In the previous article on our comparisons between the Arizona Coyotes and Winnipeg Jets we discussed the success of both teams and the success of both Captains. Here in Part II of Winnipeg Jets V. Arizona Coyotes we are going to discuss the markets that both the Coyotes and Jets and which seems to fair better.
Hockey in Arizona has never been as big as one would have hoped for it to be. The Coyotes have consistently been finishing near the bottom of the NHL in attendance since their spawn and recently they have found themselves without a home. The city of Glendale recently cancelled their lease on their rink under a special vote. The team is heading to court to challenge this and possibly keep the club in Arizona but it seems as if all signs are pointing to the club heading out of state.
A recent article by Alan Muir of Sports Illustrated suggests that the league has expressed an interest in having the Coyotes relocate to the Pacific Northwest specifically Seattle or Portland. Seattle is the leagues first choice for the Coyotes relocation (preferably) as it stands at 14th among US TV markets. As pointed out in the article though, Portland has a rink ready to go for the Coyotes if they were to move to Portland. The rink of course is owned by Microsoft co-founder and Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen who might be more then happy to take on another franchise. This all remains to be seen though as the Coyotes are currently challenging the ruling by the city of Glendale and doing all they can to keep the club in Arizona.
Winnipeg Jets
As you all may know the Winnipeg Jets are beloved in Winnipeg and even throughout Canada. The Jets have the third highest brand amongst Canadian teams behind only Toronto and Montreal and ticket prices on stub hub go for over 100 dollars (good luck finding some other then preseason under 100) as compared to the Coyotes ticket prices which are essentially blu-ray prices. It is not secret that the Jets are in a better hockey market then Arizona and that bringing hockey back to Winnipeg was a stroke of genius; however, that doesn’t change the harm inflected upon the people of Winnipeg and the league by taking the team away from their beloved fans all those years ago.
Here’s a cool piece on Forbes that lists Winnipeg as 20th NHL team valuations.
Here’s the piece on Forbes that lists Arizona as the 27th NHL team valuations
Stay tuned for our final part of Winnipeg Jets V. Arizona Coyotes where we will discuss the coaches that have made both teams great as well as the many star players throughout their histories. Comment below and join in on the discussion!
Next: Winnipeg Jets V. Arizona Coyotes Part I
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