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I know a couple of hockey referees who tell me that youth hockey in the valley is growing rapidly. Maybe there is more interest in the sport than we think.
It is. So is adult hockey. I play in a couple of leagues and in many cases the problem is not enough ice time to accommodate everyone who wants to play.
I think it's obvious they are done in Glendale. Now, it's only a question if they move to downtown Phoenix or another part of the Valley. Suns owner Robert Sarver is asking for a new stadium. The Suns current deal with Talking Stick arena expires in 2022. He is not going to settle on a renovation either since they had a 63 million renovation in 2003. I can see them relocating to downtown Phoenix and then Sarver and the Coyotes owners would work on a new stadum deal together. Ideally the Coyotes would like to play in Scottsdale. The owners and players live in Scottsdale. They train in Scottsdale and it's proximal to the East Valley fans. Don't be surprised if Sarver targets Scottsdale for his new stadium in 2022 and leases land near Talking Stick. To have a stadium in affluent Scottsdale is a dream for a sports owner.
Yes, to 2017. This buys the Coyotes some time to see if they can relocate within the Valley. Lots of hoops to jump through there. If they fail, then they will relocate elsewhere... no choice.
Glendale doesn't deserve to have a pro hockey team. For one thing, the location of the arena and Westgate is horrible, and too far for most hockey fans. It would have made much more sense to keep the Coyotes downtown (or at least in a more centralized location with established infrastructure). Putting these sports & entertainment complexes in far reaching parts of the Valley makes no sense at all. On top of that, the amount of tax money Glendale has squandered to keep them there is absolutely disgusting! If they need an extra funding source, let the NHL big wigs chip in in ... not taxpayers!
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Originally Posted by ElleTea
I don't know why people keep saying Vegas. AFAIK, Vegas is looking for an expansion team. That wouldn't be the Coyotes.
I seem to remember hearing that Las Vegas has been reluctant to have pro sports because of the ties with gambling. It is kind of a silly reason, however. I know that Vegas is definitely big enough now to have at least one pro sports team, but I doubt if they'll want the Coyotes.
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Originally Posted by azriverfan.
I think it's obvious they are done in Glendale. Now, it's only a question if they move to downtown Phoenix or another part of the Valley. Suns owner Robert Sarver is asking for a new stadium. The Suns current deal with Talking Stick arena expires in 2022. He is not going to settle on a renovation either since they had a 63 million renovation in 2003. I can see them relocating to downtown Phoenix and then Sarver and the Coyotes owners would work on a new stadum deal together. Ideally the Coyotes would like to play in Scottsdale. The owners and players live in Scottsdale. They train in Scottsdale and it's proximal to the East Valley fans. Don't be surprised if Sarver targets Scottsdale for his new stadium in 2022 and leases land near Talking Stick. To have a stadium in affluent Scottsdale is a dream for a sports owner.
Scottsdale would be a better location for pro hockey than Glendale ... however, I still say move the team back downtown. Amenities like pro sports belong in a central/urban location where there is established infrastructure ... not in the midst of cotton fields or vacant land!
Scottsdale would be a better location for pro hockey than Glendale ... however, I still say move the team back downtown. Amenities like pro sports belong in a central/urban location where there is established infrastructure ... not in the midst of cotton fields or vacant land!
Didn't they already try to get an arena in Scottsdale on the corner of McDowell and Scottsdale back in the late 90's? The Yotes probably would have done a lot better if that proposal didn't fall through, instead of moving to Glendale. Of course it's probably a lot easier to build a new arena on the Salt River Reservation land than in Scottsdale proper.
And I'm not saying potential NHL Vegas owners want the Coyotes or not. It seems like Vegas will be getting an expansion team, but it would be a hell of a lot cheaper to buy the Coyotes for say $225 million, pay $100 million relocation fee and move them to Vegas than paying a minimum $500 million expansion fee in addition to spending hundreds of millions to build a team. Of course the NHL owners would probably rather have a share of that $500 million expansion fee than a share of a $100 relocation fee.
Didn't they already try to get an arena in Scottsdale on the corner of McDowell and Scottsdale back in the late 90's? The Yotes probably would have done a lot better if that proposal didn't fall through, instead of moving to Glendale. Of course it's probably a lot easier to build a new arena on the Salt River Reservation land than in Scottsdale proper.
Yes, they did ... on the old Los Arcos site (which is now Skysong). That would have been a pretty good location for a hockey arena which could also have doubled as a concert arena. A large part of why it didn't materialize was the NIMBY opposition from nearby residents. At the very least, I'm pretty sure the team would have gotten a better attendance had the arena been built in that location, instead of Glendale/Westgate. Many people have come to finally realize that the current location of the arena was a huge blunder ... but what's done is done, and the ones who were behind this mess are now having to contend with this very ignorant & costly mistake!
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Originally Posted by cjseliga
And I'm not saying potential NHL Vegas owners want the Coyotes or not. It seems like Vegas will be getting an expansion team, but it would be a hell of a lot cheaper to buy the Coyotes for say $225 million, pay $100 million relocation fee and move them to Vegas than paying a minimum $500 million expansion fee in addition to spending hundreds of millions to build a team. Of course the NHL owners would probably rather have a share of that $500 million expansion fee than a share of a $100 relocation fee.
