Xavier Gutierrez's most recent update regarding the Coyotes search for a new arena is a great sign for the team's hopes of staying in Arizona.
On Monday night PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reported that when the Arizona Coyotes next announcement comes regarding their arena search, it will be to announce the actual site of the new arena.
The Coyotes organization is looking to make this announcement by the end of the calendar year but Morgan noted that it could stray into the first quarter.
While it doesn't seem the Coyotes have finalized a deal just yet, this new update is an extremely positive sign for the team’s hopes of staying in Arizona.
Coyotes president Xavier Gutierrez would not give this sort of information if he wasn’t confident a new arena deal is near.
After months of speculation, it’s big that Gutierrez came out and specifically said this. It has to carry a lot of weight since the organization has been relatively quiet as of late on the topic of their search for a permanent home in the Valley.
The Coyotes are not only giving a timetable on an announcement but are willing to publicly state they will soon reveal the exact location for a new arena.
This is a major development that must be taken seriously by all hockey fans. There has been a lot of talk about the relocation of the Coyotes without any concrete facts to back it up and while this update won’t put an end to all these rumors, it shows the team and the NHL’s commitment to remaining in Arizona.
Until the Coyotes due date for an arena announcement passes, we have to take Gutierrez by his word especially with no concrete evidence saying otherwise.
The road for the Coyotes search for a new arena is far from over but Gutierrez’s encouraging update is a big step in the right direction.