Man, it feels like just yesterday that the Coyotes relocated from Phoenix to Arizona - and now the specter of movement is once again on the horizon for the team that can never put such issues to rest.
Of course, the team only changed its name last season in order to appeal more widely to the people of the state, in the hopes of marketing the franchise to a bigger base - though cynics noted the ridiculous nature of such a move, the team at least hadn't played in Phoenix for years, so it was true enough to pass on as logical and ignore the implications and silliness of the whole thing.
I mean, the Ottawa Senators - who similarly play in a suburb several miles the city they are named after aren't going to become the Ontario Senators any time soon.
Regardless, it was just one more off-ice thing to talk about. More ammunition for the fans of the other 29 teams who like to mock the franchise most likely to need to explain what icing is. Back then - last year! - it didn't really bug us much because the team had new ownership - solid for the first time in team history - and a 15 year deal that would help the team become profitable and keep it permanently in Arizona.
There was that pesky out-clause, but with a sweetheart arena deal, the advertising and sponsorship deals announced by owners Ice Arizona, those same owners enthusiasm for the team and Gary Bettman's seeming love for this market, so I don't think anyone was ever too concerned that the out-clause would ever be a factor.
Sure, there are chicken-little types everywhere (especially in the comments section!) but when the team started buying out players (Mike Ribeiro) and then when they put the rebuild into effect and started to retain salary in order to make better hockey deals (Vermette, Yandle) things looked as good as they ever had.
Sure, it was weird that Ice Arizona sold a 51% share of the team to Andrew Barroway - and his reputation throughout the league is somewhat checkered - but the team kept saying and doing all the right things, so it seemed alright, if not somewhat more of the same.
But then the city of Glendale started this whole fight about the unfairness of the deal - and maybe they have a point, I'm obviously bias towards and in favor the hockey team - and now things are just getting ridiculous again.
I mean, the draft is a week away and here we are writing about off-ice crap, again.
This week, Barroway reduced his shares in the team from 51% to somewhere around 30%. Ice Arizona is back in charge - so maybe this is a good thing, but really, who knows what motivates billionaires, as a hundredaire I have no idea if this is a good thing or a bad thing.
But it doesn't exactly scream "OPTIMISTIC" either.
Beyond the ownership reshuffling, there is the lawsuit that will decide what happens.
It won't even begin the preliminary stages until July or August and so the Coyotes almost certainly will do at least one more acrimonious year in Glendale. They can't be kicked out until the courts decide whether the City Council's technicality based argument is legitimate or not.
Then, it's off to Phoenix and back down town, maybe.
Or - and especially if the city wins its lawsuit - it may be off to another city. TSN's Rick Westhead
says that if the Coyotes lose, they'll pay a relocation fee and move to another city.
On the positive side, Anthony Leblanc - de facto owner and Ice Arizona spokesman - seems positive the team will say. He's been great for the team, but what else is he gonna say?
The problem for me in this situation is that the whole thing is reported on and talked about by people I don't trust at all:
Billionaires, the NHL head office, city councilmen, lawyers and the 5 million opinion based blogs on the internet about it (including this one).
So who do you even believe? Is it possible to even care anymore?
I mean, here's the rub: The team just acted like a real team for the first time ever when they committed to a rebuild, made hockey decisions that are counter to money making decisions, traded star players, bought out problems, retained salary and they also have a beautiful prospect system and young team, highlighted by Max Domi, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and the #3 pick in one of the best drafts, possibly ever.
But we aren't even talking about that.
How can fans of the team even get excited when they don't know if the team will be here next year or if the players will even want to re-sign and stay involved in this headache.
The whole thing is frustrating and I feel terrible for the fans of the team.
The worst part: no immediate answers are coming. The team will remain in purgatory for the foreseeable future.
How long until the teams best player asks to be traded, players refuse to re-sign or draft picks refuse to report? What should be an amazingly optimistic summer for building up a team that will compete for years to come might be completely derailed.
Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»