The state of Arizona is not short on competition for the sports dollar, which doesn’t help a team like the Phoenix Coyotes, whose chilly brand of entertainment isn’t what most fans in the desert care for. Sharing Glendale with the Coyotes are the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Up the road in the city of Phoenix play the NBA’s Suns, WNBA’s Mercury, and, less straining on the Coyotes woes, MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks. However, to add baseball’s imprint on the Coyotes revenues is the fact that 14 MLB teams bring in their Spring Training clubs in March for the Arizona Cactus Leagues. Throw college football, NASCAR, and golf into the mix throughout the year and that doesn’t leave a lot of room for the failing Coyotes to continue operating.

Everyone’s aware of the reasons why the Coyotes should move out of Phoenix, and there have been attempts and rumors about moving them to Hamilton, Kansas City, or Las Vegas. Quebec City is said to be building a new arena, and there have been reports about moving the team back to where they came from in Winnipeg. The mysterious Ice Edge Holdings group, who are rumored to still want to buy the team, have been saying that they will keep the team in Phoenix, but plan to play five games in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Despite their just-over-200,000 person population, could it possibly be worse than staying in Phoenix?

The NHL should allow the Coyotes to play five games in Saskatoon. They should also be allowed to play five games in Kansas City. And five in Vegas. And five in any other city that wants a piece of the NHL pie. There’s no secret about the Coyotes not being the only team currently in financial trouble. If other cities can prove a devotion and a fan base to a team, then they should be given the chance to prove that at the very least, they can lose no more than $15 million per season, unlike other teams across the Sun Belt.

Hockey does not belong in Phoenix; that’s been proven thoroughly in recent years. The NHL’s war to keep the team under their control was nothing more than an attempt to prove that they have all the power. Now that they’ve won, it’s time to evaluate the options. Test the Coyotes in other markets. At least elsewhere the cities won’t have to pay their fans to come to the games.