Comments on: Glendale mayor: Bettman called to say the NHL isn’t giving up on Coyotes

By: sporkov

sporkov — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 02:52:56 +0000

Hate to say you are right, but you are probably right, they are not likely to stay and it has gone on for too long. As a Coyotes fan I will keep hoping that they stay, but that is not likely unless Bettman forces the situation.

By: sporkov

sporkov — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 02:46:30 +0000

Even as a Coyotes fan that is funny! But, I think the Rangers should play at the Grand Canyon.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 02:26:42 +0000

C’mon man! Contract the NHL!

By: fiddytucker

fiddytucker — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 00:20:07 +0000

I like lamp

By: rohlo

rohlo — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 21:00:03 +0000

Honestly if it doesnt end up working out in phoenix then move them to houston texas.houston is the largest market and populated city without an nhl team. 8million people city limits and surrounding metro footprint.large media tv market for money and a state of the art arena in the toyota center.houston has supported the ihl houston aeros for over a decade now.there is no state income tax and low taxes for buisness entities.rockets owner les alexander had actually bought the edmonton oilers when they were having problems he gave edmonton a chance to get new ownership to keep them there with th eir tradition before moving them to houston and becoming the houston oilers.it was clSsy of him to do that.houston would be a great place for an nhl team.

I think seattle would to imo .I dont understand why there are a lot of nhl teams in small tv markets in the league.cities like houston, seattle, san diego etc all have big markets versus the small markets of nashville, columbus,tampa bay….

By: ndrick731

ndrick731 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:11:28 +0000

There is only one reason why Bettman wants to keep Phoenix the two Florida franchises and Nashville going. That’s because he wants to expand and he doesn’t want profitable markets dried up by teams transferring to those markets. Gary Bettman is a disease.

By: tmoore4075

tmoore4075 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:29:21 +0000

They could play in Copps but I don’t think they will and won’t need to because of what you just said. They can expand there (GTA) and make a killing. The piece TSN did 2-3 years ago about “Why Not Canada?” that looked at a bunch of cities broke it down nicely. And the one on Toronto had an interesting stat. At time time roughtly 800,000 fans in the GTA who considered themselves die hard hockey fans were unable to see one NHL game. The appetite in Southern Ontario is there and within the next few years the NHL will be there.

By: govtminion

govtminion — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:11:05 +0000

I don’t know, I was in Verizon Center a few nights ago- unless there was some other reason for 18,000 people to all be wearing red in the arena that night, I think your assessment of the Caps might be just a tad off.

By: dprouse

dprouse — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:48:36 +0000

Even in Greater Toronto, a team could play out of Copps Coliseum in Hamilton for a couple of years until a new building is ready. Still, there’s no way the NHL wants a team to move to Southern Ontario – they’ll make that an expansion market, pocketing a $500 million expansion fee booty to be divided up amongst the owners.

By: dprouse

dprouse — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:44:36 +0000

Keeping the Coyotes in place is all about preserving expansion money. If you move them to one of the more viable expansion markets, you are taking about $10 million or more in found money out of the pockets of every owner in the league. I’m not saying I like it, but that is one of the primary motivators for Bettman and the owners to keep the Coyotes afloat.

By: wingz101

wingz101 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:36:53 +0000

This whole Phoenix story is really starting to smell fishy. It’s hard to understand the obsession and believing its about TV rights doesn’t really fly anymore. It is a market that can’t support hockey at the NHL level plain and simple.

I could see it work for the AHL but not the NHL – but having said that between 1960 and 2013 Phoenix has had failed franchises in ECHL, WHL, PHL, CHL and the WHA. Why anyone thought NHL would fly is a real mystery.

Now on top of everything you have the new CBA with a very high floor. It’s not a good CBA for a team that has a miserable revenue stream like the Coyotes. And when the front man for a deal is a small pockets guy like Jamison (personal worth under 10 million) you know that the NHL is really scraping the bottom of the barrell for investors.

I think they ride out the year but mostly likely they are off to Seattle soon after.

