Coyotes stadium plan rejected by voters

[Puck_Pun]

Linkaroonie

 

The Arizona Coyotes' plan to build a new arena in Tempe as part of a $2.1 billion entertainment district was rejected by voters on Tuesday, and the team said its future "will be evaluated by our owners and the National Hockey League" in the coming weeks.

 

"The NHL is terribly disappointed by the results of the public referenda regarding the Coyotes' arena project in Tempe," league commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "We are going to review with the Coyotes what the options might be going forward."

 

The Coyotes were seeking to build a 16,000-seat arena and an entertainment district on city-owned land at Rio Salado Parkway and Priest Drive, at the west end of Tempe Town Lake. It's a 46-acre tract of land located roughly two miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

 

The total project cost was estimated at $2.1 billion, with at least $1.9 billion privately funded, and would have included two hotels, a 3,500-person theater and up to 1,995 residential units. The project also was expected to include a gambling component. Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo owns the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, and the Sahara Las Vegas.

 

One of the team's rallying cries for the project was "Landfill to Landmark," as 1.5 million tons of trash would have been removed from the site at an estimated cost of $75 million.

 

The Coyotes needed voters to approve Propositions 301, 302 and 303 on a special election ballot. Those ballots were mailed to voters on April 19 and were returned through May 9. In-person voting was held through Tuesday for ballots that were lost, spoiled or not received.

 

Internally, the Coyotes had been optimistic about the vote entering Tuesday. When the initial returns had 56% of voters selecting "no" on the ballot for the three propositions, they acknowledged the voters had rejected the plan.

 

"We are very disappointed Tempe voters did not approve Propositions 301, 302, and 303," Coyotes president and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez said in a statement.

 

"While we wanted a different outcome, we remain grateful to all those who volunteered their time and talent. What is next for the franchise will be evaluated by our owners and the National Hockey League over the coming weeks."

 

The Tempe arena bid had some significant supporters. In November, the Tempe City Council unanimously approved the Coyotes' arena and entertainment district proposal. Four former Tempe mayors, as well as current Mayor Corey Woods, endorsed the bid. Bettman also threw the league's support behind it.

 

"It's a private-funded project, and the club's prepared to execute a 30-year, non-relocation agreement. All the things that say this club wants to be here, and frankly, the NHL wants the club to be here," he said.

 

Those who opposed the project cited everything from use of public funds to traffic congestion to the desire to develop the land in other ways. There were questions about Meruelo and the bitter split between the Coyotes and Glendale. The city of Phoenix also had pending litigation against the planned residential units in the district, claiming that violated the 1994 Intergovernmental Agreement on Noise Mitigation Flight Procedures.

 

The Tempe vote is another twist in the Coyotes' journey in Arizona, where the franchise relocated from Winnipeg in 1996.

 

There have been several ownership changes, including one infamous bankruptcy in 2009 that led to the NHL owning the team for some time. There were moments when relocation to Hamilton, Ontario; Winnipeg; and Seattle were close to happening.

 

The team originally played in Phoenix but called Glendale home from 2003 through last season, when the city council did not renew its arena lease. The Coyotes turned their attention to Tempe, which was much closer to where most of the team's fans lived.

 

While waiting on approval and construction of a permanent home in Tempe, the Coyotes relocated to Mullett Arena on the campus of Arizona State, sharing it with the Sun Devils' men's hockey program. The NHL team committed to play at Mullett Arena for three seasons with an option for a fourth.

 

Mullett Arena seats around 5,000 fans for hockey, by far the NHL's smallest capacity. The team invested $19.7 million in add-ons to make the space NHL-ready, including NHL-quality locker rooms and training facilities. The Coyotes had a better home record (21-15-5) than road record (7-25-9) this season.

 

The rejection of the Tempe arena plan leaves the franchise without any concrete options for a new NHL-sized facility in the state. There has been speculation about the Coyotes potentially relocating if the Tempe project failed, with Houston the most speculated-about potential destination.

 

The fourth-largest marketing area in the U.S., Houston has a hockey-ready arena in Toyota Center. The Coyotes already play in the Central Division, home to the Dallas Stars. But Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta controls the facility, meaning any NHL team that plays there would be a tenant rather than reaping the benefits of its own building.

 

Atlanta, Quebec City and Kansas City also have been mentioned as potential destinations for future NHL teams. Salt Lake City has created a lot of buzz, too, as Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has met with Bettman within the past year. Smith owns Vivint Arena, which can seat around 14,000 fans for hockey.

