How Much Blame Should The NHL Shoulder For The Coyotes' Relocation?

If anything, the NHL is only at fault for not having moved the team in 2009 when they took over the team for 5 years. They have had every chance and then some to get their act together and they haven't, so the NHL had no other option but to cut their losses. It sucks for the fans in Arizona but I can't have much sympathy for the team due to how awful it has been run and how many chances they had.

Gary gave them way more time than they ever reciprocated

There's not a single owner in the Coyotes history that I believe the league would have ever let into their club if not for the fact they were specifically rescuing the Coyotes. Not one.

In my opinion the reason this is happening as quickly as it is, has everything to do with where they currently play. The NHL has moved teams with an attendance level per game of the Mullet arena and another 3-5 years there is an embarrassment to the league, a drain on the finances of the NHL to continue to support and fund them as a "have not" team. The situation would be different if they were moving into an existing arena and probably a big reason why SLC is an attractive offer.

The NHL gave Arizona more than enough time to get their s*** together.

The NHL showed incredible patience in dealing with owners of the Coyotes.

Bettman and the NHL did whatever they could to keep the Coyotes alive in Arizona. While everyone is blaming ownership, municipality buy-in was lacking and no one seems to be talking about what a big obstacle that was as well.

I would have pulled the plug on Pheonix 15 years ago

Between the franchise approach and the CAP model, a lot of marginal teams are being carried by the better supported, more productive teams. You look at soccer internationally: no CAP means the better teams get to keep their better players, teams are more stable, the best teams rise to the top. Teams celebrate with a champions league. This whole "parity" idea we have in the NHL doesn't work. A lot of teams, maybe, but how many are viable, how many good players are there? Just stupid. Phoenix, Tampa Bay, probably the other Florida team, Phoenix, Carolina: are any of them really viable? Even Winnipeg, as a Canadian I have to ask: why aren't they supported, why not move the team to a Canadian location that has the supporters and the money too? Hamilton, Quebec City, even a team in Saskatchewan has more potential.

Sports franchises are a hustle on the local economy.

I blame the NHL for not moving this sorry franchise 20 years ago.

not so mutch i suppose

O fucking percent

What's less than Zero?

I think most hockey fans know who's at fault and it's not the NHL.

Perhaps ownership is a little bit to blame? Just a tiny bit?

Who’s to blame ? How about looking in the mirror . Multiple owners the NHL had to buy the god damn team at one point. Couldt meet season ticket goals .Fans didt come out to the games didt watch on TV . The team couldt pay its bills kicked out of an area but it’s on the NHL?

Holy shit, you're going to blame the league? They've carried the team for years. What a disgraceful organization. The team sucks, too.

I sure wish my team had as much support by the NHL before Norm Green had everything packed into u-hauls and moved to Dallas in the middle of the night.

Who cares. The coyotes sucked here anyways. Hardly anyone attended games. The owners didn't care about the fans. I'm glad that organization is out of Arizona. Arizonans don't really like hockey.