Two insiders believe that Coyotes could leave Arizona if Tempe arena plan fails

On Thursday, the Arizona Coyotes announced that they have reached an agreement to play the next three seasons, with an option for a fourth, at the new home of Arizona State University, which is set to open this fall.

There has been plenty of criticism of the Coyotes plan to play at ASU's new rink, mainly due to the fact it only holds 5,000 spectators and it may drop down to 3,200 for NHL games.

Playing at ASU's arena is a temporary move while they wait for their new permanent home to be built in Tempe. The Tempe city council is set to vote on the Coyotes' Tempe arena plan in March or April. Last month, it was reported by Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports that there's a chance the Coyotes may not have the votes from council members for their new arena, with some concerned about their financial handlings in Glendale.

Tempe city council is set to meet in March or April to decide the fate of the Coyotes plan. While on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet insiders Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek talked about what could happen if Tempe votes against Arizona's plan.

Friedman said that he doesn't think the Coyotes will play at ASU's rink next season if they don't get the votes from Tempe city council. Jeff Marek shared his theory which, if the team doesn't get the votes in Tempe, the NHL would buy the team back, auction them off and move them to another city. Friedman agreed with Marek, thinking that could be a possibility.

If that were to become a reality, some options for a new home could include Houston, Portland, or Quebec City. The latter two would require the NHL to realign the divisions by placing Portland in the Pacific or Quebec in the Atlantic.

Marek's theory is if the Coyotes don't get the new rink in Tempe he suspects it would be sold back to the league and the league would auction it off and they would move somewhere else. Friedman thinks Marek could be right.— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) February 11, 2022

MUST READ

Feb 28  |  By Tom Banks Vancouver Canucks' Contract Offer to Brock Boeser Leaks Publicly

Feb 28  |  By Tom Banks Montreal Canadiens Star Undergoes Season-Ending Knee Surgery

Feb 28  |  By Daniel Lucente Philadelphia Flyers Officially Looking to Trade Former 39-Goal Scorer

Feb 28  |  By Daniel Lucente Evander Kane May Be in His Final Days in Edmonton After Friedman Reveals New Information

Feb 28  |  By Jack Sutherland Maple Leafs Forward Pulls Back Trade Request

Feb 27  |  By Jack Sutherland Brad Marchand Goes Viral for Passionate Video Ahead of Four Nations Faceoff Final

Feb 27  |  By Jack Sutherland David Pastrnak's Latest Comments Suggest Bruins Will Be Big Sellers at the Deadline

Feb 27  |  By Julien Trekker 6-Foot-6 Winger Linked to the New York Rangers at the Trade Deadline

MORE STORIES