With the plan for a new amphitheater in Tempe which was rejected by locals, the future of the Coyotes in Arizona is once again in jeopardy. This time could very well be the one that will finally let Commissioner Gary Bettman loosen up on his eternal stubbornness to stay in the desert.
Nothing is decided yet, but this check must currently hurt the future of the Coyotes in their current market as much as it hurts the egos of the NHL bigwigs.
Bettman has already mentioned, via a terse press release, that the NHL should consider all possible options for the future of the franchise.
Pending concrete news, here is an overview of five possible options, in order or disorder, for the sequence of events.
1. Finally the Nordics?
REUTERS
Supporters of the return of the Nordiques have repeatedly expressed their interest in the arenas of the NHL.
The refrain is well known, Quebec is just waiting for its chance with an up-to-date Videotron Center, a potential owner who is already a partner of the NHL as official broadcaster of Quebecor games, as well as an insatiable hockey audience. The packed houses of the Remparts clearly demonstrate this right now, even if the price of tickets obviously has nothing to compare with the exorbitant prices that are rampant in the NHL. Although he has been less questioned in public lately about the possible return of the Nordiques, Pierre Karl Péladeau has repeatedly reiterated his interest in bringing the club back to Quebec if the opportunity arises. Right now, whether critics like it or not, Quebec is a market that has all the pieces in place should the Coyotes pack their bags in the short term.
- Arena: Yes, the Videotron Center.
- Opening date: 2015
- Capacity: 18,259 seats
- Metropolitan population: 844,000
- NHL Experience: The Nordiques, 1979-1995.
2. Interest in Houston
AFP
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta chats with fans.
If the bonzes of the NHL speak timidly about Quebec, in recent years at least, they have not hesitated to mention the Houston market. It is the seventh largest television market in the United States. Houston is also the fourth largest city in the country in terms of population, behind New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The NHL sees interest in it. NBA Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has made no secret of his interest in an NHL team, but in a similar vein, he has previously mentioned his concerns about Southern markets. “Our studies tell us that it’s difficult to put posteriors in the seats,” he summed up in 2019. Hockey is no stranger to Houston, which has seen the Aeros on the spot in the International League and the League American, from 1994 to 2013. The Eros were also part of the AMH, from 1972 to 1978. At the expense of an amphitheater, the Toyota Center, which opened in 2003, can accommodate 17,800 people for hockey.
- Arena: Yes, the Toyota Center.
- Opening date: 2003
- Capacity: 17,800 spectators
- Metropolitan population: 6.4 million
- NHL experience: None, but the city has had two teams in the past few decades. The Eros, of the International League and the American League, from 1994 to 2013, and before that, the Eros, of the WHA, from 1972 to 1978.
3. Atlanta Take 3
Image taken from Twitter NHLTOATLANTA
The arena project in the Atlanta area, as part of the “Gathering at South Forsyth”. IMAGE FROM TWITTER NHLTOATLANTA
A new mega commercial development project, including a billion amphitheater north of the city of Atlanta, made headlines in mid-April. The “Gathering at South Forsyth” is currently in its infancy and there is no guarantee that everything will rise from the ground. After the resounding failure of the Thrashers, from 1999 to 2011, one has to wonder what the interest of the NHL will be in returning to the area. Atlanta ranks sixth in television markets. Especially since it would be a third try since before the Thrashers, the Flames had also been successful, from 1972 to 1980.
- Arena: The State Farm Arena, home of the NBA Hawks, which was also home to the Thrashers. A new project is also in the embryonic state.
- Opening date: 1999
- Capacity: 17,624 spectators
- Metropolitan population: 6.4 million
- NHL experience: The Flames, from 1972 to 1980, then the Thrashers, from 1999 to 2011.
4. The little news: Salt Lake City
AFP
Jazz owner Ryan Smith says he’s interested in the NHL.
In rumors of interest in the NHL, the last city in contention would be Salt Lake City, in the State of Utah. Utah Jazz NBA owner Ryan Smith recently expressed a desire to attract an NHL team. On April 22, a local reporter wrote on Twitter that the NHL playoffs were so exciting, imploring Smith to find a way to bring a team to the area. To which the owner quickly replied, “It’s on.” The very credible Elliotte Friedman, of Sportsnet, also let it be known that Ryan Smith had recently met Gary Bettman after a meeting of the governors in New York. The Vivint Arena, home of the Jazz, opened in 1991, then was renovated at a cost of 125 million in 2016. Two teams from the International Hockey League worked on site, from 1991 to 1994 and from 1995 to 1997.
- Arena: Yes, the Vivint Arena, home of the NBA Jazz.
- Opening: 1991
- Capacity: 14,000 spectators
- Metropolitan population: 1.2 million
- NHL experience: None, but the city has had two International League teams, from 1991 to 1994 and from 1995 to 1997.
5. A return to Phoenix
AFP
Downtown Phoenix.
Knowing how stubborn the NHL is in the Arizona market, you should never think that this option is dead and buried, even when the last nail seems to have been driven. It would be misunderstanding Gary Bettman to think that he will give up, even if all the cards seem exhausted. In this case, the last resort could be a last ditch attempt to partner with the Phoenix Suns in the NBA. Well-connected TSN reporter Darren Dreger raised the possibility of Suns owner Mat Ishbia buying the Coyotes to move them to downtown Phoenix. The Footprint Center is however designed for basketball and it has just been renovated in 2020. It is not said that new work to adapt the building to hockey is welcome.
- Arena: Yes, the Footprint Center, but that is now designed for basketball.
- Opening: 1992
- Capacity: 16,210 spectators
- Metropolitan population: 4.7 million
- NHL experience: The Coyotes played in downtown Phoenix from 1996-2003.
Over the years, other markets like Kansas City have been mooted, but no potential owners there have expressed interest in an NHL team. Be that as it may, the Coyotes file has not finished making people talk.