Breaking Coyotes News

[AzRedCardinail]

Phoenix Coyotes filed for Chapter 11 reorganization to implement a court-approved sale of the team under the federal bankruptcy code.

[KatieluvsCards]

Phoenix Coyotes filed for Chapter 11 reorganization to implement a court-approved sale of the team under the federal bankruptcy code.

Yep and they are also considering selling the team to one of the owners of BLACKBERRY who plans to move the team to Ontario. We have most likely seen the last of the Coyotes in Arizona.

[booman141]

Yep and they are also considering selling the team to one of the owners of BLACKBERRY who plans to move the team to Ontario. We have most likely seen the last of the Coyotes in Arizona.

Wait, we had a pro hockey team in Arizona?
:wink:

[Darth Llama]

It's a shame, but not a surprise. The last Coyotes game I went to there were about 1k people there tops.

People theorize that it's the location of the stadium, but I disagree. I think people are just tired of watching a sub standard product, the Coyotes have to be one of the worst professional sports teams on the planet today. A friend and I went to a few games last season, we tried to get into it, but it's hard when your team is always down by at least 2 and the entire game is played right in front of your own goal.

I'm not sure they will do much better in Ontario either, lets all take a moment to remember how successful they were in Winnipeg huh? How many times can a team blame the city before they realize that no city is going to turn out in groves to support a team that does nothing to improve year after year. They could learn a thing or two from the Cardinals. The Cards were struggling to put people in the seats for years and now they flat out own the entire state. Blame the city or the fans if you want, but it takes a measure of success to build a fan base and build fan loyalty. People don't want to spend time and money to go watch their team lose. That simple.

[AzRedCardinail]

Well Said Darth Liama


QUOTE=Darth Llama;569087]It's a shame, but not a surprise. The last Coyotes game I went to there were about 1k people there tops.

People theorize that it's the location of the stadium, but I disagree. I think people are just tired of watching a sub standard product, the Coyotes have to be one of the worst professional sports teams on the planet today. A friend and I went to a few games last season, we tried to get into it, but it's hard when your team is always down by at least 2 and the entire game is played right in front of your own goal.

I'm not sure they will do much better in Ontario either, lets all take a moment to remember how successful they were in Winnipeg huh? How many times can a team blame the city before they realize that no city is going to turn out in groves to support a team that does nothing to improve year after year. They could learn a thing or two from the Cardinals. The Cards were struggling to put people in the seats for years and now they flat out own the entire state. Blame the city or the fans if you want, but it takes a measure of success to build a fan base and build fan loyalty. People don't want to spend time and money to go watch their team lose. That simple.[/QUOTE]

[NJCardFan]

It's a shame, but not a surprise. The last Coyotes game I went to there were about 1k people there tops.

People theorize that it's the location of the stadium, but I disagree. I think people are just tired of watching a sub standard product, the Coyotes have to be one of the worst professional sports teams on the planet today. A friend and I went to a few games last season, we tried to get into it, but it's hard when your team is always down by at least 2 and the entire game is played right in front of your own goal.

I'm not sure they will do much better in Ontario either, lets all take a moment to remember how successful they were in Winnipeg huh? How many times can a team blame the city before they realize that no city is going to turn out in groves to support a team that does nothing to improve year after year. They could learn a thing or two from the Cardinals. The Cards were struggling to put people in the seats for years and now they flat out own the entire state. Blame the city or the fans if you want, but it takes a measure of success to build a fan base and build fan loyalty. People don't want to spend time and money to go watch their team lose. That simple.

It's gotta be something deeper. The Cards certainly didn't set the world on fire yet they survived. The Clippers survived. The Hurricanes survived in Raleigh and until they won the Cup weren't all that successful than the 'Yotes so there has to be something deeper as to why they draw so poorly.

[Darth Llama]

It's gotta be something deeper. The Cards certainly didn't set the world on fire yet they survived. The Clippers survived. The Hurricanes survived in Raleigh and until they won the Cup weren't all that successful than the 'Yotes so there has to be something deeper as to why they draw so poorly.

The Cardinals didn't survive in an economic situation like the one we have right now. And when the Cardinals sucked, they sucked in a centrally located stadium that was easily accessible. Cardinal games were cheap and were a short drive away. Plus they pulled a lot of ticket sales from fans of the opposition. There aren't enough Detroit Red Wing fans in Phoenix to keep the Coyotes going. The Coyotes have to make their own fans to survive and they can't do that when they suck this bad. Don't forget that on top of the fact that the NFL has a revenue sharing plan to keep bad teams in the Red, the Cardinals spent several years in the NFC East which brought them a home game with the Cowboys every year (guaranteed sell out in AZ.) Football is a popular sport, people will show up just to see the other team, Hockey doesn't have that ability in Arizona.

