Why Does Gary Bettman want to Keep the Coyotes in Phoenix so badly?
Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington. Each of these clubs was an unmitigated disaster as it relates to attendance earlier in the decade. Pittsburgh was bankrupt and the owner (Mario Lemieux) was looking to sell. As they say, things are a bit different for all three clubs. I point this out because Bettman didn’t give up on these clubs. As Bob v.4.0 pointed out, Bettman correctly views franchise relocation as the last option and, as such, is going to do anything and everything he can to help a club. It’s what every other club should reasonably expect if they were in Phoenix’s shoes. Bettman has made the NHL incredibly profitable during his tenure (a perusal of their revenue trajectory since he took over bears this out). It may come to pass that franchise relocation is the only option for Phoenix, but Bettman and the BOG have correctly stated that this is the last option.
