Since we’ve been getting more and more Phoenix Coyotes stories/topics to report on we have just rolled out a dedicated site for all Phoenix Coyotes news and events.  We will continue to post some Coyotes news here from time to time.

For the most part, all Coyotes related news will be posted here moving forward:

http://coyotes.azvibe.com

July 1 marked the beginning of Free Agency signings where NHL players who are unrestricted free agents (UFA’s) could sign with any team they desire. This is one of the biggest days of the season for NHL teams and fans alike as many teams add some key pieces to their respective teams while fans watch the goings on like presents being opened on Christmas Day. Many of the teams around the league made big name signings, like the Oilers signing veteran Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin to a killer deal, the Coyotes signed a couple of key players to the roster.

Center Verne Fiddler (played with the Nashville Predators last season) and Goaltender Jason LaBarbera (who split time between the Los Angeles Kings and the Vancouver Canucks last season) were both signed to two year contracts. The terms of the deal were not disclosed by the Coyotes.

Now I’ll be honest, I don’t know anything about Verne Fiddler.  However, according to the Phoenix Coyotes Twitter Page, Darren Pang called Fiddler “…a terrific player that plays hard. He can play wing or center and is reliable at both ends.”  Pang is a pretty good analyst when it comes to NHL players so there’s no need to question or expand on this at all.

When it comes to Jason LaBarbera, I’ve been watching him from his early days with the Los Angeles Kings through the end of last season after he was acquired by the Vancouver Canucks in December 2008.

LaBarbera has been getting a bad rap during his time with the Kings partially because of the team in front of him and partially from being in a perpetually losing situation with the Kings year in and year out.   As a result, LaBarbera became the whipping boy for Kings fans when it should have been the Kings front office on the proverbial whipping pole.  Show me a player who can stick with a losing tradition like the Kings for so long and not have it effect his game in some way.  The trade to the Canucks couldn’t have come at a more perfect time for Jason LaBarbera.

Up to the point to where LaBarbera was acquired by Vancouver on December 30th 2008, here’s what was going on with the Canucks last season:

- This was pretty much a brand new team with tons of player personnel turnover and new faces on the roster. Even by December of 2008, the Canucks never all ‘clicked’ together on the ice and in the win column on a consistent basis. Add some really long road trips into the mix,  lots of trips to the IR with various players, and you can pretty much see some of the challenges that the Canucks were facing in this part of last season.

- Vancouver Canucks All-Star goaltender Roberto Luongo was out of the lineup with a groin injury on November 23, 2008.  Goaltending duties were then split between then backup Curtis Sanford and top Canucks goaltending prospect Cory Schneider (who was brought up from the Manitoba Moose, the Canucks farm club).

- Schneider showed some great goaltending skills the time he was up with the Canucks.  However, he was nowhere near ready to shoulder the load of being an NHL starting goaltender as he showed lots of areas of his game that needed improvement (like puck handling behind his net).

- Sanford was out of the lineup with a groin injury the day LaBarbera was acquired.

- When Sanford was in the lineup there was a huge gaping hole in his goaltending in game situations. He couldn’t stop a glove side puck to save his life. Sanford, for whatever reason, could not accurately track a puck coming to his glove side at all. When you look at video of the games he played after Luongo went down, he was guessing at glove side shot locations. He would put up his glove and hope the puck would land. He was eventually waived by the Canucks on January 14, 2009.

LaBarbera was pretty solid for the Canucks as he showed signs of brilliance in his first games in a Canucks uniform (he played the very evening of the trade).  However, there was always a mental mistake of some sort from the team in front of him that led to losses or the team going to the shootout (see the reasons above).  His record with the Canucks is a direct reflection of the Canucks not being a solid, confident, cohesive unit in front of him.

Now that he will be wearing a Coyotes uniform, LaBarbera has the opportunity to show people that the Kings were in the wrong when it comes to him being a bonified goaltender.  He’s still got the skills but he has some parts of his game that can be improved on (like rebound control).  He’s an excellent pickup for the Coyotes heading into next season.

Now it’s unsure if this will be yet another three way battle for spots in Training camp (with Al Montoya, LaBarbera, and Bryzgalov) like when David Aebischer, Alex Auld, and Mikael Tellqvist were battling for roster spots not too long ago.  It’s also unclear what LaBarbera’s role with the team will be come training camp time.  Will he be challenging for Bryzgalov’s starting spot or will he be the Coyotes backup right out of the gate?  Time will tell.

