TEMPE, AZ — The Arizona Coyotes will honor the contract they are locked into to play at Mullett Arena in Tempe next season, a team representative confirmed with ABC15.
The news comes despite Tempe residents voting not to support the development plans of an entertainment district and new arena to house the team in the coming years.
The Coyotes are currently under contract to play at Mullett Arena through the 2024-2025 season. The hope, however, was that there would be a new arena in Tempe to house the team by the time that deal was up.
“I’ve often said, find someone who looks at you the way Gary Bettman looks at Arizona because his entire commissioner tenure has been fighting to keep that team there when everybody else doesn’t want them there,” ESPN's NHL Insider John Buccigross told ABC15 Wednesday.
Buccigross says an angel investor that wants to keep the team in Arizona could be one option for the Coyotes to stay in town. Another could be getting new Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia involved to explore joint options that could benefit both teams.
However, Buccigross acknowledges there’s also a good shot that the team finds a new home.
“Maybe the naysayers were right and they’ll just walk out of town at sunset and be in the rearview mirror. But I know the players love to play there, it’s a great market. Great place to live and raise a family and hockey is all about family to me.”
Buccigross says that Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Sacramento and Houston are all cities that are rumored to be in the market to add an NHL team and could be interested in recruiting the Coyotes.
“The National Hockey League is terribly disappointed by the results of the public referendum regarding the Coyotes' arena project in Tempe,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We are going to review with the Coyotes what the options might be going forward.”
The vote took place after the city of Phoenix and Sky Harbor International Airport expressed concerns about residences that were part of the project in a high-noise area under the airport’s flight path.
