Phoenix Coyotes attendance still low
The Phoenix Coyotes are coming off a huge season in which the club finished fourth in the Western Conference with 107 points and 50 wins, but are still unable to draw fans to their home games.
The Coyotes have had trouble getting fans to their games, seemingly since they were relocated to Phoenix from Winnipeg in 1996. The club has not been competitive often, but even when they are, fans still do not support them.
Over the past six years the Coyotes have become an example of why hockey does work in the southern United States.
Last season the club hit rock bottom off the ice, while they soared on the ice. The team’s owner Jerry Moyes filed for bankruptcy protection in May 2009 after it was revealed that the team was haemorrhaging money. Moyes and the League were then unable to
agree on an owner and the NHL has since assumed control of the organization.
The NHL has been trying to sell the team since they took over, but have been unable to find a suitor. The fact that the League is convinced the team is able to work in the Phoenix market has kept anyone who has the intention of moving the club out of the
conversation. Recent reports indicate that the founder of Peak6 Financial Services Firm Matthew Hulsizer is interested in purchasing the club, but the taxpayers of Glendale will be asked to cover $100 million in expenses.
Simply put, the Coyotes are a mess off the ice and were recently estimated to be worth $138 million by Forbes Magazine, which was the lowest of any franchise in the NHL. Moreover, the team does not have any fans at their games. A recent home game had only
6,700 people purchase tickets, many of whom did not attend.
The Coyotes average attendance in four home games this season is 9,390, while on the road the club averages 17,424.
“I’m not sure if you had an owner or not if that was going to change the fact that you had 6,700 people [at this game],” Coyotes winger Ray Whitney told Yahoo! Sports. “I don’t know what could be the cure or the fix for it. Winning? They won last year and
this year they had 6,700 at a game the other night. It’s just the way it is, I think.”
The troubles off the ice are clearly affecting the play on the ice, as the club has significantly less money to work with than most NHL franchises. The Coyotes are forced to work in a budget below the League salary cap, which keeps them from signing certain
players, meaning they have to develop talent and try to get the most out of mid-range players.
Moreover, the lack of media attention hurts the squad, as they do not feel the pressure from fans to succeed. On the club’s recent road trip they did not have a single member of the Phoenix media following them.
“Our situation is very unique,” said head coach Dave Tippett. “Some situations, there’s a lot of outside pressure, media pressure. Our situation isn’t like that a lot of times. So we have to make sure players are held accountable whether it’s in the dressing
room, through stats, through video. There’s all kinds of way to make sure that we’re doing the right thing.”
The NHL is convinced that a new owner and stability will put the fans back in the seats. However, just last season commissioner Gary Bettman said the same thing about winning and at the moment that does not seem to be paying off.
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