Coyotes Avoid Getting Locked Out Of Arena, But May Still Need New Home

The Arizona Coyotes will not be locked out of their arena later this month, as the team is up to date on the more than $1.3 million it owed the city of Glendale and state of Arizona, according to Kristen Shilton of ESPN.

The Coyotes reportedly owed the city $250,000 in outstanding taxes, and the city of Glendale threatened to ban team employees from the arena if they did not come up to date by Dec. 20. The team issued a statement late Wednesday night that blamed the hefty balances on “human error,” Shilton reported.

However, this isn’t the end of the road for the Coyotes’ housing troubles. The city of Glendale in August opted out of its lease with the Coyotes, effective at the end of the current NHL season. However, Glendale city manager Kevin Phelps told Joshua Bowling of The Arizona Republic “the city continues to have concerns” regarding the Coyotes’ ability to fulfill its financial obligations.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, when asked about the matter Thursday, took an odd stance, telling reporters “there’s no problem, but we’ll deal with that tomorrow,” according to NHL insider Chris Johnston.

The franchise reportedly is considering a move to Tempe, but the city still is reviewing the plans, according to Shilton.