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A recent vote to fund a new arena in Tempe, Arizona for the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes has failed. They’re reportedly set to play the 2023-2024 season in Arizona before exploring all options, including relocation the following year.
“The National Hockey League is terribly disappointed by the results of the public referendum regarding the Coyotes’ arena project in Tempe,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “We are going to review with the Coyotes what the options might be going forward.”
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes took to Twitter to make his pitch, suggesting that Kansas City could be the perfect new home for the “KC Coyotes.”
“KC coyotes has a nice ring to it,” Mahomes exclaimed. “@NHL what y’all think? @tmobilecenter.”
KC coyotes has a nice ring to it! @NHL what y’all think? @tmobilecenter
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) May 17, 2023
Ever since the T-Mobile Center was erected in 2007, city officials have been in discussion with the NHL and NBA about bringing an expansion team to Kansas City to no avail. Kansas City is now at the center of the football-playing universe with Super Bowl parades and the NFL draft recently coming to town, but could it support a hockey team? Mahomes sure seems to think so.
The city has supported the Kansas City Mavericks for 14 seasons, an ECHL affiliate for the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. Outside of the horrible mismanagement of the NHL’s Kansas City Scouts nearly 50 years ago, there’s no reason to believe that the city couldn’t support a professional hockey team.
They’ve already got an arena that could host the team in a prime location in downtown Kansas City. They have fans hungry for more professional sports. All they need is a team willing to make the jump to the Midwest.
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