Craig Morgan
@CraigSMorgan
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Senior writer & host of The Focus: @PHNX_Sports Past: The Athletic, Substack, Arizona Sports, FOX Sports, CBS, NHLdotcom, Arizona Republic, East Valley Tribune
Chicago to Gilbert, AZ
Joined March 2009
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For Diehards only: My final
@PHNX_Coyotes
mailbag is published.
Thanks for your questions — all 88 of them!
if I overlooked one, let me know and I will add it. I got a little🥴going through all of them.
It has been an honor serving you, Coyotes fans!
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Per multiple sources, the Coyotes have been informed that relocation to Salt Lake City is real.
Now hearing it could actually be announced on April 17; the date of the Coyotes’ final game at home vs. Edmonton.
It’s going to be quite an atmosphere that night at Mullett Arena.
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I can confirm via the Coyotes that Anaheim forward Trevor Zegras did not say anything about Troy Stecher’s father during their dust-up last night but, per a team source, he crossed the line with “some very inappropriate comments.”
Stecher has declined comment on the topic.
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When Phil Kessel came off the ice after the game, he didn't go into the dressing room.
He went immediately to the medical area to find & support Clayton Keller.
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Happy birthday to Coyotes forward prospect Julian Lutz, who was born on Feb. 29, 2004 and turns 5 today.
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Per source, Coyotes UFA D Niklas Hjalmarsson is retiring. I don't expect a formal announcement or statement from Nik. Those who have covered him or known him know that is not his style.
He was an integral part of 3 Stanley Cups in Chicago and the consummate pro on/off the ice.
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On eve of NHL Draft, Coyotes have no coach, no captain (yet), no president/CEO, no starting G, no No. 1 C (still), no prez of hockey ops.
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The Coyotes legends who never played a game here lineup is really shaping up now.:
Hossa — Datsyuk — Little
Pronger — Weber
Dave Bolland will center the second line whenever it materializes.
Really need a goalie.
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'Everyone’s got to love each other a little bit more.'
Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott discusses his decision to use pride tape in the home opener in defiance of NHL policy.
Read the story by clicking the photo:⬇️
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Hearing that after talks w/Turner & ESPN, Eddie Olczyk has agreed to a 5-year deal to become Turner’s lead NHL analyst starting next season.
Word is Olczyk will still have freedom to cover horse racing for NBC.
Also hearing Ray Ferraro is in line to become ESPN's lead analyst.
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I’m hearing that several influential hockey and business leaders in Arizona are building a foundation to keep Arizona hockey growing after the Coyotes leave. More to come on Monday.
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Conor Garland on leaving AZ: “Everybody knows what’s gone on here. We haven’t heard anything from the team since maybe three days after the season ended when they asked for our offer. It’s been a while waiting for that. You just want to go where you’re wanted.”
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The Coyotes have drafted Josh Doan, Shane Doan's son. This is the coolest of cools.
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I asked Clayton Keller about this seven-game unbeaten streak:
“We got a good burst of energy there over the break,” he said, then laughed. “I’m sure the GM’s not too happy about it.”
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Rick Tocchet on how his mom viewed his career: "I never deserved a penalty. I never had a bad game. It was always the coach's fault. I could do no wrong. In her eyes, I was like Gretzky and Lemieux put together."
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BREAKING: The Coyotes are in advanced discussions with ASU to use the university's new multi-purpose arena as their temporary home for the next 3-4 years.
Unlocked story via
@PHNX_Coyotes
&
@PHNX_Sports
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Meanwhile, I have just confirmed this same news.
The Coyotes have until 5 p.m. on Dec. 20 to pay the outstanding arena invoices and taxes from 2020-21. If they don't they will be locked out of Gila River Arena.
NEWS: Coyotes may be locked out of Gila River Arena by City of Glendale for unpaid arena charges and delinquent tax bills
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Hearing the Coyotes are trading Darcy Kuemper to Colorado for a first-rounder pick and defenseman Conor Timmins.
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Per league source, Pierre McGuire is no longer a candidate to become the Coyotes' GM.
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Boko Imama's father (Bokondij Imama), mother (Kumbia Kandolo), and 2 of his 4 sisters (Alice & Bandeja Imama) were at Gila River Arena to watch him score his 1st NHL goal tonight.
The building was electric after the goal & that emotion seemed to spark the Coyotes' 3-goal rally.
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What a surreal night this has been.
I think I’ve already spoken to half the people in this building and heard their powerful stories.
This hockey community may be smaller, but it is tightly knit and passionate.
It deserves a second chance.
It deserves good ownership.
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BREAKING: AZ Board of Regents has approved capital development plan for ASU's multi-purpose arena that includes Coyotes' added team areas at NE corner.
ASU will be Coyotes' temporary home for at least 3 seasons (approved for more) as they await word on proposed Tempe arena.
