Elliotte Friedman reports on frontrunners for Coyotes relocation and it doesn't include Canada

In case you missed it last night The Athletic's Katie Strang reported that the Arizona Coyotes risk becoming essentially a homeless franchise unless they can buck up $1.3 million in unpaid taxes before December 20th, 2021.

From Strang's column for The Athletic:

On Dec. 3, the Arizona Department of Revenue filed a tax lien notice in Maricopa County against IceArizona Hockey LLC, the company that owns the Coyotes, for more than $1.3 million in unpaid state and city taxes. The City of Glendale, which has been locked in a lengthy dispute with the Coyotes over delinquent bills, has already notified ASM, the Gila River Arena management company, and Coyotes team president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez of the cancellation of the Coyotes’ business license.

The Coyotes, according to the notice sent to ASM and to the team, will have until 5 p.m. MST on Dec. 20 to pay the outstanding arena invoices from the 2020-21 season, as well as the outstanding tax bill. If they do not settle up the remaining debt by that time, the City of Glendale has instructed ASM to deny team employees access to the arena and the offices within the arena used as administrative space. Arena vendors would also be locked out.

- Katie Strang

Further to the $1.3 million owed though, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reports that the Coyotes will actually be on the hook for much, much more before they're allowed back in the building. Friedman reports that the city of Glendale will likely force the Coyotes to not only pay their debt, but they'll have to also pay their 2022 taxes early to avoid another situation where they go in arrears. 

All of this is to say that the Coyotes are at serious risk of finally, mercifully moving on from the failed experiment in the Arizona desert. But... where would the NHL move them to? While fans across all of Canada are screaming, "QUEBEC CITY!" in unison, Friedman reports that the team frontrunners appear to be Houston and Kansas City.

From Friedman:

"I think Kansas City is a possibility, but the league has to be looking hard at Houston, it's the biggest market in North America not counting Mexico City that doesn't have an NHL team."

- Elliotte Friedman

Really? You're going to take the team from one southern based experimental market and move them right into another? Has the NHL learned nothing from the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg Jets 2.0 scenario? Just put the team somewhere with an established fanbase where you know it will work.