Editor’s Note:

Normally, an article like this would have been published sooner.  However, I personally wanted to wait and see what the Local Arizona media’s reaction and coverage (as well as Coyote’s Fan’s reaction of this press conference) would be. We’re posting the most important points from yesterday’s press conference that fans should know about or may not know about already.

Yesterday afternoon, the Deputy Commissioner of the NHL Bill Daly held a press conference for local Arizona media at the Alltel Ice Den in Scottsdale, AZ. Mr. Daly first addressed the media by re-iterating that the NHL is committed to the Coyotes staying in Phoenix/Glendale and wanted to thank Coyotes fans for their support.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly talks with Coyotes Fans before his press conference

The main topics in the press conference were the court case with the Coyotes currently going on and the new bid submitted by Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf to the NHL this past Friday.

Here are the key points of the press conference we beleive you should know about:

Overall Success of the Coyotes and Hockey in Arizona

Mr. Daly pretty much re-iterated what every Coyotes fan (but not the local media for whatever reason) knows. From the time that current GM Don Maloney was brought on, he implemented a long term strategy of building a foundation of prospects and draft picks in their farm system. Gone are the days of trying to bring in high mileage Veteran leadership and other ‘past their prime’ or ‘high cost/low reward’ players. Maloney’s strategy has been paying off and the Coyotes are very close to turning the corner to becoming a winning franchise.

As for Hockey in Arizona, many people still don’t know how the Phoenix Coyotes, according to Mr. Daly, have “laid down roots in this community”. These ‘roots’ include High School hockey, all three Major Arizona Colleges offering Hockey (ASU, U of A, and NAU all have hockey teams) and Junior Hockey (PF Chang’s sponsored a youth camp which was taking place during Mr. Daly’s press conference).  These are just examples of how Hockey roots are starting to grow deep into the traditions of the Phoenix area. The process of growing hockey roots in the valley is developing ‘great young players’.  However, Mr. Daly also adds that even though lots of people are playing hockey in the valley, the “process is gaining momentum” in the Valley.

The Reinsdorf Bid

As you may or may not know, an ownership group led by Jerry Reinsdorf recently submitted an Ownership bid to the NHL for $148 million with the intention of keeping the team in Arizona.

Mr. Daly summarized the time lines for the Renisdorf Bid (some of these aren’t hard dates….just estimates):

- Received Bid from Jerry Reinsdorf’s group – Friday June 26th, 2009
- When Reinsdorf’s group must have a completed Asset purchase agreement in to the NHL by- July 24th, 2009
- Must have NHL Board of Governor’s Approval by July 30th, 2009
- The NHL Executive Committee schedules an interview with Reinsdorf’s group – Date not set
- Board of Governor’s meet to vote on the Application for approval of the sale – by August 5th, 2009. August 5th is also the deadline the court has set for approval of the transaction (the sale of the team to Reinsdorf).

The NHL is hoping they can get this all done in a month or so….on August 5th at the earliest. Mr. Daly is ‘hopeful and confident’ that the Reinsdorf bid is the right one for the Phoenix Coyotes moving forward.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly conducts his press conference while Coyotes fans show their support

How the team will be run next season via the Front Office while the current case is in court?

Right now Coyotes GM Don Maloney will still be making decisions for the club.  Mr Maloney will be reporting directly to representatives of Jerry Moyes and representatives from the NHL (until the ownership court case is resolved). Maloney has already submitted an Operations Budget for next season and, according to Mr. Daly, the budget ‘has been approved by both sides’. Mr. Maloney has ‘fairly significant latitude’ to make decisions, in the realm of his job title. In short, ‘it’s business as usual’ for Mr. Maloney.

The 2011 All-Star Game in Phoenix?

Following up on a story we first reported in January of this year:

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2009/01/25/breaking-news-phoenix-coyotes-to-host-the-2011-nhl-all-star-game/

(Fans may or may not remember but the Coyotes were to host the NHL All-Star Game in 2005 but was canceled due to the Collective Bargaining Agreement Labor Dispute.)

…we asked Mr. Daly if there will be an official announcement of the 2011 All-Star Game coming to Phoenix and if the court case had any effect on said announcement. As of this moment the NHL has not made an official announcement on the 2011 All-Star Game but Mr. Daily wasn’t in the position to make an announcement during this press conference either.

However, he did say this:

‘Phoenix is owed an All-Star game and we have every intention to make good on the promise to the people of Glendale and the City of Phoenix on bringing an All-Star Game here in the near future.’

Mr. Daly continued….

‘Yes, there will be an All-Star Game here.’

This past weekend, part of the Phoenix Coyotes staff were in Montreal taking part in the 2009 entry draft adding to the already strong foundation of prospects on the farm. Overall, the Coyotes selected five players and were a part of three trades which included a trading Coyotes Right Wing Brandon Prust for a solid defenseman in Jim Vandermeer formerly of the Calgary Flames.

With the #6 overall selection in the draft, the Coyotes selected 17 year old Oliver Ekman-Larsson who has been touted as ‘the real deal’.

For those of you who don’t follow hockey to well or don’t understand the significance of the NHL Entry Draft, we can sum it up in a few sentences. The way the NHL works with their latest collective bargaining agreement between the NHL Players Union and the Owners of the NHL is that building a solid foundation for a team is critical for the survival of a franchise. It’s just like a house. You need to have a solid foundation to build whatever you want on top and make it last for years to come. Gone are the days of building a team with high priced talent.  The Coyotes have quieltly been building a tremendous foundation in the past few years that will pay off before too long.

Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney talked about their first round draft pick to the Coyotes Dave Strader. Good stuff here:

http://coyotes.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=-6&id=44344

Maloney continued saying that the Coyotes “are extremely pleased with the way this weekend unfolded for our organization beginning with the selection of a top defensive prospect (Ekman-Larsson)”. Furthermore he added that “we added a tough NHL defenseman in Jim Vandermeer, who will help solidify our defense.”

Dave Vest talks with Coyotes Director of Amateur Scouting, Keith Gretzky at the conclusion of the draft.

http://coyotes.nhl.tv/team/embed.jsp?catid=-6&id=44498

Dave Strader talks with Coyotes first round draft pick Oliver Ekman-Larsson:

http://coyotes.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=-6&id=44276

Here’s his stats.
POS NAME ROUND HT WT TEAM GP G A PTS PIM PLACE OF BIRTH
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson 1st /6th overall 6’2” 176 Leksand (Sweden-2) 39 3 14 17 32 Karlskrona, Sweden

Coyotes Dave Vest talks with Second Round Pick Chris Brown:

http://coyotes.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=-6&id=44393

POS NAME ROUND HT WT TEAM GP G A PTS PIM PLACE OF BIRTH
RW Chris Brown 2nd/36th overall 6’2’’ 191 U.S. U-18 (NTDP) 62 20 18 38 120 Flower Mound, TX

Coyotes Dave Vest talks with newest Coyotes player Goaltender Michael Lee:

http://coyotes.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=-6&id=44414

Lee’s Goaltending Stats:

POS NAME ROUND HT WT TEAM GP W-L-T GAA SV% PLACE OF BIRTH
G Michael Lee 3rd/91st overall 6’1’’ 185 Fargo (USHL) 48 26-15-4 2.40 .918 Roseau, MN

Coyotes Dave Vest talks with the newest member of the Phoenix Coyotes, Jordan Szwarz

http://coyotes.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=-6&id=44443

Szwarz’s stats:

POS NAME ROUND HT WT TEAM GP G A PTS PIM PLACE OF BIRTH
RW Jordan Szwarz 4th/97th overall 5’11” 189 Saginaw (OHL) 67 17 34 51 76 Burlington, ON

This Friday from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM at the Buffalo Wild Wings in North Scottsdale (map below) the Phoenix Coyotes will be hosting a NHL draft party.  Be there during the first round of the NHL Draft to see who the newest member of the Phoenix Coyotes will be.

This event will be hosted by Coyotes TV Analyst Darren Pang and Coyotes Radio announcer Bob Heethuis and will feature Coyotes 2008 NHL Entry Draft Pick Mikkel Boedker (he will be meeting and greeting fans as well as signing autographs).  Furthermore, there will be a Coyotes ‘Draft Trivia’ contest that will take place where fans will have the chance to win autographed Coyotes merchandise.