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I asked OEL if he left money on the table: “It’s just money. It’s not going to make you happier if you go somewhere else. My heart is in Arizona.”
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Avs coach Jared Bednar and the Cup are checking in for our flight.
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Coyotes practice was just canceled as a result.
The ice at Rod Laver Arena is not looking great right now. Puddles, ruts, uneven coloring. Ruh roh.
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I am told that NHLPA "is reviewing this matter."
The Arizona Coyotes have placed forward Alex Galchenyuk on unconditional waivers for purposes of terminating his contract. The Club will have no further comment at this time.
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Garland on going to Van: "If anyone ever asks me who I thought was going to be a really good team I would say Van b/c I am really high on Pettersson, Horvat & Hughes and I’m from Boston so I saw Demko play a lot at BC. I know how good they are. I want to help them get better."
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Per Coyotes, all payments have been made. The Coyotes are current on all bills and tax liabilities.
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As part of the Coyotes' rebrand, the club has announced that it will change its primary logo back to the Kachina & reintroduce the white Kachina jersey as the away uniform while the black Kachina will still be the home uniform except for 8 games w/the red Coyotes head jerseys.
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Jakob Chychrun on if he'd be OK if not being traded this summer: "I don't know. I'm signed for 3 more years. The trajectory of where the team is going & a lot of that stuff is important to me. I want to be in a position where I'm getting to play a week from now, not packing up."
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I'm fully expecting one more plot twist in this Coyotes saga.
I told someone recently that I just might write a book when this is all finished.
His response: "It would read like fiction."
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Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world…
Thanks for following along today as we discussed the latest and likely final chapter of this crazy franchise.
I have enjoyed almost all of this crazy ride, and I’m grateful for all of you.
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Shane Doan on the movie "Miracle": "When you're Canadian and you win a gold medal you don't need to make a movie about it."
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Per league source, the Coyotes have expressed interest in Arizona serving as a host site for the continuation of the NHL season.
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By the way, Christian Dvorak just arrived in Arizona two days ago to close on a house. Tough business.
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Just got this hilarious text from Radim Vrbata in Czechia:
"What a debut for Josh!! Should’ve scored one more to get that hat trick out of the way so he doesn’t have to wait for 5 thousand games like Shane.😂"
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Gutierrez said that what is next for the Coyotes will be evaluated by the team and the NHL in the coming weeks.
Gutierrez departed without taking questions. He was visibly shaken.
Coyotes president & CEO Xavier A.Gutierrez is speaking now: "We are very disappointed that Tempe voters did not approve propositions 301, 302 & 303. As Tempe Mayor Corey Woods, this was the best arena deal in the history of Arizona."
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After the game, Coyotes players all lined up to hug longtime equipment manager Stan Wilson.
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Coyotes owner (for now) Alex Meruelo is not at Mullet Arena tonight.
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In the interest of due diligence, I asked a Coyotes spokesperson again this morning:
Is John Chayka still the GM?
Answer: "No comment."
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I followed up and Logan Cooley said the result of the Tempe vote definitely impacted his decision. He was leaning toward going pro had the vote gone in the Coyotes' favor but again, he noted that returning to Minnesota was still a good option.
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Christian Dvorak was an immensely popular teammate. He was understated & quiet w/media, but had an underrated sense of humor in the room & went about his business from Day 1 like a vet.
Montreal gets a good 2-way center w/offensive upside.
This is what a real rebuild looks like.
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Per sources, the Coyotes are close to completing a deal for Flyers LHD Shayne Gostibehere, who has two years left on a deal with an AAV of $4.5M.
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Statement from the Coyotes: "This is false. Totally false. We’re not selling. We’re not moving. The Coyotes are 100 percent committed to playing in Arizona.”
As per my Forbes colleague
@MikeOzanian
, the Arizona Coyotes are "for sale again with idea of buyer eventually moving team to a new arena in Houston."
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BREAKING: Per sources, Sun Devil forward and Coyotes prospect Josh Doan will forego his junior season at ASU and turn pro with the Coyotes/Roadrunners.
This story will likely be fluid & updated:
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Check out these pants!
New uniform announcement coming soon.
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To help the
@PHNX_Coyotes
crew manage in the days ahead, Elliotte Friedman sent several coping mechanisms to the
@PHNX_Sports
studio.
Thanks,
@FriedgeHNIC
!
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I have received text messages from too many former Coyotes to count. All were devastated by this news tonight.
I wish I had hopeful news for Coyotes fans who have stuck with this franchise through so many disappointments, but I have to wonder if the NHL’s patience has run out.
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Caught up w/former Coyotes (Stars & Oilers, too) coach Dave Tippett briefly today.
At age 60, the plan is retirement.
