Deal Approved for Arizona Coyotes
Late last night, the Glendale City Council approved a deal that will keep the Phoenix Coyotes in town for the foreseeable future — but with a new name. The team will take the ice at Jobing.com Arena this fall as the Arizona Coyotes.
That was part of the agreement with the new buyer, Renaissance Sports and Entertainment. And it's been in the works a while. You can read more about it all here.
As far as logos and jerseys go, I wouldn't expect any major changes before October. Obviously, we'll see a new wordmark — which could be a simple as swapping out Phoenix for Arizona in the existing wordmark. Though there's plenty of time to come up with something entirely new if they wanted.
More interesting is the "PHX" patch on the left shoulder of the home and road jerseys. It's in the shape of Arizona and the design is inspired by the state flag. But will it be changed or removed for next season? My bet is it will. It's pretty late in the calendar for Reebok, but there may still be enough time to get it changed rather than to drop it entirely. One thing's for sure, though. That PHX patch just became a collectible.
I'll keep you apprised of anything I hear as the summer goes on.
And for the record, as a Seattleite, I'm only the slightest bit disappointed by the deal because it means our town will be without the NHL for at least another year. And that's not right. On the other hand, I'm happy for Coyotes fans, who can finally put this mess behind them.
Chris
Sounds like the name change may be put off a year. Par for the course, I suppose.
Carl from Five For Howling, @CoyotesDude on Twitter, tweeted earlier today that Anthony Leblanc, head of the new ownership group, said on the radio that it may have to wait until the 2014-15 season.
Given what a name change would mean at this point, it's not surprising. There are so many things to consider even for what seems like such a minor thing. And while you might think the Glendale city council would be eager to see Arizona in the name immediately, you have to remember this is a group comprised of the biggest pushovers the world has ever known — as evidenced by Tuesday night's vote.
I know that last line was a little nasty, but let's call a spade a spade. The approval was great news for Coyotes fans. For residents of Glendale, I'd be worried.
Anyway, I'll be keeping an eye on this whole name change thing. But it sounds like an item for the first edition of NHL JerseyWatch 2014.
Reader Comments (33)
until the ownership group loses $50 million and they bolt
All 32 Yotes fan must be thrilled !
_I'm still calling them the Phoenix Coyotes
It's a shame that the city has 15 million a year just to hand over to a hockey team instead of investing that in the city infrastructure. Just because they "think" they have it, doesn't mean they HAVE to spend it...The Coyotes will be gone regardless within 5-7 years...When does failure not mean failure? When it's Gary Bettman...what comes first: next lockout or Coyotes move?
I was truly hoping for a move. I get where all the locals were coming from in that presser stream (I lost the Thrashers not too long ago), but the market isn't sustainable. In comparison, Atlanta had a few thousand fans that would attend almost every home game -I know because I was one of them. That is NOT enough to sustain a market. On top of that, the Ownership and their marketing team (which I'm convinced is one of the worst in existence), never created a product on the ice. There was no effort to create or bring in more fans. I knew what their ad campaigns were about, but as a fan of the sport I even found them a bit overwhelming with too much info, or completely vague on the other side of the spectrum. That combination is why the team had to move. Small fanbase + Not creating new fanbase + Miss-management (i.e. how we handled players/trades/coachin/etc) = Not enough revenue to sustain the teams existence.
It was bitter-sweet when they left. No more NHL hockey in Atlanta, but now they get to play in the MTS Centre. They have an entire city that truly cares about them and is actively interested and dedicated to that team. That's something every hockey team should have on that scale... A city behind them, always -and they do to an extent... It's just the ones with the really small fanbases (Atlanta, Florida, Arizona...) tend to teeter off and become defunct.
So yeah, I get it completely what Arizona was going through, but I fully supported that expected move to Seattle or QC.
@Vaytch Yawn the usual 'coyotes have no fans' crap. Get new material bub.
As far as the money goes, the city is paying a group to manage the arena. Part of that management deal is they have a hockey team as an anchor tenant. The Coyotes team then pays back up to $9mllion to the city of Glendale in rent, ticket surcharges and taxes. Glendale had offers to run the arena for $6million but they did not have the anchor tenant.
One of the ownership group has already stated that the (primary) logo will not change. I suspect the PHX patch will swap to say AZ and then carry on as is.
I watched the TSN coverage on-line last night and was a little dismayed when the final councilman (who as a firefighter should understand the risk to the infrastructure) seemed to not only be voting yes, but was full on "drinking the kool-aid" so to speak. I also almost did a spit-take at the "Johnny Rockets stands with the team" bit.
