Comments on: Report: NHL set to begin “Plan B” for Coyotes next week

By: tmoore4075

tmoore4075 — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:53:20 +0000

Agree with all of this. A lot of bad decisions at the ownership level. When they moved they started going down hill so that hurt even more. Then when they got good people thought they were leaving. Way too many mistakes throughout the history.

By: tihomirg24

tihomirg24 — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:09:41 +0000

It IS sad, there are plenty of hockey fans here in the Phoenix area but, as it’s been mentioned before, the on-ice performance of the team (after the first couple of years and prior to the recent resurgence) and the idiotic location of the arena is what’s causing the problems.

I see cars here all the time across the Phoenix metro area with Coyotes flags or stickers, and the last couple of winning seasons have definitely generated interest but most people aren’t willing to drive 2 hours west in traffic after spending all day at work, then driving another hour back 41 times a season.

By: tmoore4075

tmoore4075 — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:41:40 +0000

Nashville is fine and I think will be. Will they ever be an Original 6 team in terms of populatrity and success? No but who cares? OKC will never be LA in the NBA either.

The Jackets problem has been bad management. I thought they could work but when you always stink it’s hard to draw people in.

If they move I think it’ll be QC for my reasons above. KC has no ownership group. Seattle has no arena and not sure about the fan base. QC has or will have everything. Even Bettman said if they have to relocate they want to go back to where they have already been.

I feel sorry for the fans of the Coyotes if they do move. (You can make all the jokes you want) but even if I was the only fan I know I’d be sad.

By: duckandabluesailor

duckandabluesailor — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:15:05 +0000

Damn team should already be in year two as the new Kitchener-Waterloo franchise.

By: wingsdjy

wingsdjy — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:44:00 +0000

Agreed. Vegas doesn’t make any sense for a permanent pro sports team. The problem with it is that the bulk of your ticket sales would be game-by-game, not season bundles (because it’s a tourist town). And if you rely on game-by-game, then you live and die by how good the team is currently. Combine that with the fact that people traditionally go to Vegas for gambling, not sports, and you’ve got a potentially lethal combination.

By: stoneegratz

stoneegratz — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:37:35 +0000

They’ve fought this hard cause Gary ultimately can’t admit he was wrong. Jets to Phoenix…bust, Atlanta, Columbus….bust. Nashville was close to being bust status but has built a solid team and draws a crowd. He went 3/7 in recent expansions/relocations. Those teams being Colorado, Minnesota, and Carolina. Not sold on Nashville, once they go back to the basement all support will be lost once again. Gary more then likely will put this team in Seattle or KC. KC sounds more attractive because the rink is built and Gary doesn’t have to keep the yotes in Phoenix for another pitfull season.

By: stoneegratz

stoneegratz — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:29:15 +0000

Las Vegas, what a joke.

By: tmoore4075

tmoore4075 — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:22:23 +0000

I really don’t know what to think. I think it’s about 50-50 that they move. It’ll be down to Quebec City and Seattle. Kansas City has the arena but not local ownership group anymore. I think it goes to Quebec. While I like the idea of Seattle there is not guarantee fans will come out. Plus if the NBA goes back there the NHL team won’t get the attention. Quebec has the fan base, an arena on the way and local ownership group. If the Yotes move that’s where they are going in my opinion.

I really want this to be over with. This has dragged on too long. Would be a little sad if they did move because the NHL has fought this hard to keep the team there and they end up moving anyways?

By: davebabychreturns

davebabychreturns — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:17:03 +0000

Seattle seems like an interesting compromise in the struggle between what hockey folks want (northern city with plenty of minor and pro hockey background) and what the league seems to want (a presence in a key American television market).

People can rag on Phoenix/Glendale as a miserable failure in this whole saga but at this point I just want it over – whether that be due to a local ownership group stepping up or due to the team finally moving on and finding a permanent home (as much as that would suck for Arizona hockey fans).

It’s tough on the organization being in limbo like this and I’m sure the league has priorities it would rather be addressing than propping up teams for the next forever..

By: itspartofthegame

itspartofthegame — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:15:38 +0000

Another difference is that the Thrashers were owned by a private ownership group with no real interest in the NHL other than the Thrashers being part of the deal to purchase the Hawks and the operating rights to Phillips Arena. I hope for the sake of the Coyotes’ fans that someone with real local interest steps up to purchase, otherwise it’s only going to delay an eventual relocation.