Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
These six cities make the most sense, but plenty will be interested.
The Arizona Coyotes appear destined to be a relic of the past. Tempe voters resoundingly rejected a public referendum on Tuesday, which would have diverted tax dollars to a new $2.1B arena complex to house the NHL team. It’s almost-assured the team will seek relocation, being the first since 2011, when the Atlanta Thrashers moved and became the Winnipeg Jets.
Plans called for a new 16,000 seat arena to be built, along with a new music venue and other multi-use buildings inside the new entertainment complex. Plans moved forward to a vote after 7-0 approval by city council, but ultimately the public made the incredibly wise decision of not using public funds to further line to pockets of billionaires. Team owner Alex Meruelo has an estimated net worth of $2B, and has been advocating for a new arena deal after the city of Glendale chose not to renew a leasing agreement with the Coyotes, instead using land for other multi-use projects.
The organization has long said they plan to find a permanent home in Arizona, but rejection of the Tempe deal effectively shuts the door on that possibility. The NHL released the following statement to ESPN:
“The NHL is terribly disappointed by the results of the public referenda regarding the Coyotes’ arena project in Tempe,” league commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “We are going to review with the Coyotes what the options might be going forward.”
That’s hardly the vote of confidence Arizona hockey fans hoped for. Now it seems these “options” are fairly clear: The team will likely relocate, but where?
Houston
There’s been rampant speculation that Houston is the next city poised to house an NHL franchise. A large metro area, established sporting success, and a growing city pairs perfectly with what the NHL and ownership would be looking for.
Questions have surrounded whether a second team in Texas could work — however, the Dallas Stars have seen mammoth growth in 2022-23, assuaging some fears that a non-traditional market might fail.
There’s unquestionably a sports market that could allow for this. The Astros rank top 10 in MLB attendance this year, the Texans were middle-of-the-pack in the NFL, despite being the worst team in the league, and even the Houston Rockets managed to get over 16,000 fans a night despite being terrible in 2022-23. It’s entirely possible the Coyotes could see decent attendance figures, despite being a poor team.
Portland
The Seattle Kraken proved the concept. Long seen as a dicey proposition, the Pacific Northwest is perfect for hockey and Portland makes a ton of sense as a new location.
This is a sports-crazed city, with the Blazers routinely pulling great attendance figures, paired with the Portland Timbers of MLS pulling over 23,000 fans per game. Not only do sports work here, but more importantly smaller sports. The NHL would fit right in with the ethos of the city without causing any major scheduling issues by keeping a team in the west.
While Portland might not be a mammoth metro area the NHL would be looking for, there’s little doubt that an NHL team here could easily cultivate a rapid following. The Portland Winterhawks of the WHL have a rabid following too, making the city prime for relocation.
Milwaukee
It’s wild to think that Wisconsin doesn’t have an NHL team given its location and climate. Nestled between the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks, Milwaukee is a city that could easily support an NHL team, should they make a move.
The city already puts up big numbers for both the Bucks and Brewers, both of which are dominant teams — and as a state the Packers remain one of the biggest draws in the NFL. This would be a natural fit both in hockey culture and fandom, and should be a city to watch.
What about outside of the USA?
Up to this point we’ve presumed the move will be inside the U.S., but there’s no doubt that any number of Canadian cities would be dying to get an NHL team.
This is where the prospect gets shaky. There’s no doubt that Canada would accept any team with open arms, but it doesn’t guarantee it will work. Winnipeg hasn’t been a runaway success since relocation, with a playoff run in 2022-23 still not selling out their arena on a nightly basis, while boasting one of the lowest average attendances in the NHL.
The most likely three candidates would be Halifax, Hamilton, or Quebec City. The issue with all three of these cities is size, all being around 500,000 people inside their metro areas. That doesn’t mean this concept can’t work, however. In terms of rabid fanbases you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the U.S. like Canadian fans, and Quebec City in particular would easily leverage its smaller market and still pack an arena.