 

 

 

Hmm, things are going pear shape for Arizona. More so. Houston Astros a possible future?

[notfondajane]

I heard that the N.H.L. wants to expand to Atlanta and Quebec. I'm not keen on expansion. Atlanta would help in travel time to southern teams.

[flyercanuck]

Stick a fork in it....it's done Gary.

[Brewin Flames]

32 teams is quite enough, don't need anymore....

 

Arizona has been a failure from start to (almost) finished and now it's time for Gary to move them, but where.

[NHL HHOF]

So what will be done before October? Will Arizona keep playing in the current arena they play in until they're moved? Can they be moved to Atlanta before October? Will the league play with just 31 teams next season?

[NHL HHOF]

 

[NHL HHOF]

 

[NHL HHOF]

 

[Math]

They will still play in Mullett Arena next season, but then the future is unclear. Current Suns' owner raised his hand to bring them back in downtown Phoenix, which I think is the best solution and that's what the League would see as the best solution. I still believe that hockey could work there but they really need to start to put a decent product on the ice as is not run by ****** owners.

 

Otherwise, it's gonna be Houston, Kansas City or Salt Lake City. Any city that would be fittable in the Central divison. Forget about Atlanta or Québec.

[IllaZilla]

I can't wait to see what new strategy Gary pulls out of his ass to keep the Coyotes in Arizona...probably establishing an Arizona tax on the other teams to make up the revenue the team is missing from playing in a pee-wee arena...

[Math]

Gary Buttman won't say it's over till it's over.

[PuckfaceHockeyeXperiment]

There is a fundamental problem with NHL hockey in Arizona, although Phoenix is a large metropolitan area.  According to the 2020 census data, the Phoenix metro area is 10th in population in the US.  However, this area is full of transplants from other NHL cities and have their own favorite teams before they arrive in AZ.  Every home game is still an away game for the Coyotes as their fanbase is small. 

 

So why can't the Coyotes develop a local fanbase?  The answer is quite simple.  Ever since their arrival in 1996, they have refused to support the local hockey scene in any significant manner.  Their lack of community presence is clear to me as a parent of a 10 year old travel hockey player in the area.  They have provided almost nothing of value to the local hockey community to grow their fanbase for nearly 30 years, and now they are left wondering why they can't get community support.  

 

As we travel to 3-5 cities every year to participate in hockey tournaments, it is clear that other franchises are providing support and have a palpable presence in the hockey communities they are in.  The Stars, for example have 7 rinks named Starcenter in the DFW area.  Whether they own them or not, their name is attached to the rinks where the kids learn to play and love the game.  This kind of grass roots effort is lacking in our hockey community.  We had 3 sheets of ice out of the 12 total around the valley that were down for nearly a month each last summer (2022) as their systems failed.  

 

On the flip side, the Coyotes keep expecting community support, while they have provided little to no community engagement.  Is it a surprise that the Coyotes did not receive overwhelming support from the community?  Not at all.

 

 

[pilldoc]

1 hour ago, PuckfaceHockeyeXperiment said:

There is a fundamental problem with NHL hockey in Arizona, although Phoenix is a large metropolitan area.  According to the 2020 census data, the Phoenix metro area is 10th in population in the US.  However, this area is full of transplants from other NHL cities and have their own favorite teams before they arrive in AZ.  Every home game is still an away game for the Coyotes as their fanbase is small. 

 

So why can't the Coyotes develop a local fanbase?  The answer is quite simple.  Ever since their arrival in 1996, they have refused to support the local hockey scene in any significant manner.  Their lack of community presence is clear to me as a parent of a 10 year old travel hockey player in the area.  They have provided almost nothing of value to the local hockey community to grow their fanbase for nearly 30 years, and now they are left wondering why they can't get community support.  

 

As we travel to 3-5 cities every year to participate in hockey tournaments, it is clear that other franchises are providing support and have a palpable presence in the hockey communities they are in.  The Stars, for example have 7 rinks named Starcenter in the DFW area.  Whether they own them or not, their name is attached to the rinks where the kids learn to play and love the game.  This kind of grass roots effort is lacking in our hockey community.  We had 3 sheets of ice out of the 12 total around the valley that were down for nearly a month each last summer (2022) as their systems failed.  

