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No, this isn’t a dark horse prediction at who will represent the Western Conference come June. But if you remember only a little over a decade ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins were forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the second such filing in franchise history. Financial issues would continue to haunt the Penguins from 1998-2005 as the strain stirred rumors about the team’s possible exit from the city. To make matters worse, in 2007 they were in desperate need of cash to extend the lease on their barn, Mellon Arena.
Long story short: the Pens are still in the steel city and they are now the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
Granted, their stories aren’t identical, but the one thing that the Coyotes can rely on––the same thing that helped the Penguins through their tough times––are the fans.
Although their home opener was spoiled by a superb thirty-six save performance from Columbus Bluejacket goaltender Mathieu Garon, the Coyotes could still have something to smile about before hitting the showers: playing in front of 17,125 screaming fans. As part of a “white-out” the Phoenix faithful packed a sold-out Jobing.com Arena to help support their beloved Desert Dogs, who were unfortunately blanked 2-0.
“It’s too bad we couldn’t find something to make them erupt like they wanted to,” Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said. “I think the players sensed that. We were looking for something to energize them and we didn’t get it done.”
It may have been a disappointing loss, but for a team went through about as much off-season drama as a professional sports team could go through, at least they could walk away with a moral victory. President and Chief Operating Officer Douglas Moss knows firsthand about all of the team’s struggles.
“I think the organization is really taking a beating,” Moss said. “The fans, the players, the marketplace has taken a beating. Everybody, not just the players, have a chip on their shoulders, especially the fans. What’s gone on here in terms of attendance is more indicative of how the team has underperformed on the ice the last couple years, and that’s common to what happens to any marketplace in any sport when the team doesn’t win. Selling the WhiteOut, regardless of price point, everybody wants to be here.”
Remember, these are the same Coyotes that only drew roughly 1,000 people to one of its preseason games! Maybe it was the slashed ticket prices, maybe it was the ephemeral excitement of a home opener. Regardless, the team, the organization, and the entire city of Phoenix made a statement to the rest of the NHL: hockey still has a place in Phoenix. Hopefully, the team can ignore the off-ice distractions and concentrate on winning hockey games.
Some Other Articles That You May Enjoy:
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Coyotes Snap Losing Streak: Look To Get on a Roll Against Canucks
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