Confirmed with Link: Coyotes Name Cohen Team President and CEO

[Jakey53]

You wouldn't have paid me to be a Devil's fan years ago and attend games. However I always attend an Oiler's game when I'm in a City where they are playing. Hockey played fast and open is way more fun for fans than boring defensive hockey, I suspect our attendance will show that going forward. Say you are an Oiler's fan and you attend an Oiler's game in AZ. Now you attend that stiffling game, how likely are you to attend another Coyote's game other than the Oilers?

Tell that to the Oilers fans. Sure it's fun watching the Oilers "lose". The Oiler fans would be more than happy to trade all the past "run and gun" for winning seasons.For me, watching a 2-1 game which you win with spectacular goal tending, and great defensive is more fun than losing 5-4.

 

[Jamieh]

Tell that to the Oilers fans. Sure it's fun watching the Oilers "lose". The Oiler fans would be more than happy to trade all the past "run and gun" for winning seasons.For me, watching a 2-1 game which you win with spectacular goal tending, and great defensive is more fun than losing 5-4.

Which team played to full buildings?

 

[johnchayka89]

Having a generational talented player plus wins is even better.

Fans need to have hope. We are stepping in the right direction, but there is more work to do.

 

[RemoAZ]

I don't give a damn how the game is played, I want wins. If we beat the Oilers 2-1 by shutting down McDavid is more exciting than losing a high scoring contest. It is fun to watch a high scoring game, but if you always lose, that gets old also. RemoAZ said it best, "win some damn games". I guess winning and entertainment kind of go hand in hand.

I definitely think a more entertaining style helps bring in the casual fans. Winning will always trump anything else but a boring style that keeps the team in the defensive zone most of the game doesn't help. My 5 seasons of being a STH was at the FO circle in the end we shoot twice. Our style at that time with all the scrap heap vets we had was painful to watch. What we need more than anything though is a consistently competitive team. Backing into the playoffs only to get blown out in the first round won't do it. They need to earn some fan loyalty and the only way to do that is to compete, win and contend at least for a few years for the casual fans to notice.

 

[Jakey53]

Which team played to full buildings?

That's comparing apples with oranges. All you have in the winter time in Edmonton is hockey and shoveling snow. You of all people should know this.

 

[Jakey53]

I definitely think a more entertaining style helps bring in the casual fans. Winning will always trump anything else but a boring style that keeps the team in the defensive zone most of the game doesn't help. My 5 seasons of being a STH was at the FO circle in the end we shoot twice. Our style at that time with all the scrap heap vets we had was painful to watch. What we need more than anything though is a consistently competitive team. Backing into the playoffs only to get blown out in the first round won't do it. They need to earn some fan loyalty and the only way to do that is to compete, win and contend at least for a few years for the casual fans to notice.

If we were in the playoffs the last five or so years I don't think you would care how the hell we got there. Of course we all want our team to do everything, have everything, win everything, but that is a fantasy.

 

[Jamieh]

That's comparing apples with oranges. All you have in the winter time in Edmonton is hockey and shoveling snow. You of all people should know this.

Not really Jakey, you think Ottawa has more? What do you really have anywhere in winter at night?? The same options available in winter at night in Edmonton as almost all of North America.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

Which team played to full buildings?

It's Edmonton. The only other competition for the sports dollar are Canadian football and llama rodeos.

 

[Jamieh]

It's Edmonton. The only other competition for the sports dollar are Canadian football and llama rodeos.

1 sport trying to get 1,000,000 people's entertainment dollars vs 4 sports trying to get 5,000,000 people's entertainment dollars. Not to mention a ticket costs 4 times as much in Edmonton.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

1 sport trying to get 1,000,000 people's entertainment dollars vs 4 sports trying to get 5,000,000 people's entertainment dollars. Not to mention a ticket costs 4 times as much in Edmonton.

4 sports?
NFL
MLB
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
NCAA Football
NCAA Basketball
Arena Football
MLS Soccer

And let's not forget, to many in this country, hockey is that Canadian sport. This is football country. In Canada, hockey is the premier sport. (may be changing for the youth.)

 

[Jamieh]

4 sports?
NFL
MLB
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
NCAA Football
NCAA Basketball
Arena Football
MLS Soccer

And let's not forget, to many in this country, hockey is that Canadian sport. This is football country. In Canada, hockey is the premier sport. (may be changing for the youth.)

That list is quite a stretch. You not going to include college sports in Canada or car racing, or junior hockey, or professional soccer, and so in. Hockey is the premier attendance sport in Canada but has not been the premier playing sport for a long time.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

That list is quite a stretch. You not going to include college sports in Canada or car racing, or junior hockey, or professional soccer, and so in. Hockey is the premier attendance sport in Canada but has not been the premier playing sport for a long time.

I'll take your word for it, having visited frequently but not lived as an ex-pat. As the premier attendance sport you can see that attendance differences are due to factors other than style of play or record. There is also a cultural difference that goes past hockey. I may be wrong, but Canadians seem far more prone to support the local team even if it has a long record of futility and poor management. Chicago Cubs fans aside, Americans are far more likely to display their disdain of poorly run organizations.

 

[Jamieh]

I'll take your word for it, having visited frequently but not lived as an ex-pat. As the premier attendance sport you can see that attendance differences are due to factors other than style of play or record. There is also a cultural difference that goes past hockey. I may be wrong, but Canadians seem far more prone to support the local team even if it has a long record of futility and poor management. Chicago Cubs fans aside, Americans are far more likely to display their disdain of poorly run organizations.

