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Posts Tagged Phoenix Coyotes

Could Seattle Lure Coyotes from Desert?

Feb 2

Posted by Eddie in News | 1 Comment

If it weren't for the Ontario Reign of the ECHL, the Seattle Reign would be a nice play on words should an NHL Franchise play in Seattle.

With one NHL relocation out of the way, the next target that for potential movement is the Phoenix Coyotes. We already know this, considering the NHL owns the team. With no ownership group lining up to buy the team with plans to keep them in Phoenix, something has to be done to get them either a new city or a new ownership group.

There has been old news and rumors of them being moved to Quebec City (which won’t happen unless a new arena is 100% privately funded) or Kansas City (Why?)… the new hot rumor, at least according to a post on Pro Hockey Talk, is Seattle, Washington.

While Seattle has never had a NHL franchise, they could be appealing to an NHL franchise to take advantage of the northwestern United States and media markets of Seattle (13th largest in the country) and Portland, Oregon (22nd largest) in a similar fashion that Major League Soccer did with recent expansion teams Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers.

The NHL had the opportunity to play in Seattle, as they were awarded a franchise to begin in 1976-77. The deal was pulled as the potential owners were unable to secure a $180,000 deposit and a $6 million franchise fee by the deadline.

However, there are a couple of problems that could stand in their way before a puck drops in Seattle:

The Vancouver Canucks: While separated by three hours driving time and 141 miles, there could be some sort of interference between the Canucks with an attempt to move a team into their television and media market.

The Western Hockey League: This isn’t the only instance of major junior hockey in the same local area as an NHL franchise. The Seattle Thunderbirds and Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League could be affected by this move. Other teams in the umbrella of the CHL that share the same hockey market with an NHL franchise in the OHL are the Plymouth Whalers and Windsor Spitfires (Red Wings), Ottawa 67′s (Senators), and Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (Maple Leafs).

Teams in the WHL that are in the same situation are the Calgary Hitmen, Edmonton Oil Kings, and the Vancouver Giants. Coincidentally, the Hitmen and Oil Kings share the same arena as their NHL counterparts while the Giants skate out of the Canucks former home the Pacific Coliseum.

No Modern Arena: It’s going to be hard to convince the casual or diehard hockey fan that hockey will work in a city that couldn’t support a somewhat successful NBA franchise in the Seattle Supersonics. In 2006, the ownership group wanted the Washington state government to kick in money to improve and modernize Key Arena. The government balked at the move and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz sold the team to Oklahoma City businessman Clayton Bennett. Bennett tried to have a new arena built in the city in an attempt to keep the team in the city but after those attempts were unsuccessful, he moved the franchise to Oklahoma where they are now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder. After one playoff appearance in their last six seasons in Seattle, the Thunder played in the conference finals in their third season in Oklahoma last year. However, the city did hire a sports-facilities consultant at $19,500 per month in an attempt to determine the feasibility of having an NBA (or NHL) franchise in Seattle.

It will be interesting to see what happens this summer when the league will start shopping around a home for the Coyotes.

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NHL Photo of the Day

Jan 30

Posted by EB in NHL Photo of the Day | No Comments

Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images

Keith Yandle of the Phoenix Coyotes checks Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins during the first period of the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game. Chara with a big smile showed exactly what the NHL All-Star festivities is about; fun. From the heckling at the draft, neat shoot-out moves in the skills competition to the pick-up friendly All-Star game, the event was a success.

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Devin Setoguchi Placed on IR

Dec 8

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

The surprising Minnesota Wild has been dealt a blow as right winger Devin Setoguchi has been placed on the injured reserve.

The Wild has been a top story to follow this season as they are currently leading the Western Conference. With a record of 18-7-3 for a total of 39 points, it seems their playoff drought has finally come to an end. Minnesota’s last playoff appearance came during the 2007-2008 season where they lost in the first round to the Colorado Avalanche.

Setoguchi left in the first period of Tuesday’s game at San Jose with a lower-body injury. He is tied for a team leading 8 goals. Setoguchi has five helpers to put his point total to 13. Setoguchi has been averaging close to 17 minutes a game, a contributing part to the teams success. Still, Setoguchi has room for improvement with a team worst plus minus of negative 7.

