Twenty-eight years ago, when the Arizona Coyotes were established in the Grand Canyon state, it was the dawn of a new era. The Kachina was born, and all-time greats such as Shane Doan, Jeremy Roenick, and Teppo Numminen rose up and created hockey as we know it in Arizona. While sustaining success and building a long-term contender has been one thing, the team has had its issues finding a permanent home.
Not too long ago, PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan wrote, “Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez told PHNX Sports on Tuesday that the team expects to announce its chosen arena site by the end of the calendar year, or shortly thereafter.”
Related: Coyotes Arena Update Answers Multitude of Questions
Now that we are nearly a month into 2024 and closing in on the All-Star Break, the fans want updates, which have been scarce. Rarely, if ever, owner Alex Meruelo speaks to the public or media, leaving more questions than answers. While president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez does most of the talking, it’s been a while since fans have heard from him. It’s mostly outside noise spreading false and inaccurate reports.
So, let’s look at the timeline of the Coyotes’ recent arena woes and how the lack of transparency gives fans less hope of finding a permanent home in the Valley.
Tempe Vote Stirred the Pot
When the Tempe Entertainment District (TED) was first proposed, it sounded like a great idea – to bring hockey fans together in the Valley and unite Coyotes fans. It also would’ve solved a two-plus decade issue of constant rumors floating around the team. Then came utter shock and disbelief; the vote was rejected with resounding numbers, and the Coyotes’ future loomed large.
“We are very disappointed Tempe voters did not approve Propositions 301, 302 and 303,” Coyotes president and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez said. “As Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said, it was the best sports deal in Arizona history. What is next for the franchise will be evaluated by our owners and the National Hockey League over the coming weeks.”
Most of the fanbase seemingly lost touch with the current ownership group as questions arose about how good their marketing campaign was. Once someone tells someone something, even if it’s false, it’s hard to change their mind, and in this case, it seems like just that happened. The TED didn’t work, and from that point on, the Coyotes fanbase has been given little to nothing in terms of communication.
Of course, they aren’t supposed to give the fans every single detail, but announcements now and then would boost the fans’ morale instead of hiding under a rock.
Brief 2023 NHL Draft Update, Followed By Scarce Details
The 2023 NHL Draft was just over a month after the deflating loss in Tempe, and the team needed a plan B. They also needed to make some formal announcements, as going quiet in the situation they were in now wouldn’t be a wise business decision.
“What we have right now is about a dozen or so sites and folks that we’re talking to,” president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Wednesday. “I would say half a dozen of them are leading the chase. Not really focusing on one but having multiple options.
“We’re still very much focused on a privately funded sports and entertainment district. We’re still committed to finding a location in the Valley, specifically in the East Valley … We believe we are going to put multiple sites into play and shortly after the first of the year, we’ll have more to say publicly about what the plan looks like and what the location looks like.”
This was the current information as of June 2023. It was a step in the right direction, for sure. However, they still had to climb out of the hole they dug themselves. If a few things are fixed in their TED campaign, we’re not discussing this, but rather how the new rink is being built. Nonetheless, it was good to hear from Gutierrez, but since then, it’s been a little too quiet regarding updates and information.
There’s no reason to panic, but the clock is ticking, and making more announcements, even if they’re small, is better than staying in the shadows.
Fans Merit Updates Amid Uncertain Times
Fans are what drive teams. Without fans in the arena, there’s no excitement and energy for the players to feed off of. That can be said for Mullett Arena, as even though it has a capacity of only 4,600, it’s been one of the best home-ice advantages in the league. However, that’s not the aspect we’re talking about; the fans do their part; should the team step up and do theirs?
Of course, this isn’t a dig at the players and what they’ve done on the ice, as they’ve overperformed by miles. It’s more a jab at the current ownership and how infrequent they’ve been at giving the fans updates. Meruelo never talks to the media or does interviews. While he probably doesn’t mean any harm, it certainly gives a rough look to an organization that’s already been riddled with rumors.
The same can be partly said for Gutierrez, as he speaks to the media, it’s not very often, again, not giving the best look. It also would probably help Coyotes fans if he spoke more often, reassuring them that this ownership group can solve the seemingly endless arena issues.
Arena Site Decision Anticipated Soon
Regardless of outside noise, this appears to be Meruelo’s last kick at the can to find a permanent home in Arizona. It’s been far too long, and solving this issue would allow the Coyotes to build a state-of-the-art venue and focus on hockey, not arena woes. A decision is anticipated to be in the near future, whether that be in two weeks or two months, nobody knows, but we know we’ll get something relatively soon.
Meurelo has a chance to solve what no other owner of the Coyotes has: finding a permanent home. Will he get it done, however, is the looming question.
