Its tough. Former Sabres business legend Doug Moss doomed that franchise putting the arena on the west side of the city. The team needs an arena in the East side of the city where all the people with money and transplants live and dont have to travel 45 minutes to hockey games on Tuesday nights. That team has also been poorly run, winning 1 playoff series since the move in 1996 and 2 playoff series since Winnipeg started in '79. Give people a few playoff runs and hockey can get its talons into people anywhere. I used to hate southern markets, but I have seen it work in Tampa, Vegas, and Nashville, and to some extent Dallas and Raleigh.
It seems like this proposal was upended by political hysteria and getting all sorts of older people frothing at the mouth about public handouts. The deal wasnt 100% free, nothing is, but it seems like it was almost as good a stadium financing deal as any. They were turning a dump into a state of the art arena and shopping/entertainment.
I really believe if the Bills stadium went to a referendum vote, the Paladinos, McMurrays, and Bauerles would have compelled people to chase the Pegulas right out of town.
I think the Coyotes are staying. There is no realistic turnkey option out there. If they can push a similar proposal through without a referendum, the owners and the NHL have a lot to gain.