When Gary Bettman was named the first – and only – commissioner of the National Hockey League, he had a vision. The vision was to make the league relevant in the United States. So far, it’s worked: the league has maniacal followings and fan bases in markets such as Anaheim, Florida, Dallas, and Columbus, OH. After failing to secure an arena deal in 1996, the then-Winnipeg Jets relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. This was a part of Bettman’s plan to make the NHL work in untapped markets. Despite numerous ownership changes and even bankruptcy, the Coyotes have managed to survive. But it became more and more obvious after yesterday’s arena proposal vote that the National Hockey League will not work in Arizona. The arena proposal failed, and it’s time to put the Arizona Coyotes to sleep.
Arena Plans Soundly Rejected
Yesterday, Maricopa County put a measure to a vote for a $1.7B entertainment district to be built in Tempe. The district would have included hotels, retail stores, apartments, and a theater. The centerpiece of the district would have been a 16,000-seat arena with the Arizona Coyotes as its primary tenant. The City of Tempe put the proposal to a vote and voters said ‘No’ to the Arizona Coyotes’ arena proposal. As of this writing, the proposal was soundly rejected by a 12-point margin (56-44). Back in November 2022, the city council unanimously voted down the proposal by a 7-0 margin. So, for the second time in seven months, the City of Tempe has said ‘No’ to the Coyotes.
The NHL released a statement following the results:
Statement from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman regarding the results of the arena vote in Tempe, Arizona. pic.twitter.com/MVL3AUWP7R
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 17, 2023
Gary Bettman’s White Whale
Ever since the Arizona Coyotes relocated from Winnipeg in 1996, the franchise has gone through numerous ownership changes and arena relocations. America West Arena was clearly not built for hockey and the franchise relocated to Gila River Arena in Glendale in 2003. The league took over the franchise in 2009 after it experienced bankruptcy. After the franchise secured stable ownership in 2019, the Coyotes’ were still kicked out of Glendale in 2022. This season, the Coyotes commenced playing at 5,000-seat Mullett Arena at Arizona State University. The small arena was another black eye on an increasingly untenable situation. And now with the arena proposal voted down, the Arizona Coyotes may become a thing of the past.
Like Captain Ahab and Moby Dick, the Arizona Coyotes are Gary Bettman’s white whale, and it’s become an inescapable obsession to make the Coyotes work.
Who Should We Feel Bad For?
With the failed arena proposal added to the already-checkered history of the Arizona Coyotes, it might be time to say goodbye. This begs the question: who should we feel bad for? I can say right off the bat, certainly NOT the National Hockey League or Gary Bettman. Their attempts to keep the franchise alive over the last nearly 20 years have been futile. Who I feel sorry for the most are the fans, particularly the hardcore fans who have supported the franchise since Day One. They love hockey and love their Coyotes. I can’t imagine how frustrating it is for your team not to have stable ownership or an NHL-ready arena for your team to play in. But the result may be yet another franchise relocation. I won’t bother to give my opinions on where the Coyotes should relocate. Today is not the time or place to begin those thoughts.
1 Comment
Great article. I didn’t realize the Coyotes were in such turmoil. The NHL has lots of suitors to replace them though