Major: Gary Bettman Could Announce the Relocation of the Arizona Coyotes in a Few Days

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Joe El-Khoury
May 2, 2023 (9:27)

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It is in less than two weeks that we should know the fate of the Coyotes in Arizona.

On May 16, a referendum will be held on the construction of a new complex in Tempe, which is expected to include a brand new amphitheater, and the population will have to vote.

Okay, it's not the first time this assertion has been made about the Coyotes, but if the result of the referendum is negative for the construction of the mega-complex in Tempe, it could very well be the right time and hockey could permanently leave the Arizona desert.

In short, the NHL could announce the relocation of the Coyotes from Arizona in less than two weeks if the referendum result is negative.

At least that's what informant Frank Seravalli reported, as he said that the Coyotes organization is not very confident that the vote will be positive and that if it doesn't pass, the team could move as early as next season.

"Seravalli on 960 says he could see the Coyotes moving as early as next season if the Tempe vote fails (and from what he's hearing, the team is worried)," the tweet read.

The Coyotes are not confident, and neither are local journalists. Everything indicates that the vote result will not be positive, but let's wait and see.

And according to Seravalli, it appears that the city of Houston would be designated to host the Coyotes if there is a relocation.

This would once again leave Quebec hockey fans empty-handed, even though they proved over the weekend that they could fill the Videotron Centre for both Remparts games against the Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL semi-finals.

We can agree that we're not far from another twist in the saga of the Coyotes' future in Arizona, but if there's any positive to be found in all this, it's that if Houston were to get its team through a transfer, it would eliminate a potential city to host an NHL team.

While it's not automatic that Quebec would become the favorite destination for a possible expansion, other cities like Atlanta could also be in the mix. However, not having Houston in the way could perhaps favor Quebec's potential candidacy.

We're still far, even very far, from such a scenario, but as long as the NHL is not back in Quebec, this issue will continue to make headlines.

In short, this is a big issue and a referendum to watch VERY closely.

It's amazing to realize that the people of Arizona are practically being forced to have a team they don't even want, while other cities (like Quebec) would do anything to have them.

Credit: Go Nordiques