously isn't infected

 

[Takeahnase]

Put the team in Scottsdale then where the soil obviously isn't infected

If you put the team in Scottsdale you can also accurately name them the D-Bags to go along with the D-Backs.

 

[TheLegend]

I'd love to see Chicago come over. Join the rest of us O-Six franchises..maybe we should have our own division

True, the land auction was supposed to be what layed the foundation to bring a franchise back. I believe it was cancelled 2 months after the team was already sold to Utah ownership. I really don't think it was going to get done. It wouldn't surprise me if they cancelled it because they didn't want to deal with Meruleo TBH

Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega said Friday that he had previously pointed out the land had "questionable zoning entitlement."

"Mr. Meruelo's fantasy hockey proposal was just a smokescreen as he exited after running the franchise under," Ortega said in a text message. Ortega also criticized Meruelo's intentions of seeking a "theme park district" designation as a mechanism to fund the development. However, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego has previously said she is not interested in granting a tax incentive like a theme park district."

MSN

Meh....

Two things... 1) Ortega is a blowhard. The project would have bypassed his city and took revenue away from it.

2) Gallego couldn't agree to a tax deferment because A) Phoenix's agreement with the Suns prevents them from providing any financial assistance to a facility that would compete with the Suns and B) it possibly could trigger a public initiative. Phoenix had just been through a fight getting the renovations to Footprint done.

 

[AKL]

2) Gallego couldn't agree to a tax deferment because A) Phoenix's agreement with the Suns prevents them from providing any financial assistance to a facility that would compete with the Suns

Is this why it's such an ordeal for the Dbacks to get help with Chase Field or does it not fall under that categorization?

 

[TheLegend]

Is this why it's such an ordeal for the Dbacks to get help with Chase Field or does it not fall under that categorization?

Not sure.... Chase is owned by Maricopa County.

There was an article a while back which hinted Phoenix was going to reach out and try working something out with both parties but haven't seen anything since.

 

[Lunatik]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841183003822997674

I hope I'm wrong for fans like you @rt but I still think Seravalli is a massive buffoon that throws a lot of crap at the wall.

Also glad to see y'all got another name guest on the pod

 

[Fatass]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841183003822997674

Lots of great fans down there. A good owner and a new rink in the right spot and for sure the nhl would go back. And the club would do really well too.

 

[Turin]

I hope Gary becomes allergic to his equipment in the next couple years.

 

[MessierII]

I’ve spent a lot of time in the Phoenix area this past year working and just don’t talk to many people who care about hockey. It’s baseball mad, for sure, but I met more hockey fans in central / southern Indiana than I have here.

Funny enough last time I was there i was pleasantly surprised by how many hockey fans I met. Problem is none of them were coyotes fans. One LA kings fan, one Colorado Avalanche fan and one Buffalo Sabres fan.

 

[AKL]

I hope Gary becomes allergic to his equipment in the next couple years.

Do you think another commissioner won't come in and try to put teams in two of the top 10 or so biggest markets in the country?

Funny enough last time I was there i was pleasantly surprised by how many hockey fans I met. Problem is none of them were coyotes fans. One LA kings fan, one Colorado Avalanche fan and one Buffalo Sabres fan.

Those are all people who will go to games and cheer for the Coyotes when the Kings, Avalanche and Sabres aren't there. I know tons of people from northern states and even Canadian provinces who live in the Phoenix area and would go watch hockey if there was a good arena in a good location. Phoenix is flooded with transplants, especially in the winter.

 

[Fatass]

Funny enough last time I was there i was pleasantly surprised by how many hockey fans I met. Problem is none of them were coyotes fans. One LA kings fan, one Colorado Avalanche fan and one Buffalo Sabres fan.

That used to be the way it was out here on Canada’s west coast. In the early days of the local club we had lots of fans, but they were mostly fans of already existing teams. A lot of Canadians retire to the west coast. It took many years for the local club to establish its own fan base. An Arizona club would be no different. Lots of people retire there. They are fans of other clubs. But the team was growing its own (new) fan base. And when the nhl goes back, that fan base will still be there and will grow. Not a fan of Bettman but he understands it takes a long time to grow a truly loyal (and new) fsn base.

 

[AKL]

That used to be the way it was out here on Canada’s west coast. In the early days of the local club we had lots of fans, but they were mostly fans of already existing teams. A lot of Canadians retire to the west coast. It took many years for the local club to establish its own fan base. An Arizona club would be no different. Lots of people retire there. They are fans of other clubs. But the team was growing its own (new) fan base. And when the nhl goes back, that fan base will still be there and will grow. Not a fan of Bettman but he understands it takes a long time to grow a truly loyal (and new) fsn base.

This, but there also needs to be some stability and success on ice as well in order to spur a lot of growth. They were well on their way with the team Armstrong is currently building, they just needed to get the arena stuff figured out but they had a bozo owner who messed it all up.

 

[MessierII]

Those are all people who will go to games and cheer for the Coyotes when the Kings, Avalanche and Sabres aren't there. I know tons of people from northern states and even Canadian provinces who live in the Phoenix area and would go watch hockey if there was a good arena in a good location. Phoenix is flooded with transplants, especially in the winter.

I mean they already played downtown for what? Close to 15 years and it didn’t work. It’s funny how Glendale in hindsight is viewed as a this terrible location when the league cited the fact they had just built the Glendale arena as the main reason they didn’t move in 2009. It’s just a terrible hockey market. Yotes games were drawing as few as 5000 viewers at one point. Think about that. 5000 people watch oiler games in my neighborhood literally.

 

[AKL]

I mean they already played downtown for what? Close to 15 years and it didn’t work. It’s funny how Glendale in hindsight is viewed as a this terrible location when the league cited the fact they had just built the Glendale arena as the main reason they didn’t move in 2009. It’s just a terrible hockey market. Yotes games were drawing as few as 5000 viewers at one point. Think about that. 5000 people watch oiler games in my neighborhood literally.

If you think they need to draw the same viewership as Oilers games, you're never going to be satisfied with virtually any market.

The market isn't the problem.

 

[Fatass]

This, but there also needs to be some stability and success on ice as well in order to spur a lot of growth. They were well on their way with the team Armstrong is currently building, they just needed to get the arena stuff figured out but they had a bozo owner who messed it all up.

Very true the club in that kind of market needs success. It’s different in that way from a Canadian market.

 

[Siludin]

If the next two expansion cities are Atlanta and Phoenix I will buy jerseys just out of respect for the audacity.
True WWE behaviour.

 

[AKL]

Very true the club in that kind of market needs success. It’s different in that way from a Canadian market.

Yeah we've seen it play out this way with teams like Carolina and Florida in the last decade. Those teams used to be on par with, sometimes below Arizona in attendance. Now they're both good and their attendance numbers are up. That's how sports work in most markets, with large markets like LA and NY being the exception, as well as most of the Canadian markets when it comes to the NHL (though a couple of them still have that issue).

 

[Fatass]

Yeah we've seen it play out this way with teams like Carolina and Florida in the last decade. Those teams used to be on par with, sometimes below Arizona in attendance. Now they're both good and their attendance numbers are up. That's how sports work in most markets, with large markets like LA and NY being the exception, as well as most of the Canadian markets when it comes to the NHL (though a couple of them still have that issue).

Very true. I’m really hoping this reporting is accurate. The hockey fans in Arizona deserve an nhl club and (if the right owner is in place) will support the club very well. IMO the club will be a very strong franchise.