Pending approval for the construction of a new amphitheater, the Arizona Coyotes could well take up residence in a 5,000-seat university arena. They would spend between three and four seasons there.
Posted yesterday at 8:26 p.m.
The city of Glendale, where the Coyotes currently play, recently told the team that it would not renew its deal beyond the 2021-2022 season. The franchise will therefore find itself without a home from June 30.
In September, it proposed a $1.7 billion development in Tempe, a town southeast of Glendale. But until they receive approval and the amphitheater is built, the team must find a place to stay.
According to Craig Morgan, who covers the Coyotes for the PHNX Sports site, she is in the process of reaching an agreement with Arizona State University and arena manager, OVG Facilities.
Said arena, which is currently under construction and will therefore be brand new in the fall, would host all of the Coyotes’ home games. Its capacity is nevertheless much less important than that of any other amphitheater of the National League.
Morgan reports that the negotiated agreement is for three years with an option for a fourth year, if the construction of the eventual new amphitheater takes longer than expected.
NHL assistant commissioner Bill Daly said in an email that the league has no objection to such action.
“While we have certain arena standards, we would accommodate the situation in a way that meets the club’s needs so they can make a successful transition to a new home,” he said.
“I don’t see any hard rules that couldn’t be relaxed to fit what is needed. »
A spokesperson for the NHL Players’ Association says the arena change “raises a number of issues” that it will need to resolve with the league, “ideally” before the start of the 2022-23 season. .
Some Complications
Also according to what reports Craig Morgan, if the Coyotes take up residence in the arena of the university, they will not have the right to use the “zones” of the local team, the Sun Devil. Some NCAA rules prevent them from doing so.
This would therefore require the construction of additional facilities (locker rooms, gym, etc.), the cost of which is estimated at between $15 and $20 million. That money would come entirely from the pockets of Coyotes owner Alex Muruelo.
Before being built, these facilities would have to be approved by the Arizona Board of Governors.
Another complication to be expected: the schedule. The Sun Devil and the University team will have priority over the Coyotes. Already 24 matches are scheduled for next season, every Friday or Saturday. André Tourigny’s troupe should therefore play its local games on other days of the week.
Note also that the facilities in which the arena takes place should also host the University’s wrestling and gymnastics teams as well as all kinds of events.