Select Happy Hour Food Specials from 3 to 7 PM will be happening as well.  Fans can also get a $1 discount off all 23 ounce draft beers, $3.50 well drinks and much more.

Don’t miss this chance to not only see the future of the Coyotes franchise being formed right before your very eyes but also get to meet and greet other Coyotes fans across the Valley.

[mappress]

If you follow the Coyotes you probably already know the following:

1) Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection and has a deal to sell the team to RIM Co-CEO Jim Basille (Makers of the Blackberry cell phones) and move the team to Southern Ontario.

2) The NHL has removed Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes as owner of the Phoenix Coyotes as a result of this Chapter 11 filing. (Click here to read the statement from NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daily)

3) The current rumor that has been mulling around the public online hockey circles is that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is currently in the Phoenix area working on a deal to sell the Coyotes to Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf. While this deal was being worked on the Chapter 11 was filed and resulted in the NHL removing Mr. Moyes as Owner and all owner related decision making for the Phoenix Coyotes. Again, #3 is a rumor/speculation and nothing is definite here.

So what is going on here?!?!? Are the Coyotes as good as gone or will Jerry Reinsdorf be the man who saves hockey in the Greater Phoenix area.

Stay Tuned….

On May 14th from 6 PM to 9 PM at Jobing.com Arena, the Phoenix Coyotes will be holding an Open House for all fans to attend.

You can meet Hall of Fame Goaltender Grant Fuhr and Coyotes star Kyle Turris as well as get autographs from them.

There will be free Hot Dogs and Soda for all!

If you would like to attend, please call 623-772-3349 and make your RSVP

I’ve been thinking about a lead paragraph for this review but all I can come up with is ‘Man what a great event this was!’  The Assist4Africa Charity Basketball Game consisted of current and former Phoenix Area pro sports athletes and local media.  The list of Celebrities included former NBA players Tom Chambers, Dan Majerle, Eddie Johnson, current Phoenix Coyotes Daniel Winnick, and Keith Yandel, as well as players like former Arizona Diamondbacks star Quentin McCracken.

From the opening tip off, the fans were in for a treat the entire game long. There was some players that were taking the game a wee bit seriously but there were some hilarious moments during the game as well.  Most of them came from former Suns player Cedric Ceballos.  For example, whenever former Suns player Mark West went to the foul line, Ceballos layed down on the court and said that (paraphrasing) “West is shooting, we’re going to be here for a while”.

Here’s another gem from Ceballos after Larry Fitzgerald fouls him.  His comments come after he jogs off screen to the right:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbqMTVja_iI

Even though this was a basketball game, it didn’t follow any sort of format or time schedule which was not only refreshing for a change but it added to the fun atmosphere of the event.  The players on the team were there to entertain and left the fans more than satisfied.  Various stoppages in play brought out different activities from a live auction of a Kurt Warner Autographed jersey along with lunch with Mr. Warner, to a dance contest with Kids, to a representative from Partners in Malawi (the organization where all the proceeds were going) talking about the wonderful work they have been doing.

On the opposite end of the floor, there was a silent auction with a large number of REALLY killer sports memorabilia available.  For example, Orlando Magic super star Dwight Howard had an autographed jersey available and there was a hockey stick signed by the entire Phoenix Coyotes team.

All in all, this was a spectacular event from start to finish.  I just wish there were more people there as they missed an extremely entertaining evening.  We would love to help out next year in the promotions department as this is a great event benefiting an extremely worthy cause.

I was re-reading the original press release for Assist4Africa just now and one line stuck out for me:

This is the third time for the event and it promises to be the best ever.

I couldn’t agree more.

Partners in Malawi is a non-profit organization designed to promote the awareness and education of AIDS/HIV in Malawi.  All of the proceeds from the event went to all the efforts this organization does in Malawi.

For more information about Partners In Malawi, please refer to their website:

http://www.partnersinmalawi.org/

Editor’s Note:  We are experiencing challenges with the photos we have taken at the event.  Until we are able to post the images here, we have uploaded the all of our pictures from the Assist4Africa Charity Basketball Game to our Facebook Fan Page:

Part 1:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77418&id=33123943379&l=354ecd7161

Part 2:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77420&id=33123943379&l=f4bd8ae385

Part 3:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77413&id=33123943379&l=4afbc89e53

With the last Phoenix Coyotes home game of the season comes a time honored tradition of Fan Appreciation Night.  On April 11th at 5:00 PM the Phoenix Coyotes will be taking on the Anaheim Ducks in the final game of the season.

