Say this much for the fans who did show up for home games of the Arizona Coyotes: They want to keep their team.
Nor are they in favor of the NHL franchise leaving their city for the north — or more specifically, to Salt Lake City, Utah, as reports suggest they are about to do.
So Coyotes fans flocked the arena to watch their team face off in a meaningless game against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, and actually paid a high price for the right. And why not? It was, after all, the Coyotes' final home game, with no new arena in site.
And fans had a message about the move, repeatedly chanting "Salt Lake Sucks" as the Coyotes played their final moments at Mullett Arena in Phoenix.
?SALT LAKE SUCKS? Chants have ERUPTED in Mullet Arena ? pic.twitter.com/4gFwwDfLnV
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) April 18, 2024
But this is just the way of pro sports and the era of team owners suffering from ADHD. They want more, more, more ... or they will take their ball and go home. It happened to the Winnipeg Jets in 1997 — when the team became (you guessed it), the Arizona Coyotes. No word on if Winnipeg chanted "Phoenix sucks" at the time.
Now, the franchise is moving again, finding another greener pasture, with "green" referring to more money and without a doubt, at least a little greed.
But wait. Perhaps it's not over yet.
"There's a chance that the NHL will come back to Arizona in a few years," wrote Matt Reigle of Outkick. "It's been widely reported that the deal with Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith could include a path for current Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo to get an expansion team if he can get an NHL-ready arena built over the next few years."
Oh, brother.
Why don't we just give every city a team and have them all move to new cities every seven years? At least that way fans will see it coming.
Now, it's just the old case of "it is what it is," and what it is leaves fans who supported the team for about 30 years up the creek without a hockey stick.
But hey, at least the Coyotes won the game, 5-2.
"This is the last one in Arizona for a little bit and we wanted to have a good effort, show that to the fans," Coyotes forward Clayton Keller told reporters.
