The Arizona Coyotes could be BC bound after voters rejected a US$2.3-billion arena deal that would have kept the NHL team in the Grand Canyon State..According to Breaking News British Columbia, the answer could be yes after it tweeted Surrey mayor Brenda Locke “announced (she) submitted a formal bid to the NHL to relocate the struggling franchise to the ‘fastest growing’ city in Canada.”.Western Standard could not independently verify the veracity of the claim..However, it comes less than a day after voters in Tempe overwhelmingly rejected a trio of propositions authorizing a new arena, entertainment district — and a tax to fund it — for the city, which is located about three-km from the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport..According to early returns from the Maricopa County elections office, about 57% voted ‘no’ to Propositions 301, 302 and 303, with a voter turnout of 33%..The NHL’s Coyotes have been in turmoil since the team went bankrupt in 2009. Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie put in a bid to buy the team and move it to Hamilton, but it was blocked by the NHL which took it over for four seasons to stop the move.. Arizona CoyotesArizona voters rejected a $2.1 billion arena deal. .In 2019 the team was majority acquired by Los Angeles billionaire Alex Meruelo and in 2021 submitted a proposal to build a new arena in Tempe. It bought the land and began negotiations with the Tempe city council, which approved the deal in a unanimous 7-0 vote, but eventually agreed to a referendum after strong opposition to what was perceived as a $700 million subsidy for billionaires..Then, in March of this year, the city of Phoenix and the Sky Harbor airport authority filed a legal bid to rescind Tempe’s zoning and land use changes due to its position under flight paths. The team responded with a $2.3 billion notice of claim against the city of Phoenix for breach of contract. Those remain outstanding..In a statement, the team said it was “disappointed” with what it said would have been “the best sports deal in Arizona history.”.“What is next for the franchise will be evaluated by our owners and the National Hockey League over the coming weeks.".In a statement of its own, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league is “terribly disappointed” with the results. “We are going to review with the Coyotes what the options might be going forward.”.That the Coyotes will relocate is a given. The question is where? Houston and Atlanta are the front runners, followed by Salt Lake City and possibly even Quebec City, which has been clamouring for a return to the NHL for years. .Hamilton is considered a long shot, and Surrey seems even more doubtful despite a plan by former mayor Doug McCallum’s proposal to build the biggest stadium in Canada — a 60,000-seater — in the city. It was part of the reason he narrowly lost the municipal election to Locke last September by less than 1,000 votes..Whether or not this latest bid comes to pass, it seems unlikely the NHL would want to add a second NHL team less than an hour from Vancouver. .But it serves as a cautionary tale for Calgary politicians eager to promote its own $1.2 billion arena deal. Caveat Emptor.
The Arizona Coyotes could be BC bound after voters rejected a US$2.3-billion arena deal that would have kept the NHL team in the Grand Canyon State..According to Breaking News British Columbia, the answer could be yes after it tweeted Surrey mayor Brenda Locke “announced (she) submitted a formal bid to the NHL to relocate the struggling franchise to the ‘fastest growing’ city in Canada.”.Western Standard could not independently verify the veracity of the claim..However, it comes less than a day after voters in Tempe overwhelmingly rejected a trio of propositions authorizing a new arena, entertainment district — and a tax to fund it — for the city, which is located about three-km from the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport..According to early returns from the Maricopa County elections office, about 57% voted ‘no’ to Propositions 301, 302 and 303, with a voter turnout of 33%..The NHL’s Coyotes have been in turmoil since the team went bankrupt in 2009. Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie put in a bid to buy the team and move it to Hamilton, but it was blocked by the NHL which took it over for four seasons to stop the move.. Arizona CoyotesArizona voters rejected a $2.1 billion arena deal. .In 2019 the team was majority acquired by Los Angeles billionaire Alex Meruelo and in 2021 submitted a proposal to build a new arena in Tempe. It bought the land and began negotiations with the Tempe city council, which approved the deal in a unanimous 7-0 vote, but eventually agreed to a referendum after strong opposition to what was perceived as a $700 million subsidy for billionaires..Then, in March of this year, the city of Phoenix and the Sky Harbor airport authority filed a legal bid to rescind Tempe’s zoning and land use changes due to its position under flight paths. The team responded with a $2.3 billion notice of claim against the city of Phoenix for breach of contract. Those remain outstanding..In a statement, the team said it was “disappointed” with what it said would have been “the best sports deal in Arizona history.”.“What is next for the franchise will be evaluated by our owners and the National Hockey League over the coming weeks.".In a statement of its own, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league is “terribly disappointed” with the results. “We are going to review with the Coyotes what the options might be going forward.”.That the Coyotes will relocate is a given. The question is where? Houston and Atlanta are the front runners, followed by Salt Lake City and possibly even Quebec City, which has been clamouring for a return to the NHL for years. .Hamilton is considered a long shot, and Surrey seems even more doubtful despite a plan by former mayor Doug McCallum’s proposal to build the biggest stadium in Canada — a 60,000-seater — in the city. It was part of the reason he narrowly lost the municipal election to Locke last September by less than 1,000 votes..Whether or not this latest bid comes to pass, it seems unlikely the NHL would want to add a second NHL team less than an hour from Vancouver. .But it serves as a cautionary tale for Calgary politicians eager to promote its own $1.2 billion arena deal. Caveat Emptor.
