If the Coyotes are to stay in Arizona, where will they play?
What is going on regarding the future of the Arizona Coyotes?
It seemed that the future was bright for hockey in Arizona as the Coyotes organization planned on building a brand new Sports and Entertainment District in the city of Tempe which would hold a 16,000 seat arena.
The only thing stopping the Coyotes was a Tempe city wide vote on Propositions 301, 302 and 303 allowing the construction of the Sports and Entertainment District. However, on May 16, the people of Tempe made their voices heard rejecting all three propositions by a wide margin, foiling the Coyotes grand plan.
Following the rejection of the three propositions Coyotes’ president Xavier Gutierrez was clearly in a state of shock while remaining non-committal on where the team would play.
“We are very disappointed Tempe voters did not approve Propositions 301, 302, and 303. As Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said, it was the best sports deal in Arizona history," Gutierrez said. "What is next for the franchise will be evaluated by our owners and the National Hockey League over the coming weeks.”
Just one day later, Gutierrez changed his tone announcing that the Coyotes plan on playing at Mullet Arena for the 2023-24 season and recommitted to keeping professional hockey in Arizona.
“While we are very disappointed Tempe voters did not approve the proposed Entertainment District, we want to thank all our loyal fans who supported the Coyotes over the years. Your loyalty is what makes our Pack strong,” Gutierrez wrote in a letter to the fans.
“During the 2023-24 season, the Arizona Coyotes will play at Mullett Arena. In addition, we remain committed to Arizona and have already started re-engaging with local officials and sites to solidify a new permanent home in the Valley. We look forward to sharing more with you in the coming weeks.”
According to Arizona’s Family, the NHL reached out to the city of Mesa to inquire about the former site of Fiesta Mall for a potential new home for the Coyotes.
The city of Mesa released a statement expressing interest in redeveloping the Fiesta Mall site but failed to mention the Coyotes and a new arena.
“For years Mesa has supported the redevelopment of the Fiesta District. Aside from being a key site for the District, Fiesta Mall is one of the most attractive pieces of urban real estate in the valley today. It is massive, adjacent to three major highways, and only 20 minutes from two major airports,” the statement read via Arizona’s Family.
“We look forward to working with the property owner on proposals to bring diverse uses to the Fiesta Mall site and long-term sustainable and vibrant economic activity to the Fiesta District.”
Another option being floated around is for the Coyotes to move into the Footprint Center in Phoenix where the Phoenix Suns currently reside. The Suns have a new owner in Mat Ishbia so it could make sense for the Coyotes to pitch the idea of sharing the Footprint Center.
“I would be surprised if Gary Bettman and the NHL, if they haven't already, meet with him to gauge his interest in supporting the idea of turning the Suns' current rink into a facility that could also support the Coyotes,” Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman told Jeff Marek on the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast.
“That would take some work, it might take two summers, it'll take a couple hundred million dollars. ... But I don't think the NHL wants to abandon the Arizona market unless it absolutely has to.”
It will certainly be interesting to see what the future holds for the Coyotes beyond the 2023-24 campaign.