Yesterday, voters in Tempe, Arizona went to the polls and voted on three propositions that would have allowed the Arizona Coyotes to move forward with their plan to build a new arena and entertainment district on a former landfill site. In a huge blow to the future of the team, those voters said no:
Voters decline to move Tempe Entertainment District forward. https://t.co/4z8xnPB1aP #tempe pic.twitter.com/jTHwKug7wC
— City of Tempe, AZ (@Tempegov) May 17, 2023
Following the 8:00 PM local time release of the ballot count, the Coyotes spoke with the press, conceding that the $2.1 billion project was scuttled.
President Xavier Gutierrez didn’t answer questions after his brief statement in which he stated “What is next for the franchise will be evaluated by our owners and the National Hockey League over the coming weeks.”
They also released a statement on their website:
“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. The Coyotes wish to thank everyone who supported our efforts and voted yes."
Full statement here:…
— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) May 17, 2023
Could they develop another plan to build a new stadium in Tempe or elsewhere in the state? Possibly. Relocation could also be in the works if the current owners, led by Alex Meruelo, decide that it’s time to sell despite buying the franchise just four years ago. Houston, Kansas City and Salt Lake City have been mentioned as possible locations for relocation or expansion.
This outcome throws a tremendous amount of doubt on the future of the organization, an organization that commissioner Gary Bettman has fought tooth and nail to keep in Arizona pretty much since the day they relocated their from Winnipeg. His office released a statement as well following news of the vote:
Statement from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman regarding the results of the arena vote in Tempe, Arizona. pic.twitter.com/MVL3AUWP7R
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 17, 2023
The initial ballot count was based mostly on early voting, but there likely weren’t enough same day ballots to overcome the margins. A final tally should be released sometime this afternoon. Between this and the pending sale of the Ottawa Senators it’s going to be an interesting summer for owners in the NHL.
Lightning / NHL News
Jon Cooper to join TNT crew as analyst during Eastern Conference Finals [Tampa Bay Times]
Coach Cooper will join the studio crew on Saturday for Game 2 between Carolina and Florida. It’ll be interesting to see how he does on TV.
Analyzing the playoff performance of 15 pending free agents [The Athletic]
Alex Killorn did not make the list. Patrick Kane and J.T. Compher saw their stocks go down while Vlad Tarasenko and Max Domi (among others) may have helped their financial situations with a strong postseason.
Ottawa Senators down to four potential bidders [Daily Faceoff]
It appears that the finalists are Steve Apostolopoulos, Michael Andlauer, Jeffrey and Michael Kimel, and Neko Sparks (aka the Snoop Dogg group). Speaking of Snoop…
Snoop Dogg with a shout out message on Instagram to the First Nation’s group that joined the Neko Sparks bid, confirming last night’s report, really cool stuff!
“We’re trying to do something, We’re trying to make a difference…Ottawa Senators, what ya’ll gonna do? We’re here.”👀 pic.twitter.com/W854tvCrcN
— SENS TALK (@senstalk_) May 15, 2023
The final scores from yesterdays IIHF Men’s World Championships:
Denmark 6-2 over Austia
Norway 1-0 over Slovenia
Hungary 3-2 (OT) France
Switzerland 5-0 Kazakhstan
