Hosting a Winter Classic would be huge for the Arizona Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes are seemingly keen on hosting a Winter Classic or outdoor game in the near future and doing so would be huge for the organisation.

For a long time, the Coyotes have been the punching bags of the NHL, often having their low attendances and overall value pointed out – further fanning the flames of potential relocation discussions as recent as this past season.

The Rick Tocchet-led team almost pulled off a miracle last season when they came within just two wins of clinching the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.

The team is clearly trending upwards with the recent addition of Phil Kessel, a legitimate top line forward, helping to boost ticket sales while also upgrading the on-ice product instantly.

More positive results in the 2019/20 season will continue to garner more attention around the team, with over 4,000 fans already attending the team’s development camp scrimmage earlier this summer.

Now, per Cronkite News (Arizona PBS), it appears that the team is looking at another way to boost interest in the team and the sport of hockey in Arizona yet again.

According to the report, published earlier this month, Coyotes CEO Ahron Cohen is eager to see an outdoor game, preferably the Winter Classic, being brought to the desert.

Previous outdoor games in California and the 2020 Winter Classic being played in Dallas are both supporting factors for the state of Arizona being capable of hosting, despite average temperatures.

The Coyotes also appear ready to continue building a stronger relationship with Arizona State University, with their Sun Devil Stadium viewed as the ideal location for an outdoor game.

If the organisation could persuade the NHL to give them the opportunity to host an outdoor game, it would be a huge vote of confidence by the league and would present the Coyotes with a great opportunity to showcase the team.

Outdoor games typically see teams sport a special one-off jersey, which can help boost sales at the mid-season point.

For the Coyotes, bringing back the white Kachina jersey could be a shrewd decision – reverting back to the white home jersey from the 90s in a one-off game.

With the popularity of the alternate Kachinas, seeing the white version make a (brief) return would bring back fond memories for long-time fans and give newer fans an opportunity to own an iconic part of the team’s history.

There’s a long way to go before the Arizona Coyotes could be seen hosting an outdoor game, but if the team persists it could become a reality in the next few seasons.