Coyotes Focus Despite Unknown Future

What a strange spot for an NHL team to be in: the Coyotes don't know if they'll keep playing in Phoenix or if they'll be moved to Hamilton, Ontario; they don't know when their coach will be back and they don't know who their owner will be. That's life under bankruptcy, and the Phoenix players are doing the best they can under the less-than-ideal circumstances.

"It hasn't been that bad," Coyotes defenseman Ed Jovanovski told FanHouse this weekend after his team's overtime loss at San Jose. "The situation with the team is unusual, but for us, the players, we're concentrating on and committed to playing hockey. That's our safe haven. We're just doing our jobs and going back to our families."

Forward Scottie Upshall said that the uncertainty can be a little unsettling.

"At times, you can't really help but notice everything away from the rink," Upshall told FanHouse. "Everyone is still focused on playing good hockey and showing the staff what we can bring to the team, but for everyone's sake -- the league's sake, our sake, the fans' sake -- the sooner they figure this out, the better."

Ulf Samuelsson, who is acting as head coach during Gretzky's absence from the team, said he is pleased with how the Coyotes are handling the uncertainty around the team.

"The people who are around, the enduring base of fans, have been supportive. But it is mind-boggling sometimes." "They're very focused and they've made it a clear goal that everything else is not going to be an issue," Samuelsson told FanHouse. "This is not an issue regarding the hockey operations. We are preparing for this season, we've had a great camp so far, and the players have really responded. They're pushing themselves very hard."

The team's first two preseason games in Glendale were sparsely attended, not surprising considering that fans aren't sure how long the Coyotes will be in town. The Coyotes' court proceedings are getting more attention than the product on the ice, and the team's promotional efforts were dialed back.

"It's been pretty quiet, 2,500 or so for those two games," Jovanovski said. "It's tough that way. The people who are around, the enduring base of fans, have been supportive. But it is mind-boggling sometimes."

"There were supporters there," Upshall said. "They were cheering, there were signs saying, 'Keep the Coyotes here, screw everyone else.' It was good to see that."

One of the more distressing aspects of the Coyotes' fiasco is that the team is without Wayne Gretzky. He is a part owner of the team and its managing general partner, and so part of the bankruptcy proceedings, plus his contract is among the issues that will need to be decided. Gretzky has been criticized in some corners for not taking sides in the ownership dispute, particularly about whether the team should stay in Phoenix, and he's been slammed for "abandoning" his team, but it's hard to imagine that he isn't operating under legal advice.

"It's tough," Jovanovski said. "Wayne is our coach and we want him back. I'm sure he's caught in a difficult position, being the managing general partner and the coach, but in speaking with him, he wants to get back here, to go back to doing what he does. It's a tough predicament until everything is decided."

Like anything related to ownership and bankruptcy, this is a touchy subject for the Coyotes; after Jovanovski's comments, FanHouse was asked by a member of the Coyotes media relations department not to ask about Gretzky because general manager Don Maloney is handling those questions.

Jovanovski and Upshall both said one key to hockey's financial survival in the Phoenix area is on-ice success, providing even greater motivation this preseason. Every team wants to win, but in this instance, it's win ... or maybe the death of hockey in the desert.

Now, hockey in the desert always has sounded a little strange, but considering that the Valley of the Sun is the fifth largest metro area in the country, there is certainly the population base to draw from -- much of it transplants from cold-weather ares, including a sizeable number of Canadian retirees. One of the main problems the Coyotes have is that the team's arena in Glendale is not centrally located, and the Glendale lease is a primary issue that has concerned prospective local buyers.

A good team, however, might lure fans out to Glendale. The Arizona Cardinals, right next door, have no problem drawing, but of course, they play an average of two games a month there and they were in the Super Bowl this year. The Coyotes haven't put in a playoff appearance since 2002 and never have made it out of the first round.

"The fan environment for hockey in the Valley -- it's something you've got to have success at to get support," Jovanovski said. "Of the four major sports, we're the bottom of the barrel in the market, and it's definitely a city that wants winners. If you win, they'll support you, and that's exactly what we're striving for."

"There is passion there for hockey," Upshall said. "I think Glendale can hold onto the team and support it and we can be a part of something else for a long time to come."