I was there for a pre-season game, with maybe 4000 people in the stands, and it was a lot like going to Rexall for an Oil Kings game with 4000 people in the stands - you had space to move, but there were still a fair number of bottlenecks. A packed stadium would certainly be better than the Saddledome, but only because it is a newer arena. I can't imagine it would be great relative to most other NHL rinks.
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Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
The Phoenix market is the 12th largest TV market in the US. The NHL wants a presence in large markets like this. If they move into a better location and average say 15k a game that's still much better for the league exposure-wise compared to say 17k sold out arenas in Quebec City.
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Ultimately, what the NHL wants is irrelevant. The only reason the league intervened on Balsillie and Moyes' move was the fact that the bankruptcy scam represented a significant threat to the league's ability to control its franchises. At this point, the Coyotes will live or die based exclusively on the willingness of someone to own and operate a team in Phoenix.