Well, this might only reach the very limited audience of my Twitter followers and the folks that swing on by every day (Timmy, Chad, MDO, etc.), but hopefully even those few will give this a bit of thought in the future. Carl wrote a story during the offseason about the Coyotes maybe needing a fan group or support club, or something along those lines. While I think that's a good idea, I think something that could help as well, is an online community. The good news is, there's already one right here on this very page you're reading.

The Coyotes have a phenomenal online presence - between the best hockey Twitter personality in the NHL, a media relations group that makes good use of social media and at least a few thriving Facebook pages. Here's the problem with most of them; they can be a bit hard to follow and make you feel a part of the discussion. Hence, the good folks at SB Nation have created a platform that is not only easy to use and easy to follow, but they let you take command of the conversation and say your piece.

I don't have a ton of people I follow on Twitter (only about 450), and yet my timeline goes through over 100 tweets per 15 minutes or so. Between real life, my job, watching Coyotes games and writing for the site, I'd say I miss just about 85% of everything anyone tweets. Now is Twitter still a wonderful source for breaking news and conversation. Yeah, especially on the go. However, during the next three days before the game in Nashville, I don't think I can have a twitter discussion regarding the need to improve the 5-on-5 play for the Coyotes and get more ice time for Raffi Torres and Mikkel Boedker.

I know that many of you have places you go for your news (maybe even here for the Daily Tracks), but the next time you want to debate whether GMDM should trade Kyle Turris or whether they should just give Shane Doan a blank check and tell him that however long he wants to play and whatever he wants to get paid, they'll do it...why not make a FanPost? That way when I (and the other folks that are at work all day missing your tweets) get home, we can read, comment and continue the discussion. And you'd be amazed at how much fun it can be to talk about hockey in more than 140 characters at a time.

If there's anything we at Five For Howling can do to make your experience at the site more enjoyable, let us know - we aim to please. But most important, we are aiming to create the best possible site for you to come and discuss the Coyotes and experience a great community. So come back, comment or write a FanPost; I promise you that it'll make your enjoyment of the Coyotes that much greater.

Dear Mr. Turris,

It has come to our attention that rather than report to camp you reportedly want to sit at home until someone hands you a fat paycheck with a nice raise. While I can somewhat understand your desire to buy a fancy car or maybe a better apartment, this is really freaking stupid. Look, I get that the other guys that were drafted ahead of you are getting paid and quite well. Patrick Kane got a deal worth 6.3 million a year over the next 5 years. James Van Reimsdyk got an extension for 4.25 million because he's done well for the Flyers, and also the Flyers' management is certifiably insane. But see, they've done things you just haven't yet. For example, Patrick Kane has played 3 full NHL seasons and was a big part of the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup. In just this last season JVR scored more goals than you have in your NHL career. (21) 

Here, let me list your accomplishments: Played fourth line center with scoring threat Paul Bissonnette on wing; Didn't pout too much when he was a healthy scratch when the Coyotes visited Vancouver in your first season; Worked out enough to get your legs just above "chicken" status; flashed enough potential to look really good at times; bled potential all over the ice. 

No that's kind of sarcastic. You really are starting to put your game together. There was an important word in that sentence though, Starting. You're not there yet. Hell if reports are to believed and you're asking for 4 million a year on a 3 year deal or 3 per on a 2 year deal then you'd be making more than Martin Hanzal who's certainly above you on the depth chart. You'd be making as much or more than Radim Vrbata and Ray Whitney both of whom are more important right now than you are. How about you start evaluating yourself against people that have done similar things to you? If you do you'll be raking in Lee Stempniak money AT BEST. 

Also, Mr. Overhardt? What the hell are you thinking? I know you want to get the best deal for your client, but come on man. 4 million a year for .25 points per game? Prove that the potential is more than just hype first and your client will get paid and paid well. The Coyotes have no center depth. They want him to do well. They want Kyle to earn a big pay day. EARN a big payday. If you think Don Maloney is just handing out extensions like candy for whatever asking price you have seriously misjudged your man. Unlike Paul Holmgren, he's not crazy. 

You do what you want Kyle, you're a big boy, well, kinda. You're still pretty skinny. If I were you I'd get some deal done and get yourself to camp ASAP. Don't be Blake Wheeler. No one likes that guy. NO ONE.

Statement from the Coyotes per PR guy Rich Nairn:

"The City of Glendale and the National Hockey League continue to negotiate with other interested parties to secure new ownership for the Phoenix Coyotes. The objective continues to be to transition ownership of the Club to an interested purchaser in the coming months."

Now, I'm not sure what it was about this statement that made me completely angry this morning, but that's what it did. Maybe it was the fact that it was two sentences long to a fanbase that quite frankly deserves some damn answers. I know it's not the teams' fault, or Rich's fault. I mean how many of these stupid releases have they had to write over the last two and a half years? Way to damn many. So while I'm not angry at the team per se. This ongoing pile of crap we as fans have to put up with has about reached it's breaking point. 

