Coyotes Managing Owner & Chair Andrew Barroway spoke publicly Thursday for the "first time since he became the sole owner," and the message he delivered "highlighted the dedication to keeping the Coyotes in the Valley amid the ongoing pursuit of a permanent arena," according to Sarah McLellan of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. Barroway said, "The most important thing is to find a long-term home for the Coyotes in Arizona. We couldn't be any more committed to Arizona and the Valley, and the biggest project at hand is to find a home in the right place for the Coyotes in Arizona." He added, "Let's put this to bed: We're not relocating." New team President & CEO Steve Patterson also was introduced Thursday, and he said that the Coyotes are "open to talking to anyone in the Valley interested in a partnership." McLellan notes the Coyotes are "particularly intrigued by the East Valley." Barroway: "Failure is not an option here. We're going to get a new stadium in Arizona, where it should have been located to begin with." The Coyotes will play at Gila River Arena next season and "continue to evaluate their situation on a year-by-year basis but have yet to look" at the '18-19 season. McLellan notes Barroway became the only owner of the team June 12 when he bought out his minority partners. It was always his "dream to own the team himself, and there were 'too many cooks in the kitchen' with the previous group." Barroway said, "No major disagreements. But it's hard to get 10 guys to agree on anything." He added that the Coyotes will be "strategic in their spending," but he "wouldn't identify where their budget would rank compared to their peers." Barroway "doesn't expect any more changes to the ownership structure" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/14).
