NHL commits to 30 year “non-relocation” agreement with Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes' are making their case for a new arena to Tempe, Arizona town council this evening, but a "Yes" vote from council still doesn't guarantee much. The Coyotes' will remain at the 5,000 capacity ASU Multipurpose Arena for at least two seasons, more like three or four seasons, while a new arena in Tempe is being constructed.

However, should the team get that much needed "Yes" vote, they'll get a 30 year "non-relocation" commitment from the NHL, courtesy of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

The latest from Phoenix reporter Chierstin Susel:

Wow... that's absolutely INSANE to me. Does any team in the NHL get that sort of commitment from the NHL? I'm not even sure that the Montreal Canadiens or Toronto Maple Leafs have that sort of agreement with the league, yet somehow the Coyotes manage to get a golden ticket?! Absurd...

But here's the thing... the team gets this commitment only IF everything goes according to plan. Which, of course, never happens with this franchise. The fact of the matter is that the Coyotes are constantly in a state of despair and without the help of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman they would have folded well over a decade ago. For some reason Bettman and the NHL continue to give the Coyotes a life-line when they've shown absolutely zero ability to run a stable franchise.

Meanwhile, the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL who play out the 18,259 Videotron Centre built in 2015 had nearly 15,000 fans in attendance for a playoff game against the Shawinigan Cataractes. 

Insane.

How, how, HOW is the NHL allowing Bettman to continue this stupid charade with the Coyotes?

This team is a failure. Full stop.

The NHL moved the Atlanta Thrashers when there was an opportunity to move them to a better market in Winnipeg, but for some reason relocating the Coyotes never seems to be on the menu. And don't get me wrong this isn't some Canadian hockey supremacy BS, while I'd love to see the team relocated to Quebec City or Hamilton, I'd be just a pleased with an American market like Kansas City or Houston. Hell, put the Coyotes on the moon for all I care, just get them the Hell out of the Arizona Desert.

By the way, if you haven't seen Quebec City's Videotron Centre it's definitely capable of housing an NHL team and has even hosted NHL pre-season games in the past.

Check it out:

Now, let me ask you: Would you rather play here or in a 5,000 seat capacity shoebox with ASU branding all over the ice and boards?