***More after the jump, including swear words. So don't click if you have virginal eyes.***

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Reports out of Canada have True North Sports Entertainment finally settling on a team name for what was once the Thrashers. In a move that was obvious to make  to pretty much everyone, except apparently TNSE, the new franchise will have the old name, the Winnipeg Jets. Now, the franchises keep the records of their club, not the city, so technically the records held by Teemu Selanne, Dale Hawerchuk and other assorted players will remain with the Coyotes as well as the retired numbers, banners, and the portrait of the queen the Coyotes staff keeps in the break room (That might not be true) 

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There's been a lot of reports coming through the pipeline on Twitter and over at AZCentral that shows that the team and management feel confident that the team will be returning. Check out the streams from @jimgintonio and @azc-mcclellan for lots of this stuff.

Really, it's still not entirely clear what is going to happen with this entire mess, but it does look like a resolution is on the horizon. I'm copying the commentary I posted over at the SBN Arizona site here. There's certainly tons of emotion on all sides of the equation (as evidenced by the almost 150 comments on Motown Sarge's Fan Post) and I just remind everyone to keep it civil. We're all hockey fans which is what everyone seems to forget. And nobody is a "better" fan than anyone else. A little empathy goes a long ways in all directions.

Here's the commentary:

Well, without much surprise, the "Cupcake Summit" did not result in a settlement of the differences between the Goldwater Institute and the City of Glendale and the Phoenix Coyotes remain in limbo. As Seth Pollack has eloquently pointed out over at SBN Arizona, however, the Summit did do a fine job of making sure that Goldwater looks like a "watchdog" that has brought a rubber band gun to a shootout. I encourage everyone to listen to the audio, read the transcript and review Goldwater's 7 Issues and 7 Solutions document and make your own decisions.

The takeaway to me is that it appears Glendale and Matthew Hulsizer (who certainly looks the best coming away from the Summit from everything I've seen/heard) are going to try and get this deal finalized, get the bonds sold and simply deal with Goldwater when/if they bring a lawsuit. Is there a valid challenge to the deal? It looks like we are getting to the point where it will be put up/shut up for Goldwater, and really that would be progress in this whole ordeal.

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Just in case you haven't seen it today on ESPN.com John Buccigross previewed the playoff matchups for both conferences (He picked the Wings in 7, but that's a different matter). While doing so he had on an interesting bit of hockey gear that had the twitterers a bit bothered. That item? A Winnipeg Jets t-shirt. Sure, maybe it's just a shirt, but I see why it caused a row between fans of the Phoenix Coyotes and well, other fans of the Phoenix Coyotes and also other random fans from Winnipeg and other places. 

See, for some teams wearing their throwback or defunct logos is a tribute, it's history. I don't think, for example, anyone wearing a Hartford Whalers shirt or jersey would get much guff. Actually most people like the Whale wherever it goes. Or even the California Golden Seals. There's a snappy logo for ya. Even if they didn't last long. Even wearing the jerseys of teams that have relocated to the arena isn't a big deal for some. Rockies jerseys in New Jersey? Okay. North Stars shirts in Dallas? Ehhh... maybe. Nordiques sweaters in Colorado aren't usually thought of as being so bad. So what's the big deal? It just a dumb shirt. Except it's not in this case.

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One common theme that seems to get trotted out by Winnipegers, trolls, and people that just don't plain like the Coyotes and their fans is that "Now Coyote fans know how fans in Winnipeg, Quebec City and Hartford felt!" And in a very small measure they'd be right. Only in that sure, It's a crappy feeling watching the team in trouble and the threat of relocation looming. However the situation here is nothing like those. 

See one thing that was missing back then that we have now is this wonderful thing known as the internet. It allows you to read these words I'm typing. It lets us email our friends, catch up with lost classmates, follow sports as much or as little as we like. One other thing it's done though is make communication from anonymous people in one location to those in another not only possible but prevelant. Many, if not most of the readers here are on twitter or have read comments on blog posts from other sites directed toward Coyote fans. With all this, the tone has become personal to individual, targeted Coyote fans rather than just being upset at the loss of a team. 

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For a couple months leading up to this year's edition of the Winter Classic I was fairly opinionated about the fact that I just wanted it to be over already. "But why? It's a huge spectacle! It's good for the game! It brings in the casual fans! Don't you get it?" Well dense, condescending twitter follower, of course I do. I understand all of that. I get why the game itself is important to the league and in the previous three versions I was all kinds of excited to watch it. It can pull in those eyes that the league wants to have experience the game (even if it is on TV) and maybe collect a bigger TV deal, some more advertising and just overall greater exposure. As someone that's already a fan of the game of hockey though I can only care so much about the league's visibility. Then add that I'm a fan of a team on the West Coast and I really don't care about a midseason matchup between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins in Heinz Field. Mostly because the league can't make me. For a causal fan that knows only the "stars" of the league this might have been a compelling matchup. For the fans of both teams it was huge. For those that might just be fans of the individual players it's a big deal too, but for the already established fan the game this year as well as the leadup to the game couldn't have been more of a let down. 

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