The Phoenix Coyotes have finally been sold, and the NHL is finally rid one of their worst owners. Jerry Moyes finally agreed to sell the Coyotes to the league, since their 150 million dollar bid for the team was being used to operate it in the current season.
This week a federal bankruptcy Judge approved the sale of the Coyotes from Moyes to the NHL for 140 million dollars. Now the League will look to sell the team to a local owner first, and failing that the Coyotes will be relocated.
It does not seem likely that the Coyotes will remain in Phoenix. The lease on jobbing.com arena is not a good one, there seems to be little support for the team with the population of Phoenix, and more importantly hockey has no place in the desert.
This is a team that belongs back in Canada, and the NHL has to start to realize that the expansion into the American South was a poor decision. Many of these teams are struggling to make money, many of the southern teams have ownership issues, and the NHL has done a poor job growing American hockey fans.
It is not for lack of trying, after expanding into the south and relocating Canadian based teams in the South West, the NHL sponsored a NASCAR entry in the Camping World Truck series for two years. This was a direct attempt to connect with Southern sports fans, but it didn’t seem to work.
Comments
The reason that the teams north of the border draw attendance without stellar play is, because they embrace it from their youth. With the Coyotes being in Phoenix only 13 years and terrible of the last nine they have not grown their initial fan base. Take Edmonton for example how many of their fans are still holding on to the memories of their five championships in the 80's and 1990. This point proves valid in the desert. The Phoenix Suns will continue to sell merchandise and tickets despite missing the playoffs last year, because they have a fan base that stretches 41 years.
The bottom line is wins equal profits. Coyotes win they survive in the desert.
The NHL might not be able to relocate the team. The lease states that there is a huge penalty if the Coyotes do not play in the arena. I don't think that this bankruptcy broke that lease, so the penalty still stands.
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