The deal is not a good one, and while I support the fans in Phoenix/Glendale and they right to keep their team, they are going to be a real tough situation should their new partners not bring the additional events needed to drive the revenue for the team, city and the Westgate development. Yes, I can see that if everything goes well, that they could defy the odds and make a success, but I'm more worried that if the team does pull out in a few years (hopefully after Seattle and Quebec get expansion deals) for Kansas City, Markham or wherever is available at that time, that even if they cover the negotiated losses to Glendale, that they will still be leaving town in a worse situation than had they pulled out now.
That said, I was really looking forward to the whole will they/won't they play as the Metropolitans/Metros, and the possible Seattle/Vancouver rivalry that would have developed beside the Whitecaps/Sounders one.
At this point it looks like expansion will be Seattle's key to victory (no Key Arena pun intended) for both the NHL and NBA. Both are possible and Seattle deserves to be in both leagues. Hopefully it is only just a matter of time before we see the puck drop at Sonics Arena, and I can officially a 3rd team to favorites list on the NHL app.
completely amazed they decided to vote in favor of this deal, yeh great keep the 'yotes there for at least 5 years so they can lose $20 million each season, glad i dont live in the glendale area, i'd be pretty damn unhappy that my tax dollars were being spent on keeping a half-dead franchise on life support!!!
I was at the Glendale City Council meeting last night and I heard the owner-to-be talking to some fans saying that the logo isn't going to change, but the shoulder patch obviously will have to. I did not hear him say anything about changing the jersey. I'd love it if they changed the current 3rd jersey to a design inspired by their original Kachina design when they first moved to Phoenix, but that's just me.
They just won't let it go in peace. Now we'll have to watch it fester and then the smell will set in. By then we'll be back to square one with the exception that it will simply involve a move without a vote, just two questions, to where and for how much? For old dry bones? Not much by then.
$15 000 000 a year, meaning about 1/4 the salary cap, or about 1/3 the Coyotes' payroll. Tax money going to millionaires…
As Cory said "until the ownership group loses $50 million and they bolt"....
See you in 5 years.. I bet we'll get to the point where RSE moves to Seattle or Markham..
As Québec waits again, or already have its expansion team or another franchise relocates..
Mark my words.. ;)
XORDOX:
Seattle should not need to wait 5 years for the Coyotes, and with the new conferences the league needs to add (or remove... not happening) 2 teams to ensure future parity. Most teams do not see how 2 conferences of 7, and 2 of 8 can equate to all teams having the same shot at the playoffs, drafts, and other considerations, Just look how the Rangers balked when it looked like the East were going to be the 7's in the early drafts.
The league office can deny it, but between the new alignment and the number of people "in the know" who have made statements or comments, the league should be adding 2 teams by the 2015-16 season, possibly even the 2014-15. The best options on the table even thou it will require a reshuffling will be for one team in the new arena being built in Quebec, and (barring nothing shuts the project down) the future Sonics Arena in Seattle.
Plus if the 'Yotes play 5 more seasons and then move, they would be setting up to play in a new home for the 2018-19 season, which would bypass the ability to market on the 100th anniversary of the Metropolitans 1917 cup win. If the league and potential owners for a Seattle franchise are serious about getting Seattle into the league, you know they want to be able to celebrate (er.. exploit) that event.
This would have been a perfect time for a re-branding of this team. Arizona Coyotes isn't a real catchy name....how about Arizona Phoenix? Yeah, you like that, don't you? Fund it!
So let me get this straight:
Item One: There is a hockey team in Glendale.
Item Two: Said hockey team does not win.
Item Three: Said hockey team's arena is in a poor location.
Item Four: Said hockey team does not make money, at least in part due to Items One and Two.
Item Five: The city of Glendale is in extreme financial hardship, with not enough money going towards important services such as the fire department.
Item Six: The city of Glendale has decided to spend a large amount of taxpayer money on the aforementioned hockey team.
...
Seriously, what has gotten into these people? Indiana Jones using a refridgerator to shield himself from a nuke is more logical than this. I have spent all day trying to find some way to justify this idiocy, and I can't. I just can't.
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
Glendale was smart enough to realize they would lose more money without the Coyotes than with them. Plus there is a chance that they end up making money.
I figure they will have the remove the paw print logo on the shoulder of the 3rd jersey since it has PHOENIX COYOTES written around it.
You spelt drop as droip in the sentence, "It's pretty late in the calendar for Reebok, but there may still be enough time to get it changed rather than to droip it entirely."
Just a heads up
@Jordan Lowther: That's how we're spelling it now. Hadn't you heard? Haha, thanks for letting me know. It's fixed.
Also, "spelt" is a kind of wheat. You meant "spelled." There, now we're even.
(this appeared on my Facebook feed):
TSN
The Coyotes will be changing their name from the Phoenix Coyotes to the Arizona Coyotes in the near future, but not for the 2013-2014 season.
Most of the negative responses to the City of Glendale's actions fail to take into account what would happen to the whole Westgate area if the Coyotes move. Without the Yotes, the arena would surely fail and the Westgate Center would become a ghostown. I've visited Jobing.com and spent money at Westgate for food and drinks. Remove the Coyotes and lose all that revenue and see Jobing.com arena become a mulimillion dollar storage facility.
