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What does everyone think of the Phoenix Coyotes this year? The "desert dogs" are 14-4-3 with 8 wins in their last 10 games against pretty big teams (including Washington, St. Louis, Chicago and Tampa)
that must be at last resulting in full seats at their home games, good for them and good for their fans
that must be at last resulting in full seats at their home games, good for them and good for their fans
They are my second team (The New York Islanders still have a spot in my heart.) They have a great young core that are role fillers that are starting to click together. Throw in Riberio and the ownership issues being over and it is good foundation.
The seats are mostly filled with mostly Coyote fans now. Now yes, New Yorkers, and Chicago transfers still flood in pretty good (even Calgary to extent) but as a convert fan, I am happy about the passionate fans we have now.
Being from Boston I don't see or hear much of Phoenix. Good for them even though I'd still vote to move them to Quebec!
I rather see them get a new expansion team if the west gets Detroit back and the proposed Seattle team is added as the other expansion team to even out the conferences.
Speaking of which, what is the whole appeal of moving the Phoenix team (it has been settled by the way.) Why don't we talk about moving your home team and see how you like it.
I rather see them get a new expansion team if the west gets Detroit back and the proposed Seattle team is added as the other expansion team to even out the conferences.
Speaking of which, what is the whole appeal of moving the Phoenix team (it has been settled by the way.) Why don't we talk about moving your home team and see how you like it.
The whole appeal of moving the Phoenix team is that over the past several years they've hemmoraged money and drawn very poorly. They're still selling the least tickets per game in the NHL, by quite a wide margin: 2013-2014 NHL Attendance - National Hockey League - ESPN
If things are turning around down there, that's great. After nearly two decades of empty arenas and red ink (despite some half decent teams), you can forgive people for being cynical.
The whole appeal of moving the Phoenix team is that over the past several years they've hemmoraged money and drawn very poorly. They're still selling the least tickets per game in the NHL, by quite a wide margin: 2013-2014 NHL Attendance - National Hockey League - ESPN
If things are turning around down there, that's great. After nearly two decades of empty arenas and red ink (despite some half decent teams), you can forgive people for being cynical.
The issue is now unlike the last few years where it was under ownership of the league, it is under it's own ownership. That and there is a fanbase now, infact all the games I went to have sold pretty well, well more than the 12K "average" and one of the games was against Vancouver on a TUESDAY. FYI, we have a great core who will likely make it to the playoffs provided they keep their stride. Perhaps my "Bring the Cup to Phoenix" shirt from the 2011 playoff run will be relevant and then there will be the front-runners who jump on the bandwagon when the team is hot (something the franchise hasn't really been even during the Jets days.)
My whole issue imagine there is a similar ownership issue and your team is up for grabs and you are told they should move to Quebec City, Atlanta, Seattle, ect. I am sorry but if the league still moves the Coyotes after this, they lost me as a fan and someone who WILL take my eventual family and friends to multiple games in a given season.
The issue is now unlike the last few years where it was under ownership of the league, it is under it's own ownership. That and there is a fanbase now, infact all the games I went to have sold pretty well, well more than the 12K "average" and one of the games was against Vancouver on a TUESDAY. FYI, we have a great core who will likely make it to the playoffs provided they keep their stride. Perhaps my "Bring the Cup to Phoenix" shirt from the 2011 playoff run will be relevant and then there will be the front-runners who jump on the bandwagon when the team is hot (something the franchise hasn't really been even during the Jets days.)
That Vancouver game was attended by 13,459 (78.6%). If every game were like that one, that'd put them a close second last in the league, rather than dead last. The Nashville game on Halloween had 7,401 attend. Phoenix isn't exactly a booming hockey market.
The point that can't seem to grasp is that in major hockey markets, it doesn't matter who's in town or what day it is. Look back at those attendance numbers - last season, 16 teams sold out all 41 home games. Hell, Edmonton still sells out every game- and they're abysmal. Phoenix just doesn't have that kind of a following.
In the past, ownership hasn't been able to keep the team profitable. Small gate revenues were a large part of that problem.
Now that there's a stable ownership group in place, it remains to be seen whether they can make the team profitable.
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My whole issue imagine there is a similar ownership issue and your team is up for grabs and you are told they should move to Quebec City, Atlanta, Seattle, ect. I am sorry but if the league still moves the Coyotes after this, they lost me as a fan and someone who WILL take my eventual family and friends to multiple games in a given season.
