Speculation: Second Half Predictions

[XX]

So I read several comments mentioning this may be the last season in Arizona? Are things really that bad?

Yes.

The Coyotes once again find themselves needing a lot of public money, but this time they'll have to go through the state. Given that they're the least liked team and the one least able to carry their own freight, the odds are pretty poor for them getting any sort of bill passed.

ASU seems to be meh on the whole thing and they didn't even bother to talk to Tempe before announcing this "arena deal."

It really feels like a smokescreen to prevent losses in a lame duck season.

 

[lanky]

Why bother purchasing an AHL team and moving it to AZ if the Coyotes are a lame duck?

 

[_Del_]

I've said this before, but I'm sure they are making a good faith effort to stay in the valley. In fact, I'm reasonably sure that making every effort to maintain the market was probably a tacit part of the agreement to extend them credit on the NHL's marker.
But the bottom line is they need creative financing and the state's legislature to approve it. I don't think the environment exists for that vote, and when you add the fact everyone "involved" basically says, "Uhm, no idea. Never talked to us" it doesn't look encouraging. Instead of reassuring everyone with "we're continuing to work hard with X,Y, and Z parties to get this put together" they've shut everything down. I think the play is to put all the eggs in the basket of the state leg and the District, and when that doesn't work, they'll blame the state. Trying to pressure them would probably work better if they had a bigger fan base and weren't .300 on the season.

 

[XX]

Why bother purchasing an AHL team and moving it to AZ if the Coyotes are a lame duck?

Because AHL teams are easily transferable and IA may end up retaining ownership as an AHL team is more their caliber. It can always be sold to the Vegas team.

I don't think they are/were a lame duck coming into this season. They really want to find the financing for the arena, but they need public money for that if the tribes don't want to work with them. The expiration date of the team isn't some grand mystery because we'll know ahead of time if they haven't managed to move along any legislation related to the Tempe arena. Leblanc even heavily implied that if it didn't get done they'd have 'conversations' about 'things' aka sell to another market.

The NHL always reserves the right to bail them out with financing and to kick the can down the road yet another year but that's less and less appetizing now that Vegas is coming in and there's groups in Seattle and Quebec hovering around, waiting for buy a team for less than the expansion ask.

 

[Spirit of Lindgren]

Thats why I hate this "radio silence" from the front office.
Instead of the leadership keeping us informed on the progress of talks on this issue, Leblanc will suddenly spring it on us days before they move (if it comes to that)
And forget about Sarah or Craig digging around to keep the fans informed.
As stated above we would have more leverage, a better chance at financing if more season tickets are sold.

I read that Atlanta had a season ticket drive just before their move and sold 13,500 season tickets.
If you've ever seen the names on the season ticket pole inside gate 5, you'll see probably less than a thousand names for us.

Maybe a season ticket drive would shake valley hockey fans out of there lethargy.
If it was successful that would give IA much more leverage in what they want to get done.
of course anyone who has witnessed the fan base of the valley knows a winner is imperative first..that would go for anywhere...
Or maybe IA is getting done what they want to get done.

 

[cobra427]

So I read several comments mentioning this may be the last season in Arizona? Are things really that bad?

1. No. 2. No worse then the last 10 years. The NHL wants a team in the Phoenix market, and had rather have the expansion fee's from new teams like Vegas. Odds are high that the Coyotes stay in AZ, one way or the other.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

Everybody take a breath. Work on the financing is all done behind closed doors. There are no tea leaves to read at this time which would indicate either success or failure to fund the Tempe site.

 

[BUX7PHX]

Other sports franchises have used special taxes to help finance stadiums.

The Cleveland Browns stadium was built based upon a tax district in the Cleveland area on all tobacco products.

Could be that they are going through all avenues to find the most appropriate methodology to fund parts of the process.

Could also be that the state of Arizona has some eff'ed up situations to figure out, from the D-backs suing Maricopa County to the Coyotes v Glendale...

 

[kihekah19*]

Special tax districts are no newer than the Coyotes being insolvent.

 

[RemoAZ]

They could be trying to find an owner to buy out IEH that can actually afford the team for all we know.

 

[kihekah19*]

They could be trying to find an owner to buy out IEH that can actually afford the team for all we know.

Daddy Warbucks?

 

[TheLegend]

Everybody take a breath. Work on the financing is all done behind closed doors. There are no tea leaves to read at this time which would indicate either success or failure to fund the Tempe site.

They've definitely got their work cut out for them.

I said this over in BoH but I'll repeat it here, if the $200 million they've declared they are putting into this arena comes from OPM or some sort financing magic act, then I'm not going to be really confident about it.

Likewise if the funding mechanism they propose is grossly disproportionate to what Anthony LeBlanc claims in a "very small portion" then I'm not going to be confident with that either.

 

[XX]

Work on the financing is all done behind closed doors. There are no tea leaves to read at this time which would indicate either success or failure to fund the Tempe site.

Not this time. There will be a very clear public trail of involvement and progress that will be easy enough to follow.