There was only one thing the Coyotes could have done to survive in AZ and that's win. They failed to do that, it's just that simple. The Coyotes first 9 years in AZ were profitable and successful. In that span, they made the playoffs every year but one where they barely missed out. What killed the Coyotes was when Jerry Moyes took over and Gretsky named himself coach. The team has been losing money since that day. When they had competent management and coaching, they were doing fine. Their first 9 years in AZ were very profitable, they were a hot ticket.

[cardsreign]

Lastest word is they (Coyotes) blindsided the NHL. From the official NHL site:

"We have just become aware of today's Bankruptcy Court filing purportedly made on behalf of the Phoenix Coyotes. We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the petition, including the propriety of its filing. We have removed Jerry Moyes from all positions of authority to act for or on behalf of the Club. The League will appear and proceed before the Bankruptcy Court in the best interests of all of the Club's constituencies, including its fans in Arizona and the League's 29 other Member Clubs."

Also, elsewhere it was written that the guy who Jerry Moyes would sell the team to has twice tried to buy a NHL team and move it to Canada, and twice he's been told by the NHL to forget it.

Supposedly, first he tried to buy Pittsburgh and lost, then he tried to buy Nashville and lost out there. Maybe he thinks 3rd times the charm...

In both previous cases, those teams stayed put and got new ownership, and Mr. Blackberry still doesn't have an NHL team in Hamilton.

One thing is for sure. Jerry Moyes could have learned a few things from Mr. Bidwill. Mainly, how to field a mediocre team in Arizona for 20+ years in front of a stadium that is filled to 30-40% capacity and not lose tens of millions of dollars ever frickin' year, so that when you do finally field a team that can go all the way into the Championship round, they're still playing in the Valley and not in Canada or some other state.




:yotes:

[AussieCardinal]

Bring back the Nordiques!!!!

[CFL-WPG]

This is unfortunate for the hockey fans in AZ but the team has not left yet. Wait and see what happens.

Should an NHL team return to Winnipeg? I am not implying the Coyotes should be that team. My personal opinion is , No. The return of an NHL team does have it's supporters but there are a lot of people could care less. Winnipeg has a small market and always will. I do not believe we have the population to support an NHL team over the long haul.

Refer to jetsowner.com. It makes for interesting reading but some of the projections made are unrealistic.

Mark Chipman is the guy with $$$ to bring an NHL team back to Winnipeg (not jetsowner.com). He is the current owner of the Manitoba Moose which is the AHL affiliate of the Canucks. He has said many times, that he will not bring a team back to Winnipeg unless NHL economics change drastically.

I wish Yote fans the best of luck in keeping their team.

[NJCardFan]

Bring back the Nordiques!!!!
Screw that, bring back the...
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/logos/nhl/hartford_whalers_1996.gif
Or at the very least...
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/logos/nhl/winnipeg_jets_1992.gif

[Wide Left Rackers]

Well, the main problem is...

The Coyotes are in enormous debt (to Glendale). You can't just move and wash your hands of debt. It doesn't work like that.

And what are we going to do with a 7 year old, vacant arena?

[CFL-WPG]

Jersey,

Thanks for the support but I think you would see Hartford or the Nordiques get a team back before Winnipeg.

Winnipeg may get an NHL team someday but that day is a few years off. A team moving to or starting up in any city has to be approved by the owners. It wouldn't suprise me to hear that some of these owners still hold a grudge against Winnipeg for signing Bobby Hull for $ 1 million. That is not much by todays standards but it was unheard of in the early 70's.

The WHA was a big thorn in the backsides of the NHL owners at the time. It was a start up league that drove up salaries in the NHL luring the NHL players with larger $$$ contract offers to play in the WHA.

Phoenix may not be the only team to enter into Chapter 11. There are other teams bleeding cash and Chapter 11 may be the only choice. The owners of the teams that are making money will only put up with revenue sharing for so long. Then they will look for alternatives. Bettman will have to pay attention. I am not familliar with the current situation in Hartford. They would have as much chance as anybody if they have a building, an owner with $$$ and a population to support it.

Jim Balsillie is the owner of Blackberry putting the offer forward to get the Coytoes. The deal is conditional on the team moving to Ontario. Toronto Maple Leaf and Buffalo Sabre managment will fight this as hard as they can. I don't know about the Sabre managment but Leaf management would be forced to fill the team roster with hockey players if Balsillie gets his way.

[AzRedCardinail]

The Cardinals could take the Arena and use it for training camp in doors lol:Cards logo:


Well, the main problem is...