I agree with almost everything you write, I just happen to take exception with Jakey's thought of basically what else can you do in winter. He should know better, Canadians don't just lock themselves inside from Nov to Apr. It bothers me as much when I hear a Canadian talk about the Coyotes as it does an American generalize about Canada. I can't help myself from correcting both. I still believe however that the Coyotes would have a far better chance at keeping fans coming if the team played an entertaining style vs a defensive style. They might not all be Coyote fans but rather hockey fans and their money counts the same. Fine tune it to win more as money increases from more fans in seats.

 

[TheLegend]

Ahron Cohen to replace Steve Patterson as Coyotes President and CEO

 

[Bonsai Tree]

I agree with almost everything you write, I just happen to take exception with Jakey's thought of basically what else can you do in winter. He should know better, Canadians don't just lock themselves inside from Nov to Apr. It bothers me as much when I hear a Canadian talk about the Coyotes as it does an American generalize about Canada. I can't help myself from correcting both. I still believe however that the Coyotes would have a far better chance at keeping fans coming if the team played an entertaining style vs a defensive style. They might not all be Coyote fans but rather hockey fans and their money counts the same. Fine tune it to win more as money increases from more fans in seats.

Well put. As to the Coyotes style of play, I remember an obscure interview of Dave Tippett the summer after his first season when he described the events of his hiring. He specifically noted that he told Dave Tippett that given the lack of talent and resources he would have to institute a very tight trapping system and hope to win a share of games 2-1. I am reminded of that every time Tippett gets blasted here for his boring system. He thought that he had no choice given the circumstances.

 

[Vinny Boombatz]

C'mon, DT used the same system in Dallas...plus, I'm tired of hearing about DT, he is in the past. I wish the pro-Tippers could just give it a rest.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

C'mon, DT used the same system in Dallas...plus, I'm tired of hearing about DT, he is in the past. I wish the pro-Tippers could just give it a rest.

I get your wish to stop talking about DT. Fine. As to your contention, a lot of people say that around here who never followed Dallas and have little idea how they played under DT.

 

[RemoAZ]

Good read:
https://www.azcentral.com/story/spo...yotes-ceo-ahron-cohen-arena-search/773674002/
I liked this statement:
"A: The arena has always been a collaborative effort and one that I’ve been centrally involved in since I started with the Coyotes. That’s going to continue with myself as well as our advisers, Mitchell Zeits being one of them, and (owner) Andy Barroway is involved and (general manager) John Chayka is involved. Really, the most important thing for us right now and what we’re focusing on is achieving our core goals. Those are building hockey fandom in Arizona, building a competitive team on the ice, and positively impacting our community. Ultimately, we have to figure out our long-term arena solution. But that problem is solved by achieving those three goals I laid out. Everything else will fall in place if we’re fulfilling those three goals."

 

[Bonsai Tree]

So no new arena announcement in the offing.

 

[TheLegend]

So no new arena announcement in the offing.

Not yet.....

Just from the tone I'm seeing in recent statements it appears they are working towards getting the on ice product to a level they can sell to the public and drive more people to games, and thus draw more interest from potential partners and investors.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Not yet.....

Just from the tone I'm seeing in recent statements it appears they are working towards getting the on ice product to a level they can sell to the public and drive more people to games, and thus draw more interest from potential partners and investors.

Sounds to me like they're having an extremely hard time finding another city to drop millions of bucks in subsidies on a new barn, unsurprisingly.

 

[Ebb]

Good read:
Coyotes' new President and CEO Ahron Cohen talks life in Arizona, arena search and more
I liked this statement:
"A: Really, the most important thing for us right now and what we’re focusing on is achieving our core goals. Those are building hockey fandom in Arizona, building a competitive team on the ice, and positively impacting our community. Ultimately, we have to figure out our long-term arena solution. But that problem is solved by achieving those three goals I laid out. Everything else will fall in place if we’re fulfilling those three goals."

One might argue that getting the arena situation figured out could significantly help achieve Goal 1(building hockey fandom--"hey we have an arena for the team to play in long-term") and Goal 3 (positively impacting community--"Hey, they are building [or renovating] an arena, definitely impacts our community knowing they plan on staying long-term"). They need to find an investor and quit trying to get by on the cheap (for the arena at least)

 

[TheLegend]

Sounds to me like they're having an extremely hard time finding another city to drop millions of bucks in subsidies on a new barn, unsurprisingly.

If one were a cynic.... and that’s not a bad position to take these days.... yes.

I just continue looking at it from an analytical POV.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

If one were a cynic.... and that’s not a bad position to take these days.... yes.

I just continue looking at it from an analytical POV.

I don't think it's pure cynicism. A little, yes. But analyzing what happened between the various Coyotes ownership incarnations and Glendale, then analyzing the dearth of any expressed interest from other Valley cities outside of Phoenix itself, and then taking into account the fact that the guy brought in specifically to woo municipalities into an arena-building partnership is no longer with the club... I think a concrete case can be made from the data itself and not just cynicism (or, in the case of certain camelids, schadenfreude) that there is no existing market for or advanced interest in a new arena build on the east side.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

Last I heard, the Coyotes were saying “New EV arena or sayonara.” Now it’s “Build the following, build the team, then get a new arena” ??

More than ever during the past 3 years, I fear that the truth is that Barroway is looking to sell to someone who will move the team. The “sayonara” option.