[News] Tempe voters reject the Coyotes Arena and Entertainment District

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

The general population is sick of seeing taxpayer money getting funneled to rich people, as simple as that.

Tempe taxpayers care very little about having an NHL team, hard to blame them really.

See. you don’t understand the deal and neither did Tempe voters. So be it. Putting it to a vote was a mistake.

[oldschoolcalgary]

the coyotes have been on life support the last 10-15 years.

While I know there are a number of hardcore fans, the number of them is very shallow it seems like... The running joke with the Sharks was that they had 20K hockey fans and they all had season tickets (I know that is hyperbole, but with SJ, the fans showed up big time, even if the pool of fans wasn't super wide).

I don't know how this organization can stay in Arizona, even with Bettman's insistence they do...

I'd expect Houston to get the nod...Hockey fans want Quebec, but it's a city of sub 1 million I believe... not sure how they would be able to support that team and with TV markets being the NHL's biggest evaluation, I don't see them adding to that, especially for the US market.

Not sure what will happen, but the Arizona experiment looks like its finally going to end.

[BoLevi]

Originally Posted by Jordan!

This was doomed to fail once it went to referendum. Tempe messed up and you can’t rely on the intelligence of the general public.

Oh well. I think the Yotes are cooked

Scamming the taxpayer is definitely a good business model

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Jordan!

See. you don’t understand the deal and neither did Tempe voters. So be it. Putting it to a vote was a mistake.

It was guaranteed to end up at a vote. The opposition campaign could've forced it, so the team and city council elected to initiate it on their own terms.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by metroneck

Not sure that solves their problem tho.

Oracle makes the ‘Dome look like Little Caesars…

Could be a good temporary home while they pursue something closer to Jack London, similar to what they were trying to do with the A's despite the A's running out of patience.

There would be interest there, I bet. That place is hurting after losing the Warriors, Raiders, and now the A's.

[topfiverecords]

Time for Plan Z.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Two ways I see this playing out:

1) Meruelo initiates a sale process.

2) Meruelo elects to hold and search for a Plan B, at which point the NHL BoG — under intense scrutiny from the PA — votes to force a sale process.

If, after all this, they end up staying in AZ, I'll be gobsmacked. This was it.

I agree.

The fact that they're this shocked shows there is no plan B.

Glad I've become numb to this and had zero hope for this to pass, on a personal level it saddens me that my son won't have a local team to fall in love with and to share memories together going to games but I have the Suns, Dbacks and Cardinals. it'll be fine.

I'll just have to show him "daddy's Flames" on TV and take him to a game in Vegas or in Calgary after a new rink is built

[Mr.Coffee]

I think Austin would be smart for similar reasons the way Vegas was.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

It was guaranteed to end up at a vote. The opposition campaign could've forced it, so the team and city council elected to initiate it on their own terms.

Yeah, that is right.. but still. Salt River has always been my #1 but it wouldn't have been as lucrative for Meruelo.

[getbak]

The Toyota Center in Houston will celebrate its 20th Anniversary this fall. It was home to the AHL's Aeros until 2013. It has a very good capacity of 17,800 for hockey.



Houston is the 5th-largest city in the US and the largest without an NHL team.

There have been various reports over the years about Rockets' owner Tilman Fertitta's interest in putting a team in the Toyota Center. There have also been rumours that some other owner has expressed interest in putting an NHL team into an as-yet unbuilt arena in the Houston area. Could Tilman swoop in and relocate the Coyotes to block any potential competition?

[jayswin]

One wrinkle we're seeing in the last 15 years or so in terms of relocation and/or expansion is that hockey/basketball arenas used to be the same thing.

Now basketball markets/ownership groups are starting to say "why do we have to build arenas to host hockey when those arenas are way too long for basketball?". And with basketball interest scorching while hockey interest starts to fall, that is the result.

[SuperMatt18]

The one thing I do wonder about Houston is if the league wants to save that market for a big expansion fee.

Relocation doesn't bring as lucrative of a fee...which is why Atlanta went to Winnipeg.

Houston would be the most logical choice for sure but I could see Portland, Kansas City, or Quebec City as options if they don't want to use Houston for relocation.

Also not clear to me if Merulo wants to sell or if he will relocate himself...not like he was some local Phoenix guy. He's a real estate investor with ties across the US. I think for Houston it's only really an option if he's selling to Fertitta.

[jayswin]

I'm not sure how many that is now? Barclays in New York, San Fran (Warriors), new Milwaukee arena. Don't get me wrong, it's not an epidemic or anything, but it does seem like the days of new arenas automatically being a hockey/basketball hybrid are over, and if there's no plans for hockey teams when the arenas are built?

[Jordan!]

Milwaukee
Kansas City
Houston
Austin
SLC

Are all on the table - QC is 100% not

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Jordan!

Milwaukee
Kansas City
Houston
Austin
SLC

Are all on the table - QC is 100% not

How do you know 100% not? Not that I don't think they're a long shot.

[SutterBrother]

If they really want to make money they should put another team in Toronto.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by jayswin

How do you know 100% not? Not that I don't think they're a long shot.

I know... people.

The league isn't going to entertain another Canadian small market.

[Jordan!]

I'm officially tapped the F out guys..

14 years of this.. I became a fan ironically because The Flames were *this* close to moving to Portland.

It's a big reason why I moved to AZ.. it's sad but I'm just out of gas and numb to it.

See you in the fall for some Flames hockey.

[butterfly]

Just imagine reading all this if you’re the one who wants to own a team in Houston.

“Yeah, we love the idea and all, but we think we can hit you up for more money later. Please be patient!”

[Dion]

It's clear to me that Bettman and the NHL do not want a team in QC.