Craig Morgan of Fox Sports on the future of the Arizona Coyotes in Glendale:
On Friday, Glendale City Council voted to approve a new two-year lease and management deal with the Coyotes, keeping the team in Glendale for now. Morgan notes that the short-term agreement removes uncertainty about where the Coyotes will play in the short-run.
Coyotes president, CEO, and co-owner Anthony LeBlanc said:
I saw in the war room on the opening of free agency on July 1 and was concerned. We did hear from a number of agents that said ‘no, we don’t even want to have a discussion (about signing in Arizona)…The real crystallizing moment for us…was the day that we signed (restricted free agent) Mikkel Boedker and he would only go as far as a one-year deal. We got together as an ownership group and said, ‘this is not the way we can run a hockey team.'”
Morgan writes that the Coyotes remain publicly committed to staying in Glendale and that the terrific Gila River Arena is still the only building in the Valley that can host NHL hockey. But the team will almost certainly pursue other options during the two-year lease extension.
There are other options for the Coyotes long-term. Morgan writes that Coyotes management is interested in building a new arena elsewhere in the Valley. Also, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton wants to bring the Coyotes downtown to share an area with the NBA Suns. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community has interest in building an arena that would bring the team closer to its fan base. LeBlanc said all Valley options would be explored and fully exhausted before a possible relocation is considered:
“It seriously is not on the table now or in the near future.”
Morgan speculates that, if relocation is considered, recent expansion applicants in Las Vegas and Quebec are not the most likely options. Instead, Portland and Kansas City are more likely landing spots for the Coyotes because they have existing arenas. Seattle might also be a relocation fit as Seattle investors would be interested in the lower fees associated with relocation. Seattle still does not have an NHL-ready arena.