Skip to content

Coyotes seeking stability in Arizona in order to attract free agents

Matt Kartozian / USA TODAY Sports

If you build it, they will come.

That's the obstacle facing the Arizona Coyotes after an amended arena agreement with the City of Glendale ensures only short-term security while potentially hindering the club's ability to attract talent to the desert.

As such, co-owner Anthony LeBlanc is intent on working things out with the city in order to demonstrate to players his franchise isn't a house built upon the sand.

"I would like to see us structure something with the city of Glendale on an extended basis sometime over this next year," Coyotes president, CEO, and co-owner Anthony LeBlanc told Sarah McLellan of azcentral sports, "Because I don’t want to go into free agency next year having (general manager) Don (Maloney) dealing with the same uncertainty he was dealing with this year.

"We will begin in earnest in the month of August having discussions about what we need to see on both sides to extend this because nobody benefits from a short-term deal like this, in particular, our hockey department," LeBlanc added.

On the hockey side of things, it's business as usual for head coach Dave Tippett, who remains committed to building a winning program.

"If you’re competitive and doing things right, you have a chance to win," he said. "I don’t think players will shy away from it at all."

At present, the Coyotes are locked into the Gila River Arena through the 2017-18 season, and are carrying the NHL's third-lowest payroll.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox