NHL Lockout: Phoenix Coyotes Now Have More Time in Desert Due to Work Stoppage

The NHL Lockout is not only a black mark on the game of hockey, but is also a financial detriment to most NHL franchises.

The Phoenix Coyotes, currently owned by the NHL itself pending the sale of the franchise (via TSN.ca) to Greg Jamison, are one of the few exceptions to this claim. The 'Yotes have never made a profit in the desert, losing upwards of $36 million dollars in 2011-12 (via azcentral.com) with losses from this past season projected to be "about the same" (via Globe and Mail).

On the players' side, the NHL lockout means that players do not get the salaries that they were supposed to make this season. The only money that (non-injured) players receive is the escrow money that was set aside (via Globe and Mail) last year.

This is excellent news for Phoenix Coyotes fans because it means that there isn't fiscal pressure to get a deal done until the season actually kicks off.

The NHL and NHLPA have had some pretty unproductive meetings recently resulting in the cancellation of the entire preseason and the first two weeks of the NHL regular season (via CBC.ca). These unproductive negotiations could benefit the Coyotes if the league puts the negotiations on the back burner for a week or so while they try and sort things out (via CBC.ca).

This "benefit" would come in the form of an opportunity to sort things out as far as the league putting some pressure on the City of Glendale to get a deal done with Jamison (who is currently still hammering out arena lease agreements with the City, via Five for Howling) before the start of the season.

But don't hold your breath about these negotiations getting done before the start of the NHL season as Jamison and the City of Glendale still have to figure out how to stop losing money hand over fist every season.

Although the Coyotes have lost money every season, the one season that they didn't lose money (ironically) was the last lockout.

The Coyotes' monetary situation may mean increased revenue sharing between owners (via Globe and Mail), but that is another conversation altogether.

For the moment, the Coyotes are obviously staying put and the pressure is off of the organization.

But if the Glendale City manager cannot get Jamison to agree to a renegotiation of the lease (via Five for Howling) agreement, the Coyotes could have to go elsewhere to play hockey.

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