The Coyotes are in enormous debt (to Glendale). You can't just move and wash your hands of debt. It doesn't work like that.

And what are we going to do with a 7 year old, vacant arena?

[NJCardFan]

Jersey,

Thanks for the support but I think you would see Hartford or the Nordiques get a team back before Winnipeg.

Winnipeg may get an NHL team someday but that day is a few years off. A team moving to or starting up in any city has to be approved by the owners. It wouldn't suprise me to hear that some of these owners still hold a grudge against Winnipeg for signing Bobby Hull for $ 1 million. That is not much by todays standards but it was unheard of in the early 70's.

The WHA was a big thorn in the backsides of the NHL owners at the time. It was a start up league that drove up salaries in the NHL luring the NHL players with larger $$$ contract offers to play in the WHA.

Phoenix may not be the only team to enter into Chapter 11. There are other teams bleeding cash and Chapter 11 may be the only choice. The owners of the teams that are making money will only put up with revenue sharing for so long. Then they will look for alternatives. Bettman will have to pay attention. I am not familliar with the current situation in Hartford. They would have as much chance as anybody if they have a building, an owner with $$$ and a population to support it.

Jim Balsillie is the owner of Blackberry putting the offer forward to get the Coytoes. The deal is conditional on the team moving to Ontario. Toronto Maple Leaf and Buffalo Sabre managment will fight this as hard as they can. I don't know about the Sabre managment but Leaf management would be forced to fill the team roster with hockey players if Balsillie gets his way.

Believe it or not, my first hockey game live was between the Philadelphia Blazers and L.A. Sharks.

[AussieCardinal]

Screw that, bring back the...
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/logos/nhl/hartford_whalers_1996.gif
Or at the very least...
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/logos/nhl/winnipeg_jets_1992.gif

Fair enough, I'll take either of those 2 back aswell.

[RipperEagle]

It sucks that the Coyotes are in this deep of trouble. I didn't think that the prospect of a hockey team in a state like Arizona would work out. Of course, it doesn't help that their team can't be good enough to compete, again an issue to be attractive to free agents and trades. I mean, they unloaded Olli Jokinen and Derek Morris before the trading deadline, two of their best players. But the Yotes DO piss me off because they traded that ******* Daniel Carcillo to the Flyers, and we LOST Upshall AND a second for that *****.

All that aside, I hope they can keep the team in Glendale.

[CFL-WPG]

There is a book called "The Rebel League" wrttien by Ed Willes and published by McClelland and Stewart. It is a very interesting book on the history of the WHA. You may be able to order it through you local book store if you are interested.

The Blazers, Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets were some of the first teams in the WHA (1972/73) and then others followed. The book talks about different players leaving the NHL for higher salaries in the WHA and how the NHL owners loathed the WHA. According to the book the average salary for an NHL player was $28000.00 per year when the WHA started. That figure moved up to $96000.00 within a few short years. It seems like peanuts compared to what the players make today.

[NJCardFan]

There is a book called "The Rebel League" wrttien by Ed Willes and published by McClelland and Stewart. It is a very interesting book on the history of the WHA. You may be able to order it through you local book store if you are interested.

The Blazers, Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets were some of the first teams in the WHA (1972/73) and then others followed. The book talks about different players leaving the NHL for higher salaries in the WHA and how the NHL owners loathed the WHA. According to the book the average salary for an NHL player was $28000.00 per year when the WHA started. That figure moved up to $96000.00 within a few short years. It seems like peanuts compared to what the players make today.
Original WHA Teams:

New England Whalers(now Carolina Hurricanes)
Cleveland Crusaders
Philadelphia Blazers
Ottawa Nationals
Quebec Nordiques(now Colorado Avalanche)
NY Raiders
Winnipeg Jets(now Phoenix Coyotes)
Houston Aeros
LA Sharks
Minnesota Fighting Saints
Alberta Oilers(now Edmonton Oilers)
Chicago Cougers

The Blazers' 2 big pickups were Bernie Parent and Derrick Sanderson. Sanderson ended up going back to Boston and Parent held out in the playoffs(of all the times) then rejoined the Flyers the next season(winning us 2 straight Cups, thank you very much). But for the most part, from what I remember, was that aside from Hull, only marginal players made the jump. I mean Cheevers played in Cleveland and of course the Howe family went to Houston but I can't think of many impact players who made the jump. Lacroix maybe.And did you know that the Blazers were originally supposed to be in Miami as the Screaming Eagles? My dream is to get a custom WHA Blazers jersey with "00", Bernie's number. Here's my main man here: