General Ongoing Coyotes saga thread

[troutman]

Glendale names arena bidders

But city could lose Phoenix Coyotes if non-hockey outfit is hired to run site


http://www.azcentral.com/community/g...nclick_check=1

The bidders include a couple of smaller, local events companies and two subsidiaries of other Valley sports teams, the Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Suns. Glendale released the names to The Arizona Republic on Wednesday after repeated requests for the public records.

First-term Councilman Gary Sherwood fears the council didn’t act soon enough.

He and the rest of the council will get a first look at the bids on Tuesday, when they review finalists’ proposals in a closed-door session.

Sherwood said he doesn’t think the council will have enough time to make a final decision by June 25 because of the volume of information and numbers to be vetted.

“I could easily see this going into July,” he said. “I’m a little embarrassed that we haven’t been better prepared.”

The council recesses on June 28, but members could convene in a special meeting.

The council’s non-hockey choices for arena management include the following:

Phoenix Arena Development Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of the Suns that manages US Airways Center.

SMG, in collaboration with the Arizona Cardinals’ Rojo Event Management and Select Artists Associates. SMG is a Philadelphia-based firm that has managed more than 230 venues, from sports stadiums to civic centers, around the world.

Rojo Event Management has thus far focused on bringing events to University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Cardinals play in Glendale. Select Artists Associates is an entertainment- booking firm with offices in Florida and Scottsdale.

The Phoenix Monarch Group is a locally based firm. It’s unclear whether it currently manages any venues. Company officials did not return a call for comment, and the firm’s website is under construction. One year ago, council members said Monarch had approached city officials about operating the arena for $7.5 million.

R Entertainment is a Scottsdale-based firm that manages one venue, the Pepsi Amphitheater in Coconino County, and has about 50 contracts with other venues around the country to book shows on site, according to Kerry Dunne, a partner with R Entertainment.

[troutman]

It was really rich hearing Bettman say he was worried about Glendale and Westgate, when the NHL did very little to bring other events to Jobbing, and when they have generally been putting the screws to COG all this time.

“I worry about the arena if the team isn’t there. I think it’s likely to get boarded up because they won’t have enough events to sustain it,” Bettman said Wednesday.

“I worry about what happens to Westgate and all the businesses and people who are employed there. I’m worried about the impact it may have on the football stadium, of having a situation on its front steps that may not be ideal anymore.”

http://www.azcentral.com/community/g...nclick_check=1

2008: #59 Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ - 200,377
2009: #58 Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ - 208,877
2010: #80 Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ - 150,661
2011: #177 Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ - 52,628
2012: #166 Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ - 68,550

Source:

pollstar.com/

2011 report: njsea.com/uploadedFiles/IZOD2011Pollstar.pdf
2012 report: http://www.pollstarpro.com/files/cha...renaVenues.pdf

[valo403]

Originally Posted by troutman

It was really rich hearing Bettman say he was worried about Glendale and Westgate, when the NHL did very little to bring other events to Jobbing, and when they have generally been putting the screws to COG all this time.

“I worry about the arena if the team isn’t there. I think it’s likely to get boarded up because they won’t have enough events to sustain it,” Bettman said Wednesday.

“I worry about what happens to Westgate and all the businesses and people who are employed there. I’m worried about the impact it may have on the football stadium, of having a situation on its front steps that may not be ideal anymore.”

http://www.azcentral.com/community/g...nclick_check=1

2008: #59 Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ - 200,377
2009: #58 Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ - 208,877
2010: #80 Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ - 150,661
2011: #177 Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ - 52,628
2012: #166 Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ - 68,550

Source:

pollstar.com/

2011 report: njsea.com/uploadedFiles/IZOD2011Pollstar.pdf
2012 report: http://www.pollstarpro.com/files/cha...renaVenues.pdf

Why would they? It's in their best interests to put Glendale in a difficult position. Let's not pretend this is anything but a business deal, and that Bettman's comments are anything but a shot across the bow.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by valo403

Why would they? It's in their best interests to put Glendale in a difficult position. Let's not pretend this is anything but a business deal, and that Bettman's comments are anything but a shot across the bow.

Interesting point. That's quite the conflict of interest, when they should have had a fiduciary duty. Could the NHL not be sued for negligence?

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by valo403

You know better than anyone that moving teams around in conferences wouldn't be required. As with Winnipeg, there's a high likelihood that there are two working schedules at this point.

Possibly, though with Winnipeg I saw the other schedule and this time when asking around they're saying that there is only the one schedule. They could just be keeping it tighter-lipped though, you're right.

It also seems like Quebec in the Pacific Division is a much bigger leap than Winnipeg in the Southeast. Teams have things scheduled now like Phoenix/LA back-to-back and road trips where they go Phoenix, Day off, San Jose, Anaheim

And no, Seattle isn't ready for others asking. They don't even have plans to start building a new arena and won't until an NBA team is acquired.

[Resolute 14]

My thought on a Quebec schedule is to put them in the Central, if need be, and shift Colorado to the Pacific. You can still to Denver-LA back to backs. Quebec is still screwed for a year, but meh. It would require a new schedule entirely though. That said, unless the Hurricanes' problems are resolved, it is unlikely the 2013-14 schedule is remotely close to finalized.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by troutman

Interesting point. That's quite the conflict of interest, when they should have had a fiduciary duty. Could the NHL not be sued for negligence?

I don't think it would be negligence, and I'm not sure what their position relative to the arena obligates them to do. If they have a duty to operate in the best interests of Glendale then they could be violating a fiduciary duty, although those cases seem to be very hard to make.

[seattleflamer]

This article is making its rounds on local Seattle media:

So now the focus is on the landing spot. And unfortunately for the good people of Quebec City, the tea leaves aren’t saying the Coyotes will land in La Belle Province. If the Coyotes move, speculation is they will relocate to Seattle for a variety of reasons.

Moving to Seattle would keep the Coyotes in the west and maintain the integrity of realignment. It would also give the NHL an opportunity to get a foothold in the new $490 million arena that is going to be built in Seattle before the National Basketball Association moves in. There was speculation the Sacramento Kings would move to Seattle, but that possibility was quashed when the team was recently sold and the league’s board of governors rejected a move.

Here’s how things could work. The Gosbee group will buy the team for an announced price of $170 million. That’s the easy part. Then comes the deal with the City of Glendale and whether or not it is willing to spend money it doesn’t have to keep the team there or risk leaving the Jobing.com Arena without a major tenant. Speculation is that if Gosbee’s group cannot come up with a suitable deal to keep the Coyotes in Glendale, Seattle then becomes a viable option. The team would play out of the antiquated Key Arena in Seattle until the new arena is built. It would not be the ideal situation, but it’s the best option at the moment.

According to a source, there are a couple of kinks in that plan. The first is, Key Arena has taken out its ice-making equipment and cemented over the chilling system in the floor. That would leave the Tacoma Dome, which is about 30 miles south of Seattle, as a possibility. The other is that Chris Hansen, the San Francisco-based hedge fund manager who is building the new arena, is not a hockey fan, but would be amenable to having the hockey team as a second tenant in the building after a basketball team.

This has bad juju all over it.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

^^ What a strange article. It admits that the Key Arena can't host hockey anymore and then in the same breath says don't be surprised to see a Seattle team playing there next year?

As for the Tacoma Dome, moving the NHL into a new market I have to think that it would really get it off on the wrong foot putting it 30 miles south of the city, on such short-term notice and in this arena:



How would a team like that build a season ticket base?

[Resolute 14]

You'd have the Greensboro Hurricanes mess all over again. That said, the move to Carolina has worked out in the long run.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

^^ What a strange article. It admits that the Key Arena can't host hockey anymore and then in the same breath says don't be surprised to see a Seattle team playing there next year?

As for the Tacoma Dome, moving the NHL into a new market I have to think that it would really get it off on the wrong foot putting it 30 miles south of the city, on such short-term notice and in this arena:



How would a team like that build a season ticket base?

and on top of all that, have no guarantee that a better arena is being built?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

and on top of all that, have no guarantee that a better arena is being built?

Or an owner.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

^^ What a strange article. It admits that the Key Arena can't host hockey anymore and then in the same breath says don't be surprised to see a Seattle team playing there next year?

As for the Tacoma Dome, moving the NHL into a new market I have to think that it would really get it off on the wrong foot putting it 30 miles south of the city, on such short-term notice and in this arena:



How would a team like that build a season ticket base?

Similar situation in Tampa initially, they played out of this:

[valo403]

Originally Posted by troutman

Or an owner.

That theory is premised on the Gosbee group owning and moving the team to Seattle, which seems quite speculative.

[seattleflamer]

^^^Hanson/NBA guy is willing to go second position on arena deal if a THE NHL team compensates him for what he has put in thus far ie. ~100million.

Just reeks of desperation if they move to Seattle like this.

[getbak]

It's hard to keep track of all the players in this, but wasn't one of the members of the Gosbee Group someone with ties to Houston? The Aeros are leaving the Toyota Center because the rent is too damn high, but could it be a possible destination for the Coyotes?

[dash_pinched]

It makes you wonder if Kansas City re-enters the mix with the spanky new Sprint Center just waiting for an anchor tenant.

[You Need a Thneed]

I said it a while back, but I think it is somewhat telling when, for a long time, it looked like the risk of the team moving was moderate, that Bettman and co kept saying that nothing was wrong.

Now that their stance seems to have shifted from "nothing is wrong" to "I hope the team can stay in Phoenix", it really seems that a relocation is imminent.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by dash_pinched

It makes you wonder if Kansas City re-enters the mix with the spanky new Sprint Center just waiting for an anchor tenant.

But no owner.

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

But no owner.

Details, details