So the city of Glendale, Arizona told the Arizona Coyotes itSA国际影视传媒檚 ending the lease between it and the city at the CoyotesSA国际影视传媒� home arena. HereSA国际影视传媒檚 a telling line from the city in a tweet on Aug. 19:
SA国际影视传媒淲ith an increased focus on larger, more impactful events and uses of the city-owned arena, the city of Glendale has chosen to not renew the operating agreement for the Arizona Coyotes beyond the coming 2021-22 season.SA国际影视传媒�
The key words in there I take away? Larger, more impactful events. Essentially, the city of Glendale told the Coyotes that it wants the building to be more full than it is when they play. It doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 need to be hammered home but the Coyotes canSA国际影视传媒檛 draw flies to a pile of dog doo on the best of days SA国际影视传媒� and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 in the months and years before the Covid came around SA国际影视传媒� and the city of Glendale knows that. Naturally, the Coyotes didnSA国际影视传媒檛 take that lying down and are SA国际影视传媒淪A国际影视传媒� 100 per cent committed to finding a long-term arena solution here in Arizona SA国际影视传媒A国际影视传媒�. Right. The Coyotes couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 sell out pad No. 3 of a four-plex in Mesa let alone anywhere else.
And so the buzz about relocation perked up again and that means trying to figure out which Canadian city should get the Coyotes. I say Canadian because thatSA国际影视传媒檚 where any relocated team should go. ISA国际影视传媒檝e read Houston as a natural rival for the Dallas Stars or Kansas City, which would have a natural rival with absolutely no one. I advocated for Hamilton before but that ship has long since sailed because, well, itSA国际影视传媒檚 Hamilton. I wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be opposed to Saskatoon but, like Hamilton, their best chance passed them by long ago.
So where should it go?
Quebec City. Bring back Les Nordiques and fast.
The city has a ready-made arena with a capacity of nearly 19,000 and there will be no worries about selling tickets. Because ISA国际影视传媒檓 greedy, I also want to see a Nords-Habs game again, like a lot of people do. If thereSA国际影视传媒檚 ever a natural rivalry, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 the one. Vendredi Saint 1984, anyone? Perhaps the most infamous brawl in National Hockey League history, or at least the only one I can recall which carried into two periods.
LetSA国际影视传媒檚 not forget that the Nordiques relocated not because of lack of butts in seats but because of the financial situation at the time. A small stadium combined with a crappy exchange rate is what did the Nordiques in. Marcel Aubut, who owned the Nordiques before he sold the team in 1995, never lost money but said he needed a bailout in order to survive the situation. None was forthcoming and he was forced to sell. If this sounds similar to what the first incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets went through, it is. The Jets ended up in Phoenix due to money.
Alas, the Jets have returned after Atlanta proved a second time that it isnSA国际影视传媒檛 a hockey town and now itSA国际影视传媒檚 time for the Nordiques to reclaim their place. It would be quite the twist as the original Jets would become the new Nordiques should they make the move from Phoenix. Finances shouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be the issue because if it came down to money, the Atlanta Thrashers would have gone somewhere else besides Winnipeg.
The days of Nordiques Nation filling up coach buses and travelling to various cities to take over a couple thousand seats should be gone, though it was thoroughly entertaining to see them hit places like Ottawa and New Jersey to make plenty of noise. You know what would be great to see? Nordiques Nation fill up the buses SA国际影视传媒� and I mean hundreds of them SA国际影视传媒� and head to Florida to take in a Panthers game. Buy up the tickets for a Florida Panthers-Columbus Blue Jackets game, one thatSA国际影视传媒檚 sure to be the hottest ticket absolutely nowhere, and just have a party. Who cares who wins?
There will be some who will say ISA国际影视传媒檓 not making much of a case but I donSA国际影视传媒檛 need one. The Coyotes have been an abysmal failure in Arizona. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 more emotion involved in a cribbage game at an old folks home than there is at a Coyotes home game and I can guarantee you the sentiment of the Coyotes leaving the desert will be the same when the Thrashers left Atlanta: meh.
Allons Nordiques et esp茅rons vous voir bient么t.
