Interest Check: Phoenix Coyotes

[flaming_june 2]

So a friend was in Arizona recently and went to a few Coyotes games, and also got some free tickets. 6 thousand people attend per game. That just sad. Do people have any real interest in hockey over there? They give away a lot of free tickets as well. A whole elementary school class got in for free. Would you even go to a game if the tickets are free and you were as well? I don't know how the NHL can save that disaster.

[Chadd 916]

Official attendance is 10k and change. Getting the ownership problems resolved will be a big step forward. People don't want to get invested emotionally or financially in a team that could move.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

A great aunt and uncle of mine (grandpaps sister?) that I havn't seen in roughly 10 years was just home for Thanksgiving..They live in Phoenix and had no idea that they had a hockey team. Granted their older people but still..

I don't really see Phx lasting even with a new owner..

[flyers10 57]

I live 15 minutes from Jobing.com arena. I go to about 10 games a year, more if money allows. About 20 last year including playoffs.

The issues Phoenix has are ones many teams in their shoes would face. No owner currently with limited money to spend on top players(under NHL budget currently) and like Chadd said many don't want to get financially or emotionally invested and then have team moved away in a year or two.

Bad economy (horrible in AZ) and people pull back some spending. Some top NHL, NFL, NBA etc teams don't sell out as much now as a few years back.

Warm climate and people unaware of hockey. This affects all southern teams and is a work in progress for the league. AZ residents are notoriously transient. Most people are from other states or countries. Few generational natives to pass down local team fervor. Folks bring their alliances of their former home town team with them and many will only go to a game if that team is playing. ie, Detroit/Chicago/Philly, etc fans. If more of those fans would become a fan of just hockey and go to games to appreciate live hockey that would help attendance. (Cause it will be a long drive to watch the Wings/Hawks/Penguins etc having to drive to LA/Anaheim to catch a live game if Yotes move)

With a large population from states that hockey isn't huge in plus from residents from Mexico and other Latin American countries that no nothing about hockey it takes a lot longer to build a large fan base. My in-laws only watch futbol.

The local media here is pathetic. No matter how bad the Cardinals play or Diamondbacks play they talk about them incessantly. The Coyotes get about 10 seconds if losing and about 1 minute of coverage if playing well. How can any AZ person become interested if local media doesn't help create awareness.

For those that say the arena is too far to drive, that is BS. I grew up 60 miles from the Spectrum and went to about 20 games a year. My dad drove through I-95 f-in traffic right after work to take me. If you really want to do something you will find a way to do it. Most of those fans that cry about the drive are lazy. Most Phoenicians drive 45-60 mins for work every day. You're telling me you can't drive 45 - 60 mins 10 times a year in 80 degree weather to go to a game??? Hell people in Edmonton brave -20 F to go to games.

Some people will never become fans no matter what and I don't expect Phoenix to ever have a fan base like the Wings, Flyers, Flames, etc even with a solid owner, winning teams and the like. There is just too much to overcome for an area like AZ to have that but I do believe PHX can survive with 15K avg attendance with a new owner in place, continued winning, better marketing and much improved local media exposure. They have done a great job for youth hockey already with many leagues and a few NHL draft picks and have 11 sheets to play on for kids/adults within a 45 minute drive. Just need to get more out to the non hockey folks.

Sorry for the rant.

[RichardsIsTheMan 0]

I think I would go to a hockey game in Phoenix if it were free, just because I jump at any chance I get to watch good hockey. The sad thing is, they're playing well, they should have a fanbase to support them.

[GoBucky 0]

Id go there if the tickets were free. Why not?

[flaming_june 2]

Well mostly because if you support good hockey (assuming they win and make the playoffs), you'd need to pay to keep the team there. It almost feel likes liverpool fc with the two American owners with the only difference being there's no fan base.

[GoBucky 0]

If I lived in Phoenix, Id pay to go to Coyote games as long as the tickets were reasonable. As long as they were less than $50, Id go.

[flaming_june 2]

When Dave tip was the coach of the Stars, and the Canucks was just a blue collar team with a 6mil dollar goalie, I watched one of their games. By the early part of the second period I looked at my friend and he looked at me. From our conversation in FM frequency we just decided to leave. It was one of the most boring games I've ever seen. Even if tickets were under 50 a person, even for lower bow, who would want to watch a defensive team play one in two deep for 82 games?