The loss of Setoguchi will definitely hurt the Wild in their dominance of the West, but will they be able to hold onto their lead? Setoguchi’s injury is still unknown to be a lengthy or short one, but at the least, the winger will have to miss 7 days from being placed on injured reserve. The time off will see Setoguchi missing that of 3 more Wild games. The team plays the Los Angelese Kings tonight, the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday and the Winnipeg Jets next Tuesday. Tonight’s matchup will be a good test as the Wild will also be missing forward Cal Clutterbuck who is out with a thigh injury.

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NHL realignment talks on tap for Governors meeting next week

Dec 2

Posted by Chris in Soap Box | No Comments

With the NHL Board of Governors meeting next week in Pebble Beach, California, fans may finally get their long-awaited answer as to how the league plans to deal with realignment next season after the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg this past summer, throwing the league out of whack as Winnipeg is playing in Atlanta’s Eastern Conference spot but should rightfully be a Western Conference team.

It appears as if there are two front-running suggestions right now. The first involves an even swap where Detroit would move to the East and Winnipeg to the West. This would be the simplest move for the NHL to make, which means it will never happen.

The other suggestion involves a complete realignment that shifts away from the two-conference, six-division standard and instead implements a four-division league where two of the divisions have seven teams and the other two have eight. If this idea is agreed upon, it’s likely that the Board of Governors will also alter the schedule so that each team plays every other team at home and on the road at least once during the regular season.

As a hockey fan, I’m more intrigued by the complete reformation. It would certainly be more fun from a fan’s point of view to play every team at home at least once. That way, fans all over can see Steve Stamkos, Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin and countless others at their home arena once every season. Plus, this proposal would also include two rounds of divisional playoffs – something that should increase the bad blood between division rivals. If this strategy could produce rivalry playoff matchups even remotely to the level of Detroit-Colorado in the late 1990’s, I’m all for it.

The problem is that two-thirds of the Board of Governors has to approve whatever method they propose. That’s probably the most likely reason why they will not adopt a simply strategy where Detroit moves to the East and Winnipeg to the West. Too many Western Conference general managers like having Detroit come to their arena twice a season to help draw in fans. Add in the fact that each team will also play host to Crosby, Ovechkin and Stamkos and you’re looking at a big increase in profits during those games.

The other reason why I believe they will adopt a complete restructuring involves the Phoenix Coyotes. The city of Glendale, where the Coyotes’ arena resides, has stated they will not pay for the Coyotes any longer. Unless there is a buyer in place by the end of this season, the Coyotes will likely be on the move. If the general managers agree to a straight Detroit-for-Winnipeg swap, they could be in the exact same position next season if Phoenix moves East (although I hear Las Vegas and Washington are possible destinations if Phoenix moves).

For the time being, however, I am still holding out hope that the league will adopt my strategy that drops two teams completely and moves to four, seven-team divisions. Sorry Phoenix and Columbus, you are the weakest links. Goodbye.

 

 

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Buck Bash is Back

Nov 1

Posted by EB in News, Soap Box | No Comments

The Arizona Lottery’s Buck Bash is back. What exactly is that you wonder? One of the best promotional efforts that any hockey fan would love for their local team.

The Buck Bash is a promotional effort by the Phoenix Coyotes to generate ticket sales and ultimately, fans. The press release reads as follows:

GLENDALE, ARIZONA — The Phoenix Coyotes announced today that due to popular demand, the team is bringing back the Buck Bash! The Buck Bash, presented by Arizona Lottery, officially returns on Saturday, November 5th when the Coyotes host the Edmonton Oilers at 7:00 p.m. All fans in attendance at Jobing.com Arena will enjoy $1 beer, sodas and hot dogs throughout the game.

Yep, that’s right; a hockey game, hot dogs and tons of beer. I don’t know about you, but that is a pretty darn good promotion. Hopefully they bring back the Snuggies from last year too.

The Coyotes have had their struggles over the last couple of years in trying to attract fans despite having a winning team. Still, I believe this promotion is an envy of any hockey fan. As a Red Wing fan, one that does go to some games throughout the season, it is frustrating watching a game in a run down arena and having to pay $7 for a beer that should cost half of the price. So, in conclusion, Phoenix fans better cherish a promotion like this because most NHL clubs don’t offer such great things.

