Relocating The Arizona Coyotes
Before I begin, I need to say, I was never against the NHL having a team in Arizona. The coyotes weren’t my favorite team, but I didn’t dislike them by any means. I know Gary Bettman wants no world without a team in Arizona, but the writing is on the walls and the team needs to be moved.
Podcasts like Spittin’ Chiclets seem to think that Houston is the number option and the move is basically a done deal. Houston is one of the few cities in America that I haven’t been to and clearly they have a pretty strong sports community, but I’m not sold. During my time in Texas (keep in mind that it was Dallas and there’s a rivalry I’m sure) but the common consensus seemed to be that Houston was not a desirable city, again I haven’t been and don’t know.
I will say that I am someone that is opposed to just how annoying Bettman is about putting teams in the south. I understand that in order to grow the game we love, we have to expose southern markets to the sport, but there’s a point when it becomes too much and you’re no longer focusing on strategically growing the game but rather serving a personal desire. Bettman is getting near he age of retirement and like many at that age, the cold becomes difficult to handle so moving south becomes favorable.
None of my opposition towards southern markets have to do with politics, that’s something I won’t speak on especially when it comes to this matter. It should also be noted that some of my favorite hockey markets are in the south. Cities like Nashville and (as much as I want to hate it) Tampa Bay are incredible hockey cities. However, looking at organizations like the Coyotes, Panthers, and Hurricanes make me question why we keep pushing so hard towards some southern markets.
There have been a few markets put out there that I actually really like, a couple of which are southern markets, here are some that I would love to see in order of my preference.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Salt Lake City, Utah
Kansas City, Missouri
Austin, Texas
3 and 4 on this list are southern markets (no matter how hard Missouri tries to claim Midwest), so I’m not against southern markets, but we can’t take hockey away from northern markets and we need to be intentional and strategic with the markets. I don’t know that I would be against a team in Houston, just not a top choice for me.
I know that some will say that they aren’t officially leaving Arizona yet, hell, the team Twitter account continues to deny the possibility of leaving the Phoenix area. While I will miss the logo and the jerseys from this franchise, I think the organization and the league needs to realize defeat and move on before losing too much.
