The Arizona Coyotes are already having to look for a new venue to play in beyond this season – but according to a recently released report, they may be leaving Gila River Arena sooner than expected.
Thanks to unpaid arena charges and delinquent tax bills, the city of Glendale may lock out arena employees and the team later this month.
The City of Glendale, home of Gila River Arena where the Coyotes have played since the 2003-04 season, officially announced that it not be renewing its lease agreement with the Coyotes beyond the current season. Both the city and team had been operating on a year-to-year basis with an annual December 31 deadline for either party to choose not to continue the arrangement.
Per The Athletic:
“On Dec. 3, the Arizona Department of Revenue filed a tax lien notice in Maricopa County against IceArizona Hockey LLC, the company that owns the Coyotes, for more than $1.3 million in unpaid state and city taxes. The City of Glendale, which has been locked in a lengthy dispute with the Coyotes over delinquent bills, has already notified ASM, the Gila River Arena management company, and Coyotes team president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez of the cancellation of the Coyotes’ business license.
The City of Glendale is owed approximately $250,000 in unpaid city taxes, according to a letter from City Manager Kevin Phelps to Gutierrez, and the remaining amount is owed to the state. The state tax lien notice, obtained via a public records request, asserts that the Coyotes owe taxes dating back to June 2020.
The Coyotes, according to the notice sent to ASM and to the team, will have until 5 p.m. MST on Dec. 20 to pay the outstanding arena invoices from the 2020-21 season, as well as the outstanding tax bill. If they do not settle up the remaining debt by that time, the City of Glendale has instructed ASM to deny team employees access to the arena and the offices within the arena used as administrative space. Arena vendors would also be locked out.”
Talk about an extremely difficult position being made considerably worst for the Coyotes, who are dead last in the NHL standings with a 5-18-2 record.
– – Quotes via The Athletic Link – –