One other thing to add to Westgate. There are several interested parties in leasing space there (additional revenue), but they're being cautious and waiting to see of the Coyotes stay.
I know some of the Seattle fans will say Jobong.com arena can survie without an achor tenant. For those of you that want to make that claim, put your money where your mouth is. Go ahead and build a new arena without an NBA or NHL anchor tenant.
By the way, Canucklehead knows nothing about hockey if he think the Coyotes don't win. In 2012 they won the Pacific Conference and were 3 wins away from playing for the Stanley Cup. They lost to the Kings, who went on to win the Cup.
Seattle is used as a threat and now everybody (all over media) thinks they are deserving of a team. That scenario Rarely came up for decades and all the sudden they are on the hot track for a team?. Personally 30 teams is more than enough for the NHL...also Red Wings should not of been allowed to move to the East. The NHL has screwed up the alignment. You know something is screwed up when you hear (from NHL) about the need to fix something that hasn't even gone in to effect yet.
Soooooo thankful I'm not a taxpayer in Glendale! The city may literally crumble while Betman's mirage lives on.
They won't be changin' their name this year.
I'm not going to even bother reading the anti-Coyotes comments on here, especially those that are very short sighted and even ignorant when it comes to what people assume has been going on with that team.
QUOTE:
"And while you might think the Glendale city council would be eager to see Arizona in the name immediately, you have to remember this is a group comprised of the biggest pushovers the world has ever known — as evidenced by Tuesday night's vote."
Biggest pushovers, Chris? Sorry they disappointed you that the Glendale City Council did not reject the last arena lease agreement so that the Coyotes could move to your adopted hometown, but that is a ridiculous statement. First of all, if any of you have been paying any attention to this entire ownership saga, Glendale has to pay for the operation of Jobing.com Arena no matter what. Yeah, even if the Coyotes were to leave. So this was the best deal Glendale could make in order to MAKE MONEY and pay off their debt.
I'm personally fed up with some people's statements all over the hockey universe (including from Canada) that say their two cents without facts to back them up or just make conclusions as if they know Arizona tax code better than anyone in Glendale's or Arizona's governments. Sickening...
One commenter so far gets it. That is "Legion".
And as far as the upcoming team name change, I don't like it but I will live with it.
I prefer PHOENIX Coyotes over Arizona Coyotes, but it is not as bad as it could be.
Wow, another boondoggle.
Look, maybe Gary Bettman needs a history lesson on location of arena, and I'm about to provide a free one. In 1991, the Minnesota North Stars defied all odds in reaching the Stanley Cup Final (and with the NHL handing points out like halloween candy, they will also be the last team to reach said final with a losing record, but I digress.) When the puck dropped in October of 1993 (barely two years after said trip to the Final,) they were playing their home games in Dallas. Why is that? The Met Center was in Bloomington, Minnesota. No one wanted to go there. This is the exact same reason why the Montréal Expos never worked in MLB either (notwithstanding that they never in their history played in an actual baseball stadium.) This is a team that could reach the Stanley Cup Final (Coyotes) and still not turn a profit, theoretically. That's not even to say that this group has to borrow money FROM THE LEAGUE (whom need I remind you owns this team currently,) to even purchase it (and this fact should be appalling to anyone in business.) In addition, the deal still has to close by August 5, of which there's still no guarantee of. (Some financiers might pull out, and that's not to say that Goldwater might still get involved.)
All Glendale City Council issued was a stay of execution. One council member joked about cruelty to animals during the session, well, my retort, sometimes the most humane thing to do, is to simply pull the plug.
@Chris: According to Craig Morgan, beat writer for Phoenix, the Arizona name change won't be in effect until, at the earliest, the 2014-2015 season. So, they'll still be the Phoenix Coyotes in the Fall, unless something changes drastically in the next few months.
Rename them "Arizona Eclipse" with colors of purple, black, orange, and white. Logo could be a sun with a puck 'eclipsing' it. They can even go back to their roots a bit and use a template similar to the original Coyotes jerseys. Just please no black helmets with a purple jersey. Too generic (that said, Stars new dark helmets should be green and the same for their pants wouldn't hurt either).
We were so close! SO CLOSE!!!!!!!
@JRZMAN 2011-12 Los Angeles Kings were 40-27-15 (40-42) and they won the cup... unless you don't count overtime losses as losses
Check out the logo on the Coyotes page...that's a pretty neat logo for the "Arizona" Coyotes, when they change the "PHX" patch on the shoulder that is...
Pearl Jam is filling one of those dates ;)
@Randy - Winning record as determined by point total, not Wins/Losses. LA finished with 92 points (remember my point about handing points like halloween candy.)