He's got a house in the Valley; another under construction near Flagstaff.
No big interviews. He'll go quietly.
I enjoyed covering Dave. I wish him all the best.
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THREAD (1/4):
I am deely saddened to report that I was one of The Athletic's layoffs today. My heart goes out to all of my colleagues (many of them dear friends) also laid off. It has been a privilege to work at a great company alongside such talented reporters, writers & people.
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The Coyotes are in their locker room now, literally singing to The Cranberries‘ “Zombie.”
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Final: Coyotes 3, Blues 1: Assuming my research is right, for the 1st time since the season began, the Coyotes will wake up in the morning in a playoff spot. AZ leads Minnesota by 1 point for the final wild card w/12 games to go. Buckle up, folks. March games will be meaningful.
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Can’t thank you enough for the overwhelming outpouring of well wishes & kind words via text, DM & calls.
I promised my fam a day off & I already broke it by recording a fun podcast w/
@Sigi_JE
& Radim Vrbata.
Just know it meant a lot & I’ll be fine, professionally & personally.
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Coyotes forward Michael Grabner just posted this photo on Instagram. It's ugly and it's clearly his left eye that took the brunt of Blues forward Sammy Blais' stick. No official update yet from the Coyotes on his prognosis:
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Last night's crescendo of a column had me flustered for a full week. I couldn't decide on an approach for this key moment in Coyotes history.
An old and trusted friend helped me see it clearly:
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Confirming a poorly kept secret:
@BizNasty2point0
joins Heeter in Coyotes radio booth next season. Analysis & so much entertainment awaits.
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Slow the talk of relocation period.
I did not expect to say this today, but I am now hearing that there is still a path forward for the Coyotes in Arizona.
The saga continues...
Slow that
@ArizonaCoyotes
relocation talk down for now.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly tells ESPN: "I don’t envision a scenario in which the Coyotes are not playing in Mullett Arena next season."
Coyotes have confirmed. Story soon.
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Huge news for today's Coyotes game vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. D Niklas Hjalmarsson will return to the lineup after a 43-game absence due to a cracked left fibula sustained when he blocked an Erik Johnson slapshot in a game vs. the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center on Oct. 12.
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Oliver Ekman-Larsson's agent Kevin Epp tells me that OEL is staying with the Coyotes: "Time's up."
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The Tempe City Council has voted 7-0 in support of all three parts of the Coyotes’ arena and entertainment district proposal.
It should be obvious that council believes that this is a great deal for the city.
The Coyotes will now gather signatures for the May 16 referendum.
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Unconfirmed reports that
@eddielack
is on his way to Vancouver to bolster the Canucks' depleted goaltending ranks.
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Now hearing that a deal to send defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland to the Vancouver Canucks is also in the works. Nothing done yet. Obviously a big deal.
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Conor Geekie on coming to Arizona: “Definitely better weather than Winnipeg.”
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BREAKING: The Arizona State hockey program (
@SunDevilHockey
) will join the National Collegiate Hockey Conference beginning in the 2024-25 season.
Story:
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I'm happy to announce that I've started my own, Coyotes-centric website/newsletter via
@SubstackInc
.
For the 1st week, all content will be free. Once training camp begins, most content will go behind a paywall.
You may subscribe now. Here's my 1st post.
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Shane Doan's agent Terry Bross: "Shane is ready to enter the free-agent market & see where it goes. Time for him to get a shot at the Cup."
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Source: deal is done. Taylor Hall is a Coyote. More info coming.
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Jakob Chychrun admits he took the Coyotes up on an offer of trying to be traded so he could play for a team that could compete for a playoff spot, rather than endure the rebuild. That obviously did not happen but that is still his wish.
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BREAKING (1/2): The
@AZRegents
have approved a multi-purpose, $115-million, 5,000-seat arena that will be the new home to
@SunDevilHockey
, but also house wrestling & gymnastics for competition. ASU's men's hockey team expects to move into the new arena in August 2022.
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Nick Bjugstad specifically thanked Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong for giving him the opportunity to find his game again after losing it for a few years.
@RussoHockey
told me Bjugstad would be 1 of the best guys I ever covered. He was right.
Bjugstad could teach a class in adulting.
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At least 80 media credential requests were granted for the final Valley game of Coyotes 1.0.
Former Yotes such as Shane Doan, Ray Whitney & Michael Grabner will be there.
@PHNX_Coyotes
will have a big crew on hand to chronicle everything happening inside & outside Mullett Arena.
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Thread: The Coyotes have traded D Conor Timmins to the Maple Leafs for 6-9 C Curtis Douglas.
They wanted to waive Timmins to send him to Tucson where he could play a lot of games, minutes & situations, all things they felt he needed but wasn't going to get right now in the NHL.