All fans who attend the game will have the chance to win the following:

• Many raffles that will include prizes such as a custom Coyotes Suzuki GSX650 motorcycle

The Coyotes will also be giving away what they call ‘experience’ packages that will give the lucky winners the chance to have many great Coyotes based experiences such as:

• Lunch with Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney
• A Pre Game Dinner and Press Box Tour with Assistant General Manager Brad Treliving (editor’s note: The Press Box is without a doubt the best seats in the house to watch a Coyotes game).
• Road Game Trips to see the Coyotes play the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks that include Airfare, Hotel Accomidations and game tickets.
• Game Used Player equipment such as sticks, helmets and gloves
• Opportunities for Post Game Player Meet and Greets Will also be featured as well.

That’s not all….

Everyone in attendence will receive a scratch card that will tell them if they have won a prize.  In addition to the prizes listed above, fans will ahve the chance to win the following:

• A Golf Vacation Package
• A 32″ Samsung LCD Television
• Two Bicycles from Pepsi
• US Airways Gift Cards
• iPod Shuffles
• A coupon for $500 off a Custom Intralasik procedure at Schwartz Laser Eye Center.

…and then….

Tons of other prizes will be distributed by The Pack to fans in randomly selected rows and sections throughout the entire game…..AND all  fans will receive a free 7 Day Pass to Lifetime Fitness.

That’s not all….

All Merchandise at the Coyotes Den Team Store will be 40% off normal prices.

….and Finally…..

The Coyotes will also present their yearly team awards prior to the game.  The team awards include:

• MVP
• Leading Scorer
• Hardest Working Player
• Man of the Year
• The Three Star Award
• The Beth Champie Memorial Award – Presented by the Coyotes Booster Club

Pretty impressive, eh?

You can see why this is a tradition with the Coyotes as they are literally giving away TONS of stuff.

For tickets you can buy them online at http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com or by calling the Coyotes directly at 480-563-PUCK.

1) The Phoenix Coyotes vs. St. Louis Blues – April 7 – 7 PM – Jobing.com Arena – This is the second to last home game of the season for the Coyotes. Since they have returned to full strength they are finishing the season on a REAL strong note. Don’t miss your chance to see some great hockey before the weather skyrockets into the triple digits!

http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/246515/806002?brand=phxcoyotes&camefrom=CFC_COYOTES

2) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – April 3 – 7:30 PM – Jobing.com Arena – The Second night of his world tour comes to Glendale at the Jobing.com arena for a show that is destined to sell out. If you have never seen the Boss in action, you need to clear your schedule and head to his show. There’s a reason why he’s the hardest working man in show business.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E00423BDCE26B36?artistid=860453&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

3) Tempe Music Festival – April 3rd and 4th – Tempe Beach Park – As mentioned previously, one of the biggest musical events of the year is coming to the Tempe Beach Park. Kid Rock and 3 Doors Down are some of the killer acts that will be playing at the festival.

http://www.tempemusicfestival.com/

4) Star Trek Exhibition at the Arizona Science Center – How cool is it when you get to not only sit in Captain Kirk’s chair but check out the bridge from the Enterprise D? Open Daily. Please refer to the link below for hours and ticket information.

http://www.azscience.org/star_trek.php

5) The 26th Annual Gibson Jazz & Blues Festival – Historic Downtown Glendale – April 4th and 5th – Free – One of the coolest and most eclectic Jazz and Blues lineup will be coming to downtown Glendale to throw down some amazing tracks.

For more information along with the times and lineups of artists please refer to the festival website:

http://www.glendaleaz.com/events/GlendaleJazzBluesFestival.cfm

6) First Friday! – Downtown Phoenix – How can you miss this?!?!?

