Please Don’t Move The Arizona Coyotes To A Non-Traditional Market
By Chris Baker
As a Carolina Hurricanes fan, I am begging the NHL powers to NOT move the Arizona Coyotes to a non-traditional market. Not that I am a stodgy traditionalist, who thinks hockey cannot survive outside cold weather, “traditional” locations. After all, I am writing this article in shorts and Chacos on the morning before my team is playing, at home, in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals not to prove the point that hockey can thrive anywhere, or let you know my preference of summer time footwear.
No, I am writing this because, in the briefest of time I have been exposed to the slightest bit of insider hockey, I have seen the serious amount of bull crap heaped on a non-traditional market and simply do not want others to have to endure a single iota of that nonsense.
Instead, I would rather the NHL sick the Coyotes in some Canadian town and be done with it. Any one will do. Big or small. It matters not. Wherever they go it will be great.
Also, while I am on the soapbox, can I quickly say that the Carolina Hurricanes have been in Raleigh for 25 years. 25 years is a long time, and plenty of time to create a history, so let’s drop the non-traditional market nonsense.
Plenty of things still lingering in the American conscience lasted far less than 25 years, so let’s just get over it all.
To tie that back into the Arizona Coyotes narrative, allow me just one point. If you can, think about what it will be like for that new city in 25 years. Whatever fanbase outside of Canada gets all the excitement of having a NHL team will be dealing with the non-traditional market crap while making a historic Stanley Cup run just like we are as Hurricanes fans. And frankly that is horse manure. Everyone ought to be able to enjoy a Stanley Cup run unobstructed. Who cares if they are wearing a parka or flip flops in May.
So, I think we would all be better off letting some experienced fanbase that already has 25, 30, or even 50 years of hockey tradition already built enjoy a new team. Cast the bones of the Arizona Coyotes to the wolves of some city in Canada and let them have at it. They are, from what I hear, going to love the team win or lose, good times and bad. Every player will be welcomed with open arms, and they won’t ever experience any bad times while playing the game with all eyes, hopes, and dreams on them.
At the end of the day, as I have quickly learned in dealing with Hurricanes fans, for that matter hockey fans in general, is to just give them what they want. Don’t step out of line, look at anything any different than everyone, and certainly do not cheer for a team in a non-traditional market. Besides, hockey won’t work in a place like Florida, Texas, Las Vegas, and certainly not North Carolina. It’s better off in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, or Montreal.