While the city of Glendale's decision to terminate the Arizona Coyote's 15-year lease before agreeing on a two-year extension to keep the franchise in their current arena through the 2016-17 season would seem to point to an increasing likelihood of the Coyotes relocating to somewhere outside the dusty confines of Arizona sometime in the not-too-distant future, a recent report from Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports suggests that may not actually be the case.
Per Morgan, the Coyotes are currently eyeing "at least three significant possibilities" for the NHL's desert-based franchise to remain in the Valley after 2016-17. None of those possibilities, of course, involve Glendale.
Beyond the already-reported East Valley location, which would be run in conjunction with Tempe and Arizona State University, Morgan reports that the Coyotes are also discussing a downtown Phoenix facility to be shared with the Suns and a possible Scottsdale location "along the 101 corridor near Indian Bend Road."
While nothing is yet set in stone, what's become clear out of all of this is that Glendale is not the place for the Coyotes. Arizona fans desperate to see the team remain in-state may very well get their wish - assuming Morgan's report is accurate and despite a bevy of reports suggesting that a Canadian relocation may be in store for the franchise - but much remains to be determined.
Fortunately, with the on-ice product improving this season - though the team remains mostly potential and likely not yet a serious contender - thanks to the performances of Max Domi and Anthony Duclair, investor interest should increase. This interest could increase even further if one of the above relocation options pans out, per Morgan.
For now, the team doesn't seem to believe that Glendale's lukewarm expressions of interest in retaining the team are real, and so they'll hire an "arena consultant" to navigate the various possibilities - possibilities that Coyotes fans no doubt hope sees the team remain in Arizona.
