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Wednesday Caterwaul: Tempe voters deal Coyotes crippling blow

“We are very disappointed that Tempe voters did not approve propositions 301, 302 & 303. As Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said, this was the best arena deal in the history of Arizona.”

Those were the words uttered by devastated Arizona Coyotes president & CEO Xavier Gutierrez after Tempe voters resounding rejected three propositions to build a $2.3 billion entertainment district that would include a new arena for the beleaguered franchise.

The Coyotes played this past season at 5,000-seat Mullett Arena, on the campus of the Arizona State University Sun Devils, after they were unceremoniously kicked out of their longtime home (Gila River Arena) in Glendale.

Playing in an NCAA-caliber building as a stop gap is one thing, but with no long-term solution in place the club’s days in the Phoenix metro area appeared to be numbered (again).

Expect relocation talk to go through the roof with locales like Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City, Portland, Salt Lake City and Quebec City to get plenty of play on traditional and social media.

As someone who has followed professional hockey since the latter part of the 1970s, my personal opinion is that the Coyotes and NHL have about six months to eight months to find another permanent solution in Arizona before they have to seriously consider turning the page on this franchise.

As truly heartbroken as I am for Coyotes fans this morning, perhaps it would be better to finally let the team move and work on a way to get a new building erected (with or without the Phoenix Suns) and one day return NHL hockey to the Valley of the Sun via expansion like Minnesota did after the loss of the North Stars.

World Championship (Tuesday results)

Group A

  • Denmark 6, Austria 2
  • Hungary 4, France 3 (OT)

Group B

  • Norway 1, Slovenia 0
  • Switzerland 6, Kazakhstan 0

Today’s games (NHL Network)

Group A

  • United States vs Austria  9:20 a.m.
  • Finland vs France 1:20 p.m.

Group B

  • Latvia vs Norway 9:20
  • Canada vs Kazakhstan 1:20 p.m.

Talking Points