PHOENIX — The Arizona Coyotes have their sights set on the East Valley for a new arena.
Coyotes President/CEO Xavier Gutierrez spoke with reporters at the NHL Draft Wednesday.
"We're putting several options into play," Gutierrez said. "We have over a dozen sites that we have had conversations with. We have half a dozen of those that we think are going to go to that next step."
Gutierrez specifically mentioned the Loop 101 corridor in the East Valley as the team's primary target for a new arena location.
He did not give any specific locations that the team was looking at, but he expects an announcement to be made by early 2024.
The team is looking to avoid another public referendum, according to Gutierrez. It comes after Tempe residents voted down a proposed arena there in May.
"No one wants to resolve this more than we do," Gutierrez said. "I think a specific plan could include multiple sites. One of the things we don't want is to put ourselves in a situation to only have one solution."
Gutierrez says the team is specifically looking at the Loop 101 corridor because most of their fans come from the East Valley, and there is significant residential and business growth in the area.
The team wants to use the same plans for the Tempe arena site at any of the possible new locations they are looking at.
The Coyotes started playing at Mullett Arena last season after the city of Glendale did not renew its agreement with the team for them to play at what is now Desert Diamond Arena.
