Gary Bettman's monster statement live from Arizona
For over a decade, the saga of the Arizona Coyotes' survival has made a lot of noise and also angered hockey fans in the Quebec City region.
Many people wonder why the NHL insists on keeping this struggling franchise in Arizona, despite the fact that since the team's arrival in 1996, it has never made a profit.
And since the 2022-2023 season, the Coyotes have been playing in a 5,000-seat arena with the Mullet Arena, which severely limits the team's revenue.
But for the past few months, a new arena project in Tempe has been awaiting a referendum scheduled for May 16th, as two camps oppose it, with some not wanting the new building near the Sky Harbor International Airport.
However, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was in Arizona a few days ago to once again defend the Coyotes, and like a good politician, he touted the Arizona market once again.
But what caught everyone's attention was his statement about the future of the Coyotes if the arena project were to get the population's approval.
«If you look at the substance, not the rhetoric... I cannot imagine why anyone would think it's a bad idea »
That's a huge statement!
Let's just say it's clear.
However, we should not celebrate too soon, as last March, the City of Phoenix threatened to sue the municipality of Tempe if it proceeded with this project.
But even if the project is not approved, it is likely that the NHL Commissioner will find another solution to keep the Coyotes in Arizona, much to the dismay, once again, of hockey fans in Quebec City who still dream of seeing the Nordiques rise from their ashes.
| POLL | ||
Do you think the coyotes will move someday? | ||
| Yes | 240 | 83.9 % |
| No | 46 | 16.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