 

On the flip side, the Coyotes keep expecting community support, while they have provided little to no community engagement.  Is it a surprise that the Coyotes did not receive overwhelming support from the community?  Not at all.

 

 

 

Fabulous post!

 

Welcome to HF.net!  

[JR Ewing]

3 hours ago, PuckfaceHockeyeXperiment said:

There is a fundamental problem with NHL hockey in Arizona, although Phoenix is a large metropolitan area.  According to the 2020 census data, the Phoenix metro area is 10th in population in the US.  However, this area is full of transplants from other NHL cities and have their own favorite teams before they arrive in AZ.  Every home game is still an away game for the Coyotes as their fanbase is small. 

 

Welcome to hfnet!

 

Towards the end of the year, I watched the Oilers/Coyotes game at Mullett Arena and was stunned to see that Edmonton jerseys out-numbered the jerseys of the home team. The fans in the area are, to my experience as loyal as any fans anywhere, but the points you made go some way towards explaining why the issue exists.

 

 

[Howie58]

I suspect Houston is the relocation city. They have a facility waiting for them.  There's an instant rivalry with Dallas. It's the fourth largest metro in the area.  They stay in the same conference.  Kansas City has a nice facility, but the hockey team means Houston has all four major sports plus the Aeros legacy, AHL and WHA. 

 

Some pundits claim that the move from ATL to WPG was done over the summer and may be a precedent here.  I don't see a move to any Eastern time zone/conference area like Quebec.  I believe the league will want to keep equally-sized conferences. 

 

Bettman may be arrogant and unapproachable, but he isn't stupid.  This appears to be a strikeout in the nontraditional market sphere.  An interesting take raised by some of the pundits was the reality it poses for player signings.  Agents and players won't tolerate the kind of uncertainty caused by the outcome and spillovers for the franchise.  It was one thing to say there'll be a few more years at Mullett, then a new arena and owners certainty.  This vote makes that unlikely.  The league may be forced to throw in the towel.

 

 

[Math]

Houston is not well seen in a Dallas' perspective. Even is the team is going well, its fanbase remains small and having a team in Houston might dilute it a bit. Also the Stars are marketing a lot the organization towards the "Texas Hockey" brand as mentioned on their website and their Twitter account name (#TexasHockey).

 

On a personal note, I don't really care of a potential rivalry with Houston. While geographical proximity is something importantr, true rivalries are built through repeated play-off meetings and not fake artificial ones set up by some owners or the League. I'm not in favor of a move in Houston honestly.

[radoran]

5 minutes ago, Math said:

Houston is not well seen in a Dallas' perspective. Even is the team is going well, its fanbase remains small and having a team in Houston might dilute it a bit. Also the Stars are marketing a lot the organization towards the "Texas Hockey" brand as mentioned on their website and their Twitter account name (#TexasHockey).

 

On a personal note, I don't really care of a potential rivalry with Houston. While geographical proximity is something importantr, true rivalries are built through repeated play-off meetings and not fake artificial ones set up by some owners or the League. I'm not in favor of a move in Houston honestly.

 

Florida has two teams.

 

Houston is 3.5 hours away from Dallas.

 

There are three basketball teams in that radius of Dallas.

 

There are four teams within that radius of Philadelphia.

 

East Coast too close?

 

Buffalo and Columbus are within 3.5 hours of Pittsburgh.

 

Dallas has a larger metro population than the three of them - combined.

 

I'm pretty sure your Western Conference Finalists can handle the competition.

 

[Brewin Flames]

4 hours ago, PuckfaceHockeyeXperiment said:

There is a fundamental problem with NHL hockey in Arizona, although Phoenix is a large metropolitan area.  According to the 2020 census data, the Phoenix metro area is 10th in population in the US.  However, this area is full of transplants from other NHL cities and have their own favorite teams before they arrive in AZ.  Every home game is still an away game for the Coyotes as their fanbase is small. 

 

So why can't the Coyotes develop a local fanbase?  The answer is quite simple.  Ever since their arrival in 1996, they have refused to support the local hockey scene in any significant manner.  Their lack of community presence is clear to me as a parent of a 10 year old travel hockey player in the area.  They have provided almost nothing of value to the local hockey community to grow their fanbase for nearly 30 years, and now they are left wondering why they can't get community support.  

