Quote:
Originally Posted by Oilkountry
Back to the Coyotes/Houston thing. I see this happening in the near future. As early as next season.
Hear me out. The Coyotes owners are borowing against the team to cover losses from last season (18M) . ASU Is not interested in building such a massive arena for the sun devils. The arena lease at Gila river arena (jobing) is a year by year lease. How long are shareholders going to put up with this? I can see them cashing out to break even and Houston icing a team as soon as next season
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The Coyotes have already agreed to play another season at Gila River Arena so they will be staying in Glendale at least through the 2018-19 season. I will say they are living on borrowed time though. I cannot fathom the public (city or state) willing to fund another 16,000 seat $350 - 400 million arena which is what will be required as no potential owner in their right mind would spend half that amount to build a new home for the Coyotes.
We are talking about a franchise that has been a perpetual money-loser from the beginning and most likely has been losing $15 - 25 million per year for the past several years...especially with the loss a few years ago of a subsidy thanks to the idiocy of the previous ownership group.
Phoenix is not that vital to the league's maintenance/growth of their footprint within America. 1) Their games are never featured on national television so they are of little importance to the national tv contract 2) having a team in Las Vegas pretty much takes care of the surrounding region/tv territory when the Coyotes move to Houston. NHl maintains its footprint within the region.
Given the huge annual losses, no reasonable person will want to own the Coyotes in perpetuity. It's only a matter of time before they are gone...2 perhaps three years.
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