The ongoing saga between the city of Glendale and the much maligned Arizona Coyotes franchise took a turn for the worse on Thursday after it was announced that the city would be terminating the club’s arena lease after the 2021-22 season.
The city of Glendale, which owns the Gila River Arena where the Coyotes play, released the following statement on social media today: “With an increased focus on larger, more impactful events and uses of the city-owned arena, the city of Glendale has chosen to not renew the operating agreement for the Arizona Coyotes beyond the coming 2021-22 season.”
The Coyotes and the city have been working on a year to year lease for the past several seasons as the organization attempted to find a permanent space in Arizona. Gila River Arena has been home to the Coyotes since it opened in 2003.
Reports from The Athletic’s Katie Strang indicate that the club is behind on payments to the city to the tune of roughly $1.4M at the moment. Arizona has already released statements expressing their disappointment in the decision and hope that the city will reconsider their verdict.
News of the arena issues has sparked renewed discussion about the future of the franchise in the desert. Rumours are already swirling that this could trigger a move to either Houston, Quebec City, or Kansas City in the not so distant future. The NHL’s insistence on making hockey work in the state of Arizona has long been a point of contention amongst those in the hockey community. This latest setback could be the final nail in the coffin for the Coyotes.