 

As we travel to 3-5 cities every year to participate in hockey tournaments, it is clear that other franchises are providing support and have a palpable presence in the hockey communities they are in.  The Stars, for example have 7 rinks named Starcenter in the DFW area.  Whether they own them or not, their name is attached to the rinks where the kids learn to play and love the game.  This kind of grass roots effort is lacking in our hockey community.  We had 3 sheets of ice out of the 12 total around the valley that were down for nearly a month each last summer (2022) as their systems failed.  

 

On the flip side, the Coyotes keep expecting community support, while they have provided little to no community engagement.  Is it a surprise that the Coyotes did not receive overwhelming support from the community?  Not at all.

 

 

 

 

Great first post...welcome to the loony bin.

[Howie58]

34 minutes ago, Math said:

Houston is not well seen in a Dallas' perspective. Even is the team is going well, its fanbase remains small and having a team in Houston might dilute it a bit. Also the Stars are marketing a lot the organization towards the "Texas Hockey" brand as mentioned on their website and their Twitter account name (#TexasHockey).

 

On a personal note, I don't really care of a potential rivalry with Houston. While geographical proximity is something importantr, true rivalries are built through repeated play-off meetings and not fake artificial ones set up by some owners or the League. I'm not in favor of a move in Houston honestly.

Math:

 

I think Rad's response rings true.  I will acknowledge that the NHL will probably not allow a Hamilton franchise due to a) an understanding that Toronto doesn't like the idea, even if analytics suggest the Metro could handle two franchises (just as the NYC area has three); and b) Buffalo may be hurt, and that is a small market franchise with past financial difficulties.  I suspect Dallas could afford an instate competitor.  BTW, the Panthers gave themselves the "Florida" moniker for marketing purposes, but it's clear they are really a South Florida (Dade-Broward-Palm Beach) gig, just as Tampa Bay is Hillsborough-Pinellas and surrounding area.  

 

The Kansas City backup has strengths (good potential management and facility) but I wonder if Scouts redux is in the offing?

 

Here's food-for-thought:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10067947-the-6-cities-the-nhl-should-consider-for-an-expansion-team

 

I have no dog in this hunt.  Regarding Quebec City, recall that NHL salaries are paid in U.S. Dollars.  The currency translation hurts small market Canadian team a lot.  That was one of the reasons Quebec was counted out, along with conference equality, five years ago.  I could see Quebec added as part of a pairing to keep size equal, but not on a standalone basis with a lousy cap prospect.  

 

By the way, I am happy to see Dallas continue its excellent play.  The franchise is well-managed.  And it's a great example of how hockey has survived and thrived in a nontraditional market.  

 

[Math]

@Howie58 @radoran

 

All true and valid points there. About the Stars not wanting to have another texan team, it's more my interpretation, what my guts says and I might be wrong.

[radoran]

9 minutes ago, Math said:

All true and valid points there. About the Stars not wanting to have another texan team, it's more my interpretation, what my guts says and I might be wrong.

 

Oh, I'm sure that the Stars would prefer to be the only team in Texas. It's just not reasonable to assume it.

 

This isn't Hamilton 45 minutes from Tronno and an hour from Buffalo, Houston is 3.5 hours away.

[Math]

32 minutes ago, radoran said:

 

Oh, I'm sure that the Stars would prefer to be the only team in Texas. It's just not reasonable to assume it.

 

This isn't Hamilton 45 minutes from Tronno and an hour from Buffalo, Houston is 3.5 hours away.

 

They may be America's Team, but we'll be Texas' Team

 

[radoran]

2 minutes ago, Math said:

They may be America's Team

 

1995 called.

 

The Stars have a Championship and at least two Finals appearances (pending) since the Dallas Football Team last won much of anything.

 

The DFT are like the Maple Leafs of the NFL.

 

[Math]

12 minutes ago, radoran said:

 

1995 called.

 

The Stars have a Championship and at least two Finals appearances (pending) since the Dallas Football Team last won much of anything.

 

The DFT are like the Maple Leafs of the NFL.

 

 

Phillips's quote was from 1995? I didn't recall the exact time. So that was not long before the Oilers moved in Tennessee.

 

But fortunately I'm no Cowboys fan at all. My fandom is linked to the Raiders... 

[radoran]

1 minute ago, Math said:

Phillips's quote was from 1995?

 

No "America's Team" is from 1995

 

1 minute ago, Math said:

But fortunately I'm no Cowboys fan at all. My fandom is linked to the Raiders...