NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Just Confirmed His Love For The Arizona Coyotes

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William
November 13, 2022 (8:01 PM)

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In an interview with Bally Sports Todd Walsh, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was asked about why he didn't abandon ship when the Arizona Coyotes were struggling.

Here's the two-minute interviews which took place between periods of the Coyotes vs New York Islander game on Thursday, November 10th.

Bettman seems quite pleased with the revenue calculations of the team when compared to their former home in Glendale, AZ in what is now called Desert Diamond arena.

While the 'intimate' surroundings of Mullett Arena are all new, how long will the attraction remain? It has been estimated that the new Tempe entertainment district which will include a 16,000 seat hockey arena would take 23-24 months to be built. Then, to clear off the land which is presently a dump, another 7-8 months will be needed. It's not happening overnight.

The Tempe City Council has decided in an unanimous vote of 7-0 to put the decision on whether the proposal will move forward to a voter referendum.

Unfortunately, the council must give a 180-day notice that such a referendum be requested. That means that the soonest we will know anything concrete on the new arena won't be until mid-May 2023.

The team's agreement with Arizona State University to play at Mullett Arena is for three years, with an additional year if necessary.

Bettman is very upbeat (and what choice does he have?) about the prospects of the Coyotes FINALLY getting a suitable arena in a good location. It is what is needed to help the team and the league find success in Arizona.

And, at this point, with Bettman's unwavering support both in the past and going forward, it's good news for hockey fans in Arizona.

He praised the positive features of Mullett Arena and mentioned all the players love it. Time will tell, but it appears that all the naysayers who insist that the team should relocate should take a chill pill... at least for now.