The team will remain in Glendale for the rest of the season.
“The Coyotes aren’t going anywhere,” said the Commissioner of the National Hockey League Gary Bettman. The NHL’s Arizona franchise has been in the news recently and not for on ice product reasons. There was the unsourced story from Forbes Sports Money that the team was for sale and that perhaps it could end up being sold to Houston investors who would move the team to Texas. Arizona ownership and Bettman knocked down that story. Then there was the matter of delinquent taxes with the operators of the Glendale, Arizona arena that houses the NHL team threatening to lock out the team from using the building until the tax bill was settled. Glendale is not going to be the long-term home of the team, in fact the Coyotes business moved to Glendale in 2003 as part of a real estate deal that was never all that fruitful. Arizona ownership wants to set up shop in Tempe eventually.
Earlier this year, elected officials in Tempe put out a request for proposal to develop a parcel within the city with the NHL team in mind. Arizona ownership was the only group to submit a proposal. Tempe officials want a sports stadium or an arena and a practice facility on the property. They want a team owner to create a stadium or an arena village that would include 1,000 residential units, 200,000 square feet of retail space, and a large plaza with amenities. Name recognition for Tempe and an opportunity for Tempe public service announcements. The RFP seemed to be written for the hockey franchise. Additionally, it is possible that the Arionna hockey team ownership could get a sports betting license at the Tempe building if the arena-village concept gets a green light from Tempe officials. But it will take some time before Tempe officials make a decision.
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