Arizona Coyotes Interim Arena Being Negotiated With ASU

 

Craig Morgan of gophnx.com is reporting that the Arizona Coyotes interim arena plans for the next three-four years are being negotiated with ASU to use their new multi-purpose arena being built. The arena is scheduled to be completed this fall. The Coyotes need a place to play. Their lease to use Gila River arena in Glendale is ending this June.

With no Place to Play, the Arizona Coyotes Interim Arena Plans May Be Solved

When Gila River arena was no longer an option, the Coyotes were desperately searching for a venue to play NHL hockey games. Coincidentally, ASU is in the process of building a new arena for its hockey program. The facility will include 20 luxury suites, two group suites, a large club lounge and event-level premium club seats. Click HERE to see more on the ASU multipurpose arena.

The Coyotes are seeking a three-year deal to play at the ASU arena with a fourth-year option. The plan is that if the Tempe arena the Coyotes have planned is passed, it could be built in that three-to-four year time. This would be unprecedented for an NHL team to play in such a small arena. When deputy NHL Commissioner Bill Daly was asked if that would be acceptable, he replied that the league is not opposed to such a plan.

Per a quote from Craig Morgan, Daly stated: “While we have arena standards, we would approach the entire situation in a way intended to accommodate the club’s needs in effectuating a successful transition to a new venue,” Daly wrote in an email. “While there may very well be some, I can’t think of any hard and fast rules that couldn’t be relaxed to accommodate what is necessary.”

Scheduling Could be an Issue

Since ASU would have priority for event dates that would mean that the Coyotes would get what’s left. ASU has 24 home dates next season and all of them are on Friday or Saturday with 7 p.m. starts. The Coyotes would need to work around that schedule with some less than optimal dates.

While other possibilities were pursued, ASU seems to be the best choice. Veterans Memorial Coliseum can hold 10,000 for hockey but the renovations would be costly and time-consuming. Had the team known that Glendale was going to cancel their year-to-year lease they could have proceeded with that plan. The time needed to make the Veterans Memorial Coliseum a viable option just didn’t happen.

Playing at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks was considered, but their calendar is booked for 2022-23. It appears that if Alex Meruelo wants to keep the team in Arizona, they must first get the Tempe City Council to approve their planned arena. That hasn’t happened yet.

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The Advantages of Playing at ASU Arena

Playing in Tempe would allow the organization to establish a partnership and relationship with the city immediately. Hopefully, the Coyotes could flourish in a central location much closer to the vast majority of their premium season ticket holders. The thing is, how many non-season ticket holders seats will be available to the general public?

Sellouts Should Not be a Problem at This Arizona Coyotes Interim Arena

According to espn.com the Coyotes over the last five years have ranked no higher than 28th in attendance. So, sellouts at such a small venue should not present a problem. Whether that wears out Meruelo’s balance sheet or not, at least there shouldn’t be any unsold seats. Whether the NHLPA will approve of the smaller arena for NHL hockey is yet to be determined. They are aware of the Coyotes arena snafu and will discuss the plans for the team for next season.

Does This Mean the Plans for a Tempe Arena Are Looking Good?

Meruelo must feel pretty confident or else he wouldn’t spend $15-20 million on a practice facility since NCAA rules will not allow the team to use ASU’s. There is a possibility that the Ice Den in Scottsdale can be used with some renovations. It has been used in the past by the team. With Meruelo having other businesses and sources of income, the losses he may incur for a short period of time will be worth it in the end.

Don’t forget he is still going to make some money from sports gambling. So, this may turn out to be feasible for the organization after all.

Still… trying to digest playing in a 5,000 seat arena will take some adjustments. Also, being a guest of an arena where you are not the primary tenant will take some getting used to.

So, once and for all, can the Coyotes relocation rumors cease? Or, will they?

So, Coyotes fans how do you feel about this? Be sure to let us know in the comments.