HWB is participating in “Movember” to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Make a difference, make a donation.

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Mike Ribeiro Shootout Goal Against Phoenix

Oct 11

Posted by Matt in Media | No Comments

Mike Ribeiro is definitely one of the most exciting hockey players to watch during the shootout. Last night against Phoenix, he lived up to the hype once again with a great goal. I would imagine it’s a pretty difficult move to pull off, but he definitely made it look easy. Take a look below and let us know what you think.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Phoenix Coyotes

Sep 16

Posted by EB in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Additions: Daymond Langkow, Raffi Torres, Mike Smith

Key Offseason Losses: Eric Belanger, Lee Stempniak, Vernon Fiddler, Ed Jovanovski, Ilya Bryzgalov

Last Season Ranking: 6th in West

What do you mean Ilya Bryzgalov is gone? We're screwed!

Offense: The Phoenix Coyotes were in the middle of the pack last year as a team for offensive statistics. Averaging 2.76 goals per game, it is going to be interesting to see if the team can better last years numbers with the amount of changes to the lineup.

The Coyotes are still lead by the great work ethic of Shane Doan. Doan is a player you would love on your team but hate to play against. Averaging 64 points over his last five seasons, it seems likely he will meet that number again this year.

Doan will be supported by an assortment of players, most notably Martin Hanzel, Ray Whitney, Radim Vrbata, Taylor Pyatt and new addition Daymond Langkow. Hanzel is coming into his 5th season and has been looking to break into the 40 point threshold. Whitney brings the veteran presence as well as great playmaking capabilities. Vrbata has jumped to a few teams but it seems Phoenix is the place for him. Vrbata has averaged 49 points in the three seasons with the Coyotes. Pyatt brings good depth to the team, not exceling, but manages to stay positive in +/- over his years.

The final piece of the puzzle comes from Daymond Langkow who previously played for the Calgary Flames. He has been suffering from a neck injury, but if healthy, can add another 40+ points to the team. The positive for Coyote fans is that his production is a good combination of assists and goals.

Defense: When you look at Phoenix’s defensive pairings you cannot help but notice the team has depth. Sure they lost gritty Ed Jovanovski, but that can be easily overlooked by giving more ice time to sophomore Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Ekman-Larsson only played 48 games last season, needing time to develop with the San Antonio Rampage. Expected to play a full season this year without any unforeseen hardships, Ekman-Larsson could develop into a very good defenseman.

Most of the weight of the defense will be carried by Keith Yandle. Yandle had a breakout season posting 11 goals and 48 assists for 59 points. Include a plus 12 rating and 103 blocked shots, Yandle does what it takes for the team to win.

Goaltending: The biggest change for the team comes in the net. Ilya Bryzgalov has gone to the Philadelphia Flyers to be replaced by Mike Smith from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Smith did not play much last season for the Lightning as Dwayne Roloson stole the show. It is expected the time out of the number one spotlight, as well as replacing Bryzgalov’s shoes, will make Smith hungry to be the best goalie and the right choice for the Coyotes.

If, however, Smith falters, backup Jason LaBarbera will be there to assist. While playing for the Los Angeles Kings, LaBarbera was expected to be a great goalie. The hype far outweighed the production, and he will forever be just a backup.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Not Playoff bound. With the loss of Ilya Bryzgalov and no real added stars, the Phoenix Coyotes will not make the playoffs. Poor performance will increase the low attendance, expect rumors to be spreading all year about a potential city change.

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Now on the Auction Block: The Dallas Stars

Sep 15

Posted by Eddie in News | 1 Comment

If you have ever wanted to purchase a hockey team, now is your chance.

There are various media reports stating the Dallas Stars is now for sale pending the team filing for bankruptcy. A source familiar with the team and the situation say that owner Tom Hicks planned to file for bankruptcy as early as today as a means to start the auction process has been approved by the majority of the team’s creditors. There are already a couple bidders lined up to purchase the team, including a team led by Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi. Gaglardi is the chairman and CEO of Sandman Hotels, Inns & Suites.

This is a growing trend in sports as the Stars are the fifth major professional sports team to file for bankruptcy in the last two years, joining fellow NHL member Phoenix Coyotes and MLB’s Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Coyotes are still owned by the National Hockey League and is still looking for a buyer that will keep the team in Arizona.