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Coyotes D Jakob Chychrun will be a healthy scratch tonight in St. Louis for what the team is calling trade-related reasons.
I don't think a trade is imminent, but it's possible before Monday's game in Nashville with the trade deadline nearing.
More here:
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The Coyotes just defeated the past three Stanley Cup champions.
Final: Coyotes 4, Avalanche 3, OT.
Goals: Travis Boyd, Nick Schmaltz, Michael Carcone, Nick Bjugstad
After losing 3 straight for the first time this season, AZ has won 3 straight for the first time this season.
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Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said it was G Darcy Kuemper's idea to give G Calvin Pickard the start tonight vs. Winnipeg. "Very classy by him," Tocchet said.
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Here's a record that I think Scott Wedgewood will hold for all of eternity.
He is the only goalie in NHL history to snap two 11-game winless streaks to start a season with the same team.
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Since American Thanksgiving, the Coyotes are tied for the most wins in the NHL (11), tied for third in points percentage (.688) and two points behind the New York Islanders for the most points (24) in that span.
Is this the real life?
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BREAKING: The Arizona State Land Department has officially posted for auction the parcel of land in NE Phoenix on which the Coyotes hope to build the team's new arena & an entertainment district.
The auction date has been set for June 27.
Story coming shortly...
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Per team sources, the Coyotes will not tender a qualifying offer to RFA F Christian Fischer, allowing him to become a UFA & sign with another team.
This will be a tough one for fans to absorb. Fischer is immensely popular for good reasons; one of my favorite players all-time.
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Per sources, the Coyotes do not currently have the votes in the Tempe City Council to approve their $1.7 billion arena and entertainment district proposal.
Story⬇️
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Coyotes statement: “We have already launched an investigation to determine how this could have happened and initial indications are that it appears to be the result of an unfortunate human error. Regardless, we deeply regret the inconvenience this has caused...
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Darcy Kuemper is still in AZ, head spinning. He doesn't know when he'll go to Colorado yet, but he did say he found out about the trade from his agent Ben Hankinson: “I didn’t find out on Twitter or anything, so that’s good.”
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Hearing that the Coyotes have signed RFA C Barrett Hayton to a two-year contract with an AAV of $1.75 million.
Hayton will be in camp and available at media day..
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All info per Coyotes: They have had 4 games at Mullett Arena this season that topped $1M in gross ticket sales: Toronto, Boston, Edmonton & upcoming Chicago game.
Pittsburgh & 1st Chicago game topped $950K.
By contrast, they had 37 total gates over $1M in 18 seasons in Glendale.
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The Coyotes' worst fears have been confirmed: Per league source, D Niklas Hjalmarsson will miss approximately three months with a cracked fibula sustained when he blocked Erik Johnson's slapshot at 6:21 of the first period of a 3-2 OT loss to Colorado at Pepsi Center on Saturday.
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Per source, there is momentum toward Logan Cooley signing his ELC to play for the Coyotes this season.
Cooley previously announced that he'd return to Minnesota for his sophomore season but he left the door open in this Q&A that I conducted with him.
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Heartfelt condolences to Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet, who lost his mom, Norma, last night after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. She was 93.
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I have watched this video a lot.
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New look in the hallway leading to the Coyotes dressing room.
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Former Coyote Zbyněk Michálek won't be able to make the game tonight. He'll be running a youth practice at the same time at the Ice Den Scottsdale.
He sent along this message:
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As you likely know by now, some renderings of the Coyotes' proposed NE Phoenix arena project were leaked via the team app.
Here's a look at 6 in this thread. The first 4 contain two external and two internal renderings.
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The ice at Rod Laver Arena is not looking great right now. Puddles, ruts, uneven coloring. Ruh roh.
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Coyotes president & CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez is expected to make a statement soon.
This is obviously a crushing blow to the Coyotes' long-term hopes in Arizona.
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Per Coyotes president Xavier Gutierrez, when the next arena announcement comes, it will be to announce the actual choice of an arena site, not another potential site.
Team is hoping to announce by the end of the calendar year; could stray into the first quarter.
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Glendale city manager Kevin Phelps confirms the Coyotes fulfilled a payment of about $930K by today's deadline; also agreed to future schedule of payments for rest of season:
"They've satisfied what we asked for," Phelps said. The Coyotes won't be locked out of Gila River Arena.
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The Arizona State Land Department Board of Appeals has approved the application. Now we await public posting and then, of course, the auction.
The Coyotes' (Miracle Development) pursuit of land in NE Phoenix is officially on the Arizona State Land Department Board of Appeals' final agenda for March 14.l
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Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet pulled Niklas Hjalmarsson off the ice after the Blackhawks honored him with a video tribute so he could collect himself. Hjalmarsson, who was brought to tears when he saw his son on the board, was thankful. He called it a smart move by his coach.
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