LEARNING CURVE IN TEMPE

TORONTO, ON — Nobody will tell you with a straight face that having the Arizona Coyotes play NHL regular-season games in front of 4,600 people 41 times is good for the League. But let’s be real about the situation for a second. If plans to construct a brand new arena and entertainment district in Tempe actually come to fruition, keeping a franchise in a top-10 U.S. market is good for the game.

We can bitch and complain all we want – and I’ve been behind a move to Houston for many years – the NHL has dug its heels into the Coyotes and this realistic move towards a permanent home in the right part of town could be worth the loooooooong wait.

And yes, before you roll your eyes, playing in Glendale was not optimal. Speaking with locals over the weekend about going to past Coyotes games – those who live in Tempe, Scottsdale and Phoenix – they were not enthused about the drive, in traffic, mid-week to catch a game. Frankly, I didn’t like it either when I came to town to cover the team – it’s a pain, similar to the location of the Canadian Tire Centre for Ottawa Senators fans. But now with games within a ‘football’s throw over those mountains’ distance of their homes, it’s a different story.

After taking in Friday’s home opener at Mullett Arena on the ASU grounds, I was left with several impressions. The arena, for what it is, is top notch. The atmosphere was fun, the student section was loud, the beer was reasonably priced, hot dogs cost $6, and the players didn’t really notice how small a barn it was once the puck dropped – at least, that’s what they told us.

It is a means to an end. One way or another, like it or not. This isn’t ideal, but it is what it is. And for what it is, it’s kind of cool.

Now, if you want to disagree for the sake of disagreeing because you feel bothered by the fact the NHL plays here versus Quebec City, for example, you’re probably not making the trip out there, anyway. So, in all honesty, what do you care?

For those in the market, for the fans who have an incentive to go to a game in Tempe versus Glendale, for the college students who are intrigued by something new, this is their team’s home for the next three-to-five years.

I sat at the top of the main bowl in the designated media area situated in the concourse and my view was fantastic. Fans from other parts of the U.S. and Canada, especially Manitoba to check out their Winnipeg Jets that night, were genuinely entertained. You might as well embrace it, because if the city council votes to move ahead with the entertainment district and a local referendum votes in favour of it, the Coyotes aren’t leaving.

Yes, eventually, the gimmick of playing on ASU campus will wear off if the team doesn’t play competitive hockey – they don’t even need to necessarily win every night (that’ll help) – but if they keep the crowd into it each night and the club finds fun ways to keep the vibe alive, it’ll be a success for what it is.

Assuming everything moves forward, that referendum vote will occur in 2023. There are also various litigation matters that would need to run their course, as Craig Morgan has reported. Once it’s all green lit, I was told cleaning up the area in which the entertainment district will be built, currently a city dump, will take as much as one year. After that, it’s roughly two years until the arena is completed – not necessarily the entire entertainment district. Let’s be honest, again. If clean-up and construction start in the second half of 2023 – and that might still be optimistic – you’re looking at the 2026-27 NHL season for Year 1 in the new barn. That means Mullett Arena will likely house the Coyotes for four seasons. At least.

So, strap in, because this will take some time if everything goes as planned.

But if you want to complain, perhaps you should visit before you make a final judgment. Tempe is a 10-minute drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Most of the hotels in the area, near Mill St. (which is loaded with bars, if you’re curious), are about five minutes from Mullett Arena. And Scottsdale and all it has to offer is roughly six-to-seven miles away. Location. Location. Location.

Oh, and Tempe was recently ranked No. 2 on Money’s ‘Best Places to Live in the U.S.’ list.

I’ll head back for another game in the second half of the season. Will anything really change, game wise? Probably not, though Jakob Chychrun should be on another club by then (some boos ran down during Friday’s player intros).

These are the Coyotes, for at least the next three years. Mullets and all. Deal with it.

Eyes on Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks have been generating a lot of attention these days, and not just because of their 4-3-2 start to the season. No, not because of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, either.

The Blackhawks have nine players on their roster on expiring contracts not named Kane or Toews, and six of them can become unrestricted free agents next July. Yes, it’s very early in the season, but teams have been flocking to Hawks games lately with scouts and various team reps keeping tabs on who’s performing, or not performing, for this club.

For instance, scouts from the New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes took in all three of Chicago’s home games last week, with about 10 other teams checking in two of those three. As intriguing as it may appear, it could very well be nothing. But that many teams scouting one club often raises a few eyebrows.

As I suggested, it’s too early in the 2022-23 campaign to start tossing out the ‘everyone must go’ sign, but teams are surely doing their due diligence for potential options later in the season.

If guys like Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou keep trending upwards, there will be plenty of interest from other teams as the season progresses. Both signed one-year deals with the Blackhawks with the intention of generating more ice time and showing off their skillsets, and they’re taking advantage of just that – which could see them jump on a contender’s roster closer to the trade deadline in March and give the Blackhawks some added assets to complement their rebuild.

Big money, no whammies!

Sportico came out with its NHL franchise valuations on Monday and for the first time, the average NHL franchise is worth $1.01 billion.

With the sale of the Nashville Predators to former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, at a value of approximately $775 million, who will take control of the club by 2025 through a series of payments.

Teams generate ownership interest regularly. Most of the time, it’s just poking around, but every so often, legit interest tickles a current owner’s fancy and the exploration process begins. There are four NHL clubs in the past few seasons (beyond the Preds), that I am aware of, that have received enough interest to go through the motions of entertaining the possibility.

The next club expected to go through an ownership change is the Ottawa Senators. And Sportico reported that Monday, as well.

I’m told the Senators have, in fact, hired a bank to help lead the process.

After the passing of Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, who left the club to his two daughters, in March, this was anticipated. And a new owner/ownership group should assist in securing the organization a new downtown-ish arena.