Hicks, 65, fell off the Forbes list of billionaires in 2010.  In 2009 his worth was reported to be at around $1 Billion. He also previously owned the Texas Rangers and Liverpool FC of the English Premier League. He and Montreal Canadiens owner George N. Gillet Jr. purchased Liverpool FC in February 2007 and sold the team in October 2010 to a New England-based group led by Boston Red Sox owner John Henry. Hicks’s holding company for the Stars and the Rangers defaulted on $525 million in loans after missing interest payments, according to Bloomberg data.

The Rangers were sold to a group led by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan in a transaction worth about $575 million. The winning bidder of the Dallas Stars will also receive 50 percent ownership of American Airlines arena. The other 50 percent is controlled by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

At this rate, little league baseball and youth hockey parents may want to think twice if Hicks offers to purchase or sponsor their team.

 

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Coyotes and Flames Swap Forwards Stempniak and Langkow

Aug 29

Posted by Eddie in News | 1 Comment

In a late-off season trade, the Calgary Flames and Phoenix Coyotes worked together to trade right winger Lee Stempniak and center Daymond Langkow. The trade is contingent on Langkow passing a physical in Phoenix.

Stempniak will be taking his talents north of the boarder for the second time in his career. He spent parts of the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons with the Maple Leafs, where he scored 25 goals and 26 assists in 123 games. When interviewed about the trade, he took a small yet yelling jab at Phoenix when he said to the Flames official Twitter feed ”You want to play in a place where hockey matters. You love being in a market like that. I’m so excited to come to Calgary”.  While with the Coyotes, he played 100 games and recorded 56 points since coming over late 2010. Financially, he is set to make $1.9 million while with the Flames. Look for him to fill several roles for Calgary as he has the potential to score 20 goals when healthy. He scored 19 last season in 82 games. His career high is 27 goals with St. Louis in 2006-07.

Calgary got much needed help on the wing with the addition of Stempniak as they have struggled to generate offense and score goals despite having prolific scorers Jarome Iginla, Alex Tanguay and Rene Bourque. They lost depth at center in the trade, but they will be $3.5 million under the salary cap after the trade according to capgeek.com. They will have the ability to acquire another player via free agency or trade if necessary during training camp and during the season.

Phoenix is looking to verify that Langkow is healthy heading into the final year of a contract that will pay him $4.5 million this season. He has missed more than a full calendar year and more games than an NHL regular season, 88 games in all, with a neck injury he suffered on March 21, 2010 in Minnesota. Langkow missed the final 10 games of the 2009-10 season and the first 78 of the 2010-11 season before returning on April 1 in St. Louis.

Langkow wanted to wait until he was 100 percent healthy before returning to play because he cared about his healthy and family before returning until hockey. After six years of service in Calgary, he returns to the city he called home from 2001-2004, the three seasons before the lockout. In 2001-02, he led the team in points with 62. That season also ended a run of five playoff appearances in their first six years in the desert with a first round loss to San Jose. He scored 52 points in each of his next two seasons with the Coyotes. In addition to having the trade completed pending a physical, he had to waive his no-trade clause in order to make the deal happen. He said he did soon after Calgary General Manager Jay Feaster informed him of the potential deal, and added that playing with Coyotes captain Shane Doan was what got him excited about playing in the desert.

 

 

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Flyers ink Bryzgalov for nine years

Jun 23

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

As expected, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have signed goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine-year, $51 million contract.

The move comes immediately on the heels of news that the Flyers traded forwards Jeff Carter and Mike Richards to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Los Angeles Kings respectively – a move that freed up roughly $11 million in salary cap space for a team that had less than one million in cap space when they acquired the negotiating rights for Bryzgalov from Phoenix two weeks ago.

The contract will give the Flyers a cap hit of roughly $5.7 million each season for one of the best goaltenders in the league in recent years. Last season with the Coyotes, Bryzgalov posted 36 wins along with a 2.48 goals against average and a .921 save percentage – some of the best stats of his career.

With the salary cap increasing by roughly $5 million for next season, the Flyers still have $7.57 million in cap space left with 18 players under contract and their moves today.

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