PHOENIX , AZ – The Phoenix Coyotes are young, hungry, inconsistent, and more importantly, roughly $30 million in debt this season. This week the Coyotes return home after a trip to Dallas to take on the Stars. Ilya Bryzgalov stopped all 33 shots he faced and outdueled Marty Turco who made 28 saves on the night.
Ilya Bryzgalov. Photo courtesy of NHL
“He was awesome tonight, we gave him only one goal to work with and he found a way to use it,” said Shane Doan after the game. Enver Lisin picked up the lone goal of the game. “It was the kind of game we needed to get back into this thing (playoff hunt),” said head coach Wayne Gretzky. This was a game the Coyotes needed after a 6 game losing streak that had seen them spiral down in the Western Conference standings.
Phoenix (25-25-5) currently sits in the 12
th spot in the conference but is only 3 points behind
Vancouver. The Coyotes will host the Canucks tonight in
Phoenix. In fact, the Coyotes sit only 6 points out of the 5
th slot where they resided in mid-January before the recent slide. Doan leads the club in scoring with 50 points on 21 goals. Olli Jokinen is second on the team with 34 points on 17 goals. Though a significant distance exists between both players in scoring totals, Doan’s 50 points have been attributed to Jokinen’s presence on the ice. Doan has been solid all year and the opposition’s focus is now shared by Doan and Jokinen.
Shane Doan. Photo courtesy of NHL
But it is off the ice where the franchise is battling finances and (mis)perceptions. The NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, recently made a statement that there was no plan to move the Coyotes out of
Glendale to any other city. Rumors have circulated that the Coyotes would move at the end of the season if an investor or investors were not found. In January, Jeff Shumway, Chairman and CEO of the club, resigned in favor of managing team owner Jerry Moyes’ core businesses. Jerry Moyes said in a statement, “Jeff has done a great job in managing the team for me but right now I need him to focus on some of my other projects. Doug Moss and Don Maloney have the team moving in the right direction and I will work closely with them as we move forward.”
The Hockey News recently reported on several aspects of the Coyotes’ bad deals with the Glendale Arena including parking costs that for every other franchise would be a revenue stream. Such deals have not helped the cash strapped Coyotes. Nor has the current economy and the burst in fuel costs in 2008. Moyes’
Swift Trucking was hit hard by those diesel fuel costs and his ability to support the club’s operating expenses. The key for the health and long-term residence of the Coyotes in
Glendale is the 2008-09 post season. The additional revenue gained from added dates and the hope for a longer than usual run in the post season will cure many of the ills that the team faces. The added dates will make a 2009-10 season likely. The club is averaging 14,892 fans for 27 home dates or 85% of capacity. That would translate into a nice cash bonus if Gretzky can take his young team to the post season. Contact the author at
lou.lafrado@prohockeynews.comRelated
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