I'd be somewhat surprised (and envious) if Vegas got a pro hockey team. Not sure if they would have enough fans to support NHL, and I still think they would have quite a few hurdles to jump regarding the reluctance due to the gambling connection. I think the Coyotes could stay in Phoenix if they moved back downtown or to a more centralized location. Furthermore, bring back the original name of the team (PHOENIX Coyotes). Enough of this nonsense of naming everything for Arizona!
I'd be somewhat surprised (and envious) if Vegas got a pro hockey team. Not sure if they would have enough fans to support NHL, and I still think they would have quite a few hurdles to jump regarding the reluctance due to the gambling connection. I think the Coyotes could stay in Phoenix if they moved back downtown or to a more centralized location. Furthermore, bring back the original name of the team (PHOENIX Coyotes). Enough of this nonsense of naming everything for Arizona!
I think they already got 11,500 people to put down deposits, which is pretty good for an expansion Vegas team. But I somewhat agree, Las Vegas is a very transient location and most people relocated there from somewhere else and most people would probably be rooting for the visiting team, whoever that may be, each home game.
I also feel the hotels and casinos will use tickets as comps for their guests and visitors, so the team could always use that in the lean years after the newness wears off. As for the gambling, all they have to do is just take the Las Vegas "whatever they are going to call them" and not have any of their games in the sportsbooks. I think an NBA team would be much better there than an NHL team, but money talks, and $500 million just sitting there is going to be too much for Gary Bettman to walk away from.
I'm on the Suns/Yotes making a new stadium together bandwagon. Suns need a new Stadium Yotes need out of Glendale and have 2 years to work it out. Definitely put it Downtown on the Rail Track like it is now, I'd like to think the Valley learned its Suburban Stadium mistake. It's really a shame for the people around Westgate, but with Margaritaville closed its already resembling an empty ghost town. Margaritaville is a large area to have vacant like that especially right infront of the fountains for all to see.
The question is what becomes of that enormous stadium? There's no way Glendale can pull that many concerts with all of the competition, even from nearby AkChin/Ashley/Cricket Pavilion
The question is what becomes of that enormous stadium? There's no way Glendale can pull that many concerts with all of the competition, even from nearby AkChin/Ashley/Cricket Pavilion
What about an AHL team, affliated with the Yotes and an NBA D-League team, affilated with the Suns? Sure those type of leagues play in much smaller arenas than Glendale's, maybe curtain off the upper deck. At least with two minor league teams that's at least 63 days worth of games (25 home games for D-League team and 38 home games for an AHL team). I'm sure the teams would love having major league type locker rooms and you can have an infinite amount of tie-ins with their major league counterparts.
And there's other teams that have their minor league team near by or in the same metro area in both of those leagues. Look at the San Jose Sharks, their new AHL affiliate is going to play in same arena as the Sharks, starting this fall, that's at least 79 hockey home games right there, not including pre and post-season games.
If the Coyotes want to play in downtown Phoenix, they will be given the opportunity to do so. I think that is where they will end up. The ownership group is committed to the Valley. They were given the green light to leave and could have relocated to a lot of cities but chose to fight Glendale and remain here. In fact, the owners went on record of stating this. LeBlanc stated that they had the opportunity to go to a lot of cities but want hockey to work here.
I remember when they played in downtown. It was much more fun experience. The white outs, the local bars and downtown scene was so fun. And that was was in 1999 and 2000. Downtown is much more developed now. Especially with the light rail, student population and improved urban community, it would be really exciting if they moved back there.
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Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64
I'm on the Suns/Yotes making a new stadium together bandwagon. Suns need a new Stadium Yotes need out of Glendale and have 2 years to work it out.
The problem is can they wait that long. The Suns can't leave until 2022. Sarver is a shrewd business man. He is going to get an amazing stadium built with all of the bells and whistles in Scottsdale near Talking Stick. It's just a lot easier and cheaper to build there than tear down buildings and get new space to build a brand new stadium in downtown Phoenix. I see both the Coyotes and Suns playing there in 2023.
I'm on the Suns/Yotes making a new stadium together bandwagon. Suns need a new Stadium Yotes need out of Glendale and have 2 years to work it out. Definitely put it Downtown on the Rail Track like it is now, I'd like to think the Valley learned its Suburban Stadium mistake. It's really a shame for the people around Westgate, but with Margaritaville closed its already resembling an empty ghost town. Margaritaville is a large area to have vacant like that especially right infront of the fountains for all to see.
The question is what becomes of that enormous stadium? There's no way Glendale can pull that many concerts with all of the competition, even from nearby AkChin/Ashley/Cricket Pavilion
I know it sounds extreme and cruel, but I say let the arena and Westgate crumble to the ground. Move the team back to downtown Phoenix, and reinstate the original name (Phoenix Coyotes). Rebuild something similar to Westgate in the form of an entertainment district downtown as was previously proposed. In order for something like this to survive, it needs to be in an area where there is already established infrastructure ... something that the Westgate area never had. It's too much of a cost burden and losing deal to keep this team in Glendale.
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