The county commission chairman said he spoke with the NHL commissioner. The “visionaries” on the advisory board will work on next steps.
PHOENIX — Nine months after the Arizona Coyotes were sold to a Utah billionaire, an unlikely player looking to bring NHL hockey back went straight to the source.
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“I have had several meetings with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and he is willing to work with us to find the best solution for the owner of a world-class building,” Thomas Galvin, the incoming Maricopa County Board of Commissioners, said Monday. We look forward to identifying the location.” Swearing-in ceremony for five members of the board of directors.
Bettman granted longtime Coyotes reporter Craig Morgan a Zoom meeting with Galvin.
Galvin announced the creation of an “advisory committee of visionary leaders,” whose names will be announced “soon.”
“They’re all smart, reliable people who know how to do things the right way,” he told reporters after the board meeting.
“The two big questions here are who will own it and where will this building be?”
Bettman and subsequent coyote owners couldn’t find the right answer.
County avoids public discussion
Mr. Galvin’s extensive recruitment of a pro team breaks with the board’s recent history.
The county commission has experience dealing with professional sports teams and owns Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But county supervisors have largely avoided public statements regarding the professional sports teams based in Maricopa County, all of which have sought some form of public subsidy over the past 25 years. The board averted the Coyotes’ ultimately fruitless search for a new arena site.
In 1997, county supervisor shot inside the board chamber after approving a tax for the Diamondbacks’ stadium.
Who is Thomas Galvin?
Galvin, a traditional pro-business Republican, was appointed to the county commission in 2021 after his predecessor was forced to resign.
Mr. Galvin won the East Valley District 2 seat in a 2022 special election and was up for re-election in 2024. In both cases, Mr. Galvin defeated Trump-supporting Republicans in the primaries.
he is a partner at Scottsdale-based Rose Law Group. Galvin’s practice areas help him understand the myriad needs of major developments.
Galvin has expressed support for the Coyotes in the past.
In 2023, after Tempe voters overwhelmingly rejected the team’s arena development proposal. Galvin said: “I have a lot of respect for hockey fans and I think hockey is great for the Valley. I want to see hockey be here for decades to come.”
He offered to help with potential future construction sites on county land. “I’m a deal maker. I love it when both parties benefit.”
The site the Coyotes owners ultimately chose was far north of Phoenix, just west of Galvin’s supervisory district.
The Maricopa County Commission represents 4.5 million residents, one of the largest counties in the country. All of Arizona’s major cities, except Tucson, are located within the county.
The board is made up of five members, including four Republicans and one Democrat.
What did Bettman say?
For 15 years, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman refused to abandon Arizona as a hockey market, despite reckless ownership and financial losses.
Based on Bettman’s recent comments, even after shipping the Arizona Coyotes franchise to Utah, he’s not giving up yet.
this is him told Sports Business Journal October:
“We’re not focused on getting back there in the short term, but Arizona used to be a really good hockey market and a really good market for the NHL and could be again. But we’re not actively pursuing anything right now. And, frankly, the situation in the arena needs to be resolved before considering the possibility. I’m listening to people’s opinions, but I’m not actively pursuing anything. ”
Does Bettman have any plans for expansion?
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