7) Shake! – Every Saturday Night – Rogue Bar – Scottsdale – $5 (approx) If you are a frequent reader of this site you know that one of the best places to go on a Saturday night is Shake!. Great Music and fun for a great price!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2008/10/27/review-shake-the-rogue-saturday-october-25th/

8) FUSE – Bar Smith – Friday Nights – $5 – Bar Smith – Downtown Phoenix – 10PM – 2 AM

9) The Phoenix Film Festival – Scottsdale – April 2 to April 9 – The Phoenix Film Festival is back again for another run and from the looks of every movie synopsis it’s going to be a great one. There are a wide variety of films to choose from and it also looks like there’s a local movie maker category which is always fun to watch.

http://www.phoenixfilmfestival.org/

10) Movies in the Park with ‘From Russia With Love’ – Fridays Through April – Biltmore Fashion Park – Speaking of Movies how about heading to the Biltmore Fashion Park and watching the classic 007 Movie ‘From Russia With Love’? The fun starts at 7:30 at the Center Lawn of the Biltmore Fashion Park. Oh yeah. It’s Free.

http://www.shopbiltmore.com/events.asp?id=9160

11) Dark Star Orchestra – April 4th 2009 – Marquee Theater – $23 – 6:30PM – The absolute best Grateful Dead Tribute Band comes the Valley of the Sun to jam to some of the classic Grateful Dead songs. If you have never seen the Dark Star Orchestra, and you are a fan of the Dead, you need to be here to see this amazing production.

Tickets:
https://www.etix.com/ticket/servlet/onlineSale%3bjsessionid=C5B6E63F59B0C129DC63B1DB0A5F0BDC?action=selectPerformance&cobrand=luckymanonline&performance_id=884533

12) Star Trek Movie Marathon – Chandler Cinemas – April 3rd, 4th, and 5th- $10 – See Link for Movie times – The Chandler Cinemas is having a Star Trek Movie Marathon this weekend for all to come see. The Movies featured will be Star Trek 2, 3, and 4. Admission is $10 for one movi

Last but certainly not Least….

13) OPENING DAY!!! – Arizona Diamondbacks – April 6 – 12:40 PM – Chase Field – That’s right folks! Another season of Arizona Diamondbacks baseball is just about underway! The opening game will be an afternoon game and is a great excuse to use your ’9 inning flu’ excuse to get out of work.

Tickets can be purchased through the Arizona Diamondbacks website:

http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=ari

Now that the technical challenges with AZ Vibe have been resolved here’s the list of things to do for the coming week.  Lots of fun stuff to do!

1) The Phoenix Coyotes vs. Vancouver Canucks – March 21 – 7 PM – Jobing.com Arena – One of the top teams in the league, the Vancouver Canucks, make their final appearance of the season in the Valley of the Sun.  It’s also 80′s night at the Coyotes Game and prizes will be given out to the best costume.

http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=414140

2) Spring Training – Various Ballparks around the Greater Phoenix Area – Spring Training is just about over so don’t miss the opportunity to catch a ball game in this amazing weather!

http://www.cactusleague.com/

3) Charlie Murphy -  Tempe Improv – March 21 @ 8 and 10 PM – March 22 @ 8 PM – If you don’t know who Charlie Murphy is, here’s a refresher… http://www.pp2g.tv/vYnt6YXQ_.aspx

http://www.tempeimprov.com/

4) The 39th Annual Scottsdale Arts Festival – March 21 from 10 AM to 6 PM and March 22 from 10 AM to 5 PM – Scottsdale Civic Center Mall – One of the top Arts Festivals in the Nation is back again for artists to display their many and various works to the public.

http://www.scottsdaleartsfestival.org/

5) New Found Glory – Wed March 25th – 6:00 PM – Marquee Theater – $18.50 – $22.00 – Tempe

6) Bikini contest – Sunday’s Through April 5 – American Junkie – Scottsdale – Free – Not too much is know about this as it is a Facebook event which means we’re probably going to have to check it out.  Shoot.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=52834859196

7) Shake! – Every Saturday Night – Rogue Bar – Scottsdale – $5 (approx) If you are a frequent reader of this site you know that one of the best places to go on a Saturday night is Shake!.  Great Music and fun for a great price!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2008/10/27/review-shake-the-rogue-saturday-october-25th/

8) Saw Film Festival (Saw 2, 3, and 4) – Chandler Cinemas – $15 – This is a fundraiser for the wonderful and hard working people that make up the many events that take place at the Chandler Cinemas.  There is SO much going on this weekend that it would be impossible to list.  Instead, refer to the Chandler Cinema’s website for the complete list of what’s going on.  If you get bored here, you probably don’t have a pulse:

http://www.chandlercinemas.com/news.html

9) Arizona Renaissance Festival – $5-$20 – 2/7/09 – 3/29/09

10) BBQ – This is the absolute perfect weekend to host or attend a BBQ at a friends house or your neighborhood park.

