Why the Coyotes FAILED in Arizona

[TMC]

The Arizona Coyotes' relocation to Salt Lake City, Utah seems imminent so we're joined by PHNX Coyotes reporter Craig Morgan to break down why the Yotes failed in Arizona.

[TMC]

The complete history of the Arizona Coyotes.

Beginning with the Winnipeg Jets move to Phoenix, this documentary tracks the history of the Arizona Coyotes from the early days of promise, to the sad realization that the Coyotes were relocating to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Includes Arizona Coyotes highlights, Phoenix Coyotes highlights, Salt Lake City hockey highlights, Utah hockey highlights, Wayne Gretzky highlights, Shane Doan highlights, NHL highlights.

The Arizona Coyotes, formerly the Phoenix Coyotes, are no longer. The franchise is moving to Utah...

[TMC]

Welcome to my series about the Phoenix Coyotes!

The Coyotes weathered ownership turmoil, bankruptcy, and a whole lot of losing in their first decade in Glendale.

The Coyotes press forward and attempt to return to the heights that they achieved in 2012.

Alex Meruelo signed on as owner in 2019, and the next 5 years were an unrivaled disaster.

[James28]

I believe neither Phoenix nor Atlanta should be allowed to ever have an NHL franchise again, simply because of the Coyotes and the Thrashers being so mishandled and troubled and the fear of future failures in those cities regarding a completely new franchise.

The Thrashers relocating to Winnipeg to become the Jets, thereby meaning Atlanta blew it on its second try at having an NHL team, makes me fear a third failure of an NHL franchise in the host city of the 1996 Olympics. Any new arena in that area just for an NHL team would have to be built in Atlanta's suburbs, and I think it would struggle to attract non-NHL events like concerts because of the presence of State Farm Arena (which remains home to the NBA's Hawks) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium (which hosts the NFL's Falcons and has a retractable roof.

The Phoenix area in recent years was being pressured into developing a new arena for the Coyotes in Tempe. I wouldn't have wanted that because Glendale Arena was perfectly fine except for its suburban location, surrounded by surface parking lots, and any new NHL arena for Tempe would render that Glendale Arena a white elephant. The Coyotes ended up playing at a 4,600-seat arena (Mullett Arena) for two seasons (after their lease at Glendale Arena had expired) before shutting down after the 2023-24 season.

[TMC]

The Arizona Coyotes were a 28-year "failed experiment" that the NHL refused to let die... until now.

In this deep-dive documentary, we explore the chaotic and often tragic history of the NHL in the desert. From the original sin of moving into a basketball arena with 3,000 obstructed seats to the ultimate humiliation of playing in a 4,600 seat college rink, the story of the Coyotes is a masterclass in how NOT to run a professional sports franchise.

This is a 28-year car crash that finally came to a stop in Salt Lake City.

[MrCleveland]

Originally Posted by James28

I believe neither Phoenix nor Atlanta should be allowed to ever have an NHL franchise again, simply because of the Coyotes and the Thrashers being so mishandled and troubled and the fear of future failures in those cities regarding a completely new franchise.

The Thrashers relocating to Winnipeg to become the Jets, thereby meaning Atlanta blew it on its second try at having an NHL team, makes me fear a third failure of an NHL franchise in the host city of the 1996 Olympics. Any new arena in that area just for an NHL team would have to be built in Atlanta's suburbs, and I think it would struggle to attract non-NHL events like concerts because of the presence of State Farm Arena (which remains home to the NBA's Hawks) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium (which hosts the NFL's Falcons and has a retractable roof.

The Phoenix area in recent years was being pressured into developing a new arena for the Coyotes in Tempe. I wouldn't have wanted that because Glendale Arena was perfectly fine except for its suburban location, surrounded by surface parking lots, and any new NHL arena for Tempe would render that Glendale Arena a white elephant. The Coyotes ended up playing at a 4,600-seat arena (Mullett Arena) for two seasons (after their lease at Glendale Arena had expired) before shutting down after the 2023-24 season.

Unfortunately...Phoenix and Atlanta are potentially getting expansion teams as well as Houston.

I STILL think Cleveland and Kansas City should get NHL teams again.

[James28]

Originally Posted by MrCleveland

Unfortunately...Phoenix and Atlanta are potentially getting expansion teams] as well as Houston.

I STILL think Cleveland and Kansas City should get NHL teams again.

No, they can't, and they don't need to.

What if Phoenix and Atlanta go ahead with building brand new indoor arenas, and their brand-new NHL teams go bust and shut down, leaving the arenas those new teams would occupy with no tenants at all? It's for that reason that I'd rather see them avoid considering getting new NHL franchises entirely. Plus, I don't even know if any NHL team for Houston should share the existing Toyota Center with the NBA's Rockets, or develop a new ground-up arena entirely. In all three cases, automatic white elephants right there.

[MrCleveland]

Originally Posted by James28

No, they can't, and they don't need to.

What if Phoenix and Atlanta go ahead with building brand new indoor arenas, and their brand-new NHL teams go bust and shut down, leaving the arenas those new teams would occupy with no tenants at all? It's for that reason that I'd rather see them avoid considering getting new NHL franchises entirely. Plus, I don't even know if any NHL team for Houston should share the existing Toyota Center with the NBA's Rockets, or develop a new ground-up arena entirely. In all three cases, automatic white elephants right there.

The NHL commissioner Gary Bettmann is pushing for those cities.

If I was the NHL commissioner, I'd give Quebec and Halifax an NHL team before Phoenix and Atlanta. I'd also would push for Cleveland and Kansas City since Cleveland is a committed sports city as well as Kansas City.

Bettmann doesn't know the niche cities if he's trying to put back teams where hockey has failed.