By: tmoore4075

tmoore4075 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:44:40 +0000

I understand fighting Balsille back in 09. They didn’t like how he went about trying to get the team. Then still playing there in 10-11 I understood cause they thought they were making progress in a sale. However, all the groups Reinsdorf, Ice Edge and Hulsizer all either wanted concessions by the city/league, didn’t have the money or wanted a damn sweet deal so it didn’t happen. Maybe they were ok with keeping them there when the city agreed to cover the losses yet again for 11-12, because if they moved them, Atlanta would have still been there without on owner and no where to go and in Glendale they at least had someone paying the bills. They might have had to actually contract the Thrashers if the Coyotes moved to Winnipeg. Now, while they don’t have a completed arena in any of the possible cities, they have arenas on the way in Seattle, Quebec and seems like Toronto. And in the first two cities can play in old buildings for a few years if needed.

By: dmccarrie

dmccarrie — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:27:23 +0000

What is the fascination in keeping this team in Glendale? They can’t say they haven’t made a best effort to do at this point. They’d probably be making alot more money someplace else…is this an ego thing? Does the NHL not like successful franchises? I don’t get it.

By: tmoore4075

tmoore4075 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:54:47 +0000

Sorry if I’m a little hesitant to believe there are other potential owners who would do better than Jamison. IF there are, than why the hell didn’t they step up before? If they are going to be the saviors then why did they even go with Matthew Hulsizer 2 years ago? He didn’t have the money. I’m not going to believe anything anyone says on this subject because they have been saying the same stuff for years now. It’s time to just say it’s over. Sorry to any of the Coyotes fans out there, but this has gone on for far too long.

By: Jackson Scofield

Jackson Scofield — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:37:41 +0000

You are comparing it’s upper end to the most popular sports leagues in the country. What I’m saying is that teams in leagues generally laughed at are doing better than Phoenix is.

By: badintent

badintent — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:37:30 +0000

we have more than enough hockey riots in Montreal, don’t need another french canadian city having them too

By: badintent

badintent — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:34:41 +0000

Did the Kennedys kill anyone in the last 10 minutes? Did they spring Whity ?

By: badintent

badintent — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:31:15 +0000

THE KHL wants to put a team there.Bettman had to draw a line in the sand

By: barkar942

barkar942 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:25:48 +0000

Can it be the Williams Rangers? Williams is a really cool town! Loved the train ride to the Grand Canyon!

By: axisofweasels

axisofweasels — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 04:57:50 +0000

i’ll do it for 10 mins with shane doan’s wife.

yowzar

By: vstar1us

vstar1us — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 03:50:33 +0000

Well, as you all can see Hockey is great sport and a wonderful game! The one thing is they have teams where they don’t belong. The NHL wants to keep putting out a crap product just so it can try to recoup the money lost on the stupid lock out.

By: nothanksimdriving123

nothanksimdriving123 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 03:17:42 +0000

Hey, shove off pal, I’ll do it for $70 million!

By: nothanksimdriving123

nothanksimdriving123 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 03:14:41 +0000

Mon Dieu!! Les Phoenix Canadiens?? But share the joy, eh, make it the Flagstaff Maple Leafs, Tucson Red Wings, Prescott Bruins, Yuma Rangers and Grand Canyon Blackhawks!!

By: pavelfitzgerald

pavelfitzgerald — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 03:13:04 +0000

Comparing the “Coyotes” to the “Blue Jays” is like comparing the “Coyotes” to the “Blue Jays” – the “Blue Jays” actually spend & make money. The “Coyotes” simply don’t.
Your “opinins” already “make you” look like an “idiot”. Over using & incorrectly using “quotations” confirms that

By: flyeredup

flyeredup — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 03:07:14 +0000

A 2nd team in Philly would double the attendance in Phoenix. Bulldoze that forsaken recession laden city.

By: thehighcountrybear

thehighcountrybear — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:26:08 +0000

Ask any Canadian without a Brits heritage to name two starters on Man U, and you can count on pulling a blank. We stick to the National Ballet when in need of diving prancers, thank you verrrrry much….

By: 1943mrmojorisin1971

1943mrmojorisin1971 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 01:57:26 +0000

“Who in their right mind would ever invest in that franchise?”

Leafs intermission panel summing this situation up nicely.

By: hockeyflow33

hockeyflow33 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 01:39:09 +0000

Stop using quotation marks incorrectly. It makes you look like an even bigger idiot.

By: heynow33

heynow33 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 01:09:53 +0000

To futher “Jackson Scoffield”

“Manu U” of Premiere league is worth many, many, many, many times more than the so called “big fish” of the NHL. AKA Maple leafs. And “Man U” actually have more viewers world wild. Thanks, “Jackson” you mad all my points crystal clear.

By: goalie007

goalie007 — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 01:08:29 +0000

2 words – Quebec City