The new year is upon us and the Arizona Coyotes should have one new year's resolution on their mind. That would be to finally find a site and start the construction of a new arena in Arizona. Really since the Coyotes arrived to the Valley in 1996, the Coyotes have had arena struggles as they have moved from Phoenix to Glendale and now currently have a temporary plan playing at Mullett Arena in Tempe which only holds about 5,000 fans. 231229 Tourigny Post The Coyotes planned to build a sports and entertainment district in Tempe, but failed to secure enough votes in a special election last May causing them to shift gears. Despite all of this, the tides are beginning to turn and it seems like 2024 may finally be the year where the organization puts a plan in place to find a permanent home for the team. A report from PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan [https://twitter.com/CraigSMorgan/status/1729682018684789242] came out late in November stating that the team’s next announcement regarding this situation will be to announce the actual site of the arena and they are aiming to make that public around the new year which could stray into the first quarter. It was also reported that the Coyotes are also reportedly ‘zeroing in’ [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/arizona-coyotes/news/coyotes-reportedly-zeroing-in-on-new-arena-in-phoenix#:%7e:text=The%20Arizona%20Coyotes%20are%20getting,northeast%20Phoenix%2C%20adjacent%20to%20Scottsdale.] on a parcel of land in northeast Phoenix, adjacent to Scottsdale. While the Coyotes recent play on the ice is extremely positive, none of it will matter for fans if they are unable to close out a deal to stay in Arizona. Finding an arena has to be the organizations’ number one priority going forward. These next few months will be critical in determining the fate of the Coyotes future in the Valley. Team president Xavier Gutierrez has been optimistic that they will indeed be able to find a new arena and has been clear that he and owner Alex Meruelo are fully committed to staying in Arizona. Time will only tell what the future holds, but 2024 will be a big year for the Coyotes.
