Gary Bettman was not reassuring about the idea of the NHL returning to Quebec City...
Yesterday, a tile fell on the Arizona Coyotes' head. The City of Glendale revealed that they do not plan to renew their lease with the team. The agreement will likely expire at the end of the 2021-2022 season.
The first thing Quebecers thought was that the Coyotes could be relocated to Quebec City. The Quebec capital has not had a team since 1995. However, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman felt confident about seeing the Coyotes in the Phoenix area again in 2022-2023.
"I'm not worried. I think their future is in the Phoenix area," he said. First of all, I don't think the franchise is going anywhere. I think the City of Glendale is negotiating. [... Then, it's no secret that Alex Meruelo, the owner of the Coyotes, is looking at his options to build a new arena somewhere in the greater Phoenix area. And I believe Glendale has basically said to the team, 'You have to sign a 20-year lease or we're not going to renew the deal.'"
Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo broke his silence following the announcement Thursday. He remains confident, as does Bettman, that the Coyotes will remain in Arizona long-term.
"We are 100 percent committed to finding a long-term solution for an arena here in Arizona. Nothing will shake our resolve to do what is right for our organization, the residents of the area and most importantly, the fans," club president Xavier A. Gutierrez told NHL.com.
The saying goes "while there's life, there's hope", but it's going to take a lot more than a glimmer of hope to get a team back in Quebec City. It must be a miracle...
