The Arizona Coyotes’ saga has taken another turn.
With Glendale City Council scheduled to meet Wednesday evening to determine whether to end a lease agreement with the Arizona Coyotes, the city released a statement saying that they are open to a new deal.
Here is the statement, via Azcentral.com:
“The City Council has scheduled a discussion and possible vote regarding Glendale’s contract with the Arizona Coyotes. Discussions and negotiations regarding the contract have been ongoing for months. Specifically, the City is open to a resolution but it must be one that provides certainty and fairness to both parties, especially the taxpayers. The Council has agreed to stand for transparency and the highest standards of ethics for any future agreement with the Coyotes.”
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The NHL also released a statement in response to the latest development, criticizing the city of Glendale and saying that the league expects the Coyotes to continue to play at Gila River Arena.
The Coyotes have yet to have a public response to Wednesday’s news, but a team executive told Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston that “We have no intention of doing anything in light of the provocative acts of the city.”
Glendale leases Gila River Arena to the Coyotes and pays IceArizona, the club’s ownership group, $15 million annually to manage the arena. Per Azcentral.com, the deal is worth $225 million over 15 years.
