Could the Coyotes' longstanding nightmare in Glendale reach a happy Valley conclusion?
Stanton said he has reached out to the NBA's Phoenix Suns, who play downtown at US Airways Center (soon to be rechristened as Talking Stick Resort Arena), to see if they are interested in pursuing a partnership with the Coyotes.
The Coyotes played at the arena, then named America West Arena upon their relocation in 1996 until 2003 when Glendale Arena (now Gila River Arena) was built.
There were issues when the Coyotes played downtown previously. The arena was not configured for hockey when it was built in 1992, so many of the north-end seats had an obstructed view that did not allow fans to see the north-end goal. Because the Suns own the arena, revenue streams were and could be an issue as well.
While it's unlikely that the current downtown arena -- given its limitations -- would be a permanent solution for the Coyotes, there have been at least whispers of a new facility for the Suns in the not too distant future, and such a facility could conceivably be designed to house both teams.
With litigation pending against the City of Glendale after council members voted to cancel the city's 15-year, $225 million arena lease deal with the Coyotes, the team wasn't ready to speculate on any future moves.
Team spokesperson Rich Nairn declined comment Friday morning. On a conference call Thursday, Coyotes CEO, president and co-owner LeBlanc called any talk of moving downtown premature. LeBlanc was in court Friday.
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