The Arizona Coyotes are set to announce their plans for a new arena in April, and that new arena will likely be built in one of two areas in the East Valley, sources tell ABC15.
Coyotes ownership has gathered three viable options for an arena outside Glendale, where they currently play. The two likeliest scenarios:
1. A joint arena in Tempe with the Arizona State University hockey team, which made the jump to the NCAA Division I level in 2015-16.
The Coyotes see ASU as the future of hockey in the Valley, and the relationship between the Coyotes and the university is strong, as the Sun Devils played multiple home games at the Coyotes' current home of Gila River Arena last season. An ESPN report in January said this scenario is probable.
2. An arena within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale. Sources say the money and space are already in place for such an arena, and construction could begin right away.
The third option is a new joint arena with the Phoenix Suns. Sources say that option is the least likely of the three, as the Suns and Coyotes have struggled to reach agreeable terms.
From 1996-2003, the Coyotes shared an arena with the Suns at what is now called Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix. The Coyotes moved to Glendale during the 2003-04 season.
The Coyotes have had a number of legal issues with the City of Glendale. Last summer, the Glendale City Council voted to void its 15-year lease with the Coyotes. The two sides agreed on a revised two-year lease that expires after the 2016-17 season.
Reports say a new arena would take about three years to complete. That means that, if the Coyotes are unable to extend their arena lease with Glendale beyond next season, they would have to find a temporary home for at least two seasons.