That Vancouver game was attended by 13,459 (78.6%). If every game were like that one, that'd put them a close second last in the league, rather than dead last. The Nashville game on Halloween had 7,401 attend. Phoenix isn't exactly a booming hockey market.
It is turning but the issue is historically Phoenix doesn't an early rush of sell outs and depend on the team getting hot later on. The team is doing phenomenal now.
As for the Nashville game, how many other teams had home games on Halloween and how much of the usual sell outs did they sell. If it's as I think, it's statistical outlier for all teams because most families would not go to a Halloween game.
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Originally Posted by Stubblejumper
The point that can't seem to grasp is that in major hockey markets, it doesn't matter who's in town or what day it is. Look back at those attendance numbers - last season, 16 teams sold out all 41 home games. Hell, Edmonton still sells out every game- and they're abysmal. Phoenix just doesn't have that kind of a following.
Phoenix hasn't really been a hockey market but it is starting to turn around. There's a number of loyal fans starting to
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Originally Posted by Stubblejumper
In the past, ownership hasn't been able to keep the team profitable. Small gate revenues were a large part of that problem.
Moyes, (the past owner) was basically using team ownership as a write-off and didn't really put a good line-up on the ice. You had a few of the stars from now but they didn't click as well and were pretty dependent off of the other team (much like the Cardinals and to an extent the D-Backs.)
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Originally Posted by Stubblejumper
Now that there's a stable ownership group in place, it remains to be seen whether they can make the team profitable.
At least in the short-term it is doing better. If the ownership issues still existed, I could understand the move them logic, however it is settled so give it time to rebuild and repair the wounds caused by Moyes and non-agreements with ownership groups trying to buy the team over the next four years.
It is turning but the issue is historically Phoenix doesn't an early rush of sell outs and depend on the team getting hot later on. The team is doing phenomenal now.
It will be worth watching to see if, and how much, attendance climbs during the season, if they continue to play well. It's certainly possible that a good product on-ice could solve attendance woes, as other Sunbelt teams have been able to draw reasonably well - there's no reason Phoenix can't, they just haven't historically.
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As for the Nashville game, how many other teams had home games on Halloween and how much of the usual sell outs did they sell. If it's as I think, it's statistical outlier for all teams because most families would not go to a Halloween game.
New York Rangers and Boston. Both of which sold out
It's not a statistical outlier for the 16 sell out teams referenced in my last post - for that half of the league, there are no statistical outliers in regards to attendance. It's 100%, every game.
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Phoenix hasn't really been a hockey market but it is starting to turn around. There's a number of loyal fans starting to
Moyes, (the past owner) was basically using team ownership as a write-off and didn't really put a good line-up on the ice. You had a few of the stars from now but they didn't click as well and were pretty dependent off of the other team (much like the Cardinals and to an extent the D-Backs.)
At least in the short-term it is doing better. If the ownership issues still existed, I could understand the move them logic, however it is settled so give it time to rebuild and repair the wounds caused by Moyes and non-agreements with ownership groups trying to buy the team over the next four years.
There's a perception outside of Phoenix that, while ownership troubles are over, at least for the time being, that the underlying financial issues are not. It's not unusual that doubt would continue to linger, at least until they prove themselves a viable franchise in that location.
New York Rangers and Boston. Both of which sold out
It's not a statistical outlier for the 16 sell out teams referenced in my last post - for that half of the league, there are no statistical outliers in regards to attendance. It's 100%, every game.
One can argue to throw those out because they always sell out. It's like comparing how many seats Bon Jovi sells in the Joe Louis arena to The Maine in Cobo Hall. Not fair to compare an established team to a team only around for 15 years in a market that only had the Roadrunners when you consider the major league teams before the Coyotes moved in.
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Originally Posted by Stubblejumper
There's a perception outside of Phoenix that, while ownership troubles are over, at least for the time being, that the underlying financial issues are not. It's not unusual that doubt would continue to linger, at least until they prove themselves a viable franchise in that location.
I would say let time play out. It can be warranted or a false alarm. Right now it seems more or less like a false alarm as I am seeing the old Saturday crowds for Tuesday crowds this year. Unless my sample size is wrong.
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