1) Backyard at the Mission – Scottsdale

The number 1 thing to do this weekend is the new outdoor patio bar behind the Mission in Old Town Scottsdale.  The Mission has been getting nothing but RAVE reviews across the board and is soon to become the latest new restaurant to become a classic.  Come relax at a great outdoors bar that is destined to become a classic.

http://www.themissionaz.com

2) Spring Training for the 2009 season is underway!  At many places around the valley, Major League baseball has begun spring training for the new season.  Check the link below for teams, games, times, and prices in your area!

http://www.cactusleague.com/

3) Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – The Venue – Scottsdale – One of the most popular Swing Bands in the Modern era is coming to the Venue of Scottsdale Friday night!  Check them out!

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E00423005CD8FDD?artistid=798111&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

4) G Love and Special Sauce

http://www.luckymanonline.com/EventDetail.aspx?eventID=2227

5) Ear Candy Benefit at the Phoenix Roadrunners Hockey game and post game concert featuring Black Carl – Ear Candy has a great fundraiser going on at the Saturday Phoenix Roadrunners Hockey game.  Purchase a ticket through the Ear Candy Website (Link and instructions below) and you will help them out with their fundraising efforts.  There will be a post game concert (also benefiting Ear Candy) that will include one of Phoenix’s best bands, Black Carl.

Now remember use the code EAR CANDY when purchasing tickets or else Ear Candy doesn’t benefit.

http://www.earcandycharity.org/Event.aspx?Id=17

6) Parada del Sol Rodeo – Westworld  – Scottsdale – Friday, Saturday and Sunday

The Scottsdale Junior Chamber of Commerce is putting on this PRCA Rodeo.  Come see some great rodeo action all weekend long!

http://www.paradadelsol.org/tickets.htm

7) Slipknot – Jobing.com Arena – Thursday – Supporting on of the best metal albums this year, All Hope Is Gone , Slipknot brings one of the best live shows this year to the Jobing.com Arena.  Don’t miss this chance to see a great band!

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E004176998A4679?artistid=763913&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=200

8) Go on a walk/bike ride – I mean come on it’s going to be really nice this weekend, how can you NOT go out?!?!?!

The Phoenix Coyotes are holding a sale on tickets with discounts up to 40% off. The Sale is on NOW until Monday February 16th at noon.

Tickets can be purchased at http://www.ticketmaster.com or http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com.

You can also call the Phoenix Coyotes Box office at 480-563-PUCK (7825)

The following games are available on sale:

Monday, Feb. 16 vs. Edmonton Oilers
Thursday, Feb. 19 vs. Atlanta Thrashers
Thursday, March 19 vs. Anaheim Ducks
Thursday, March 26 vs. Edmonton Oilers
Monday, March 30 vs. Dallas Stars
Thursday, April 2 vs. Los Angeles Kings

Here’s a quick list of things to do for the next week that are fun and, in some cases, unique!

1. Check out Heart at the Celebrity Theater 2/5/09 – Tickets $50-$100
2. First Friday Artwalk  – Free – Downtown Phoenix
3. FUSE – Bar Smith – $5 – Every Friday Night – Downtown Phoenix – 9PM
4. Arizona Diamondbacks Fan Fest at Chase Field  – Free – 2/7/09 – 10 am to 5 pm
5. Phoenix Coyotes vs. Carolina Panthers – Jobing.com Arena – 7PM
6. Arizona Renaissance Festival – $5-$20 – 2/7/09 – 3/29/09
7. Tuca Body Art Ball – 2/8/09 – Orpheum Theater – 7 PM – Free (must print out ticket.  Click link for tickets)
8. The Eagles of Death Metal at the Martini Ranch in Scottsdale – 2/9/09 – 7PM – $16
9. Ivan Nevell’s DumpstaFunk – RythmRoom – 2/10 – (Tickets can be purchased in the Ticketmaster widget at top right of this page)

ASU/U of A – The Battle of Arizona – Round 1 – FIGHT!

I found this game posted as an event on Facebook (by ASU forward Patrick Lind) a few days ago and I had to mark this on my calendar.  Not because I wanted to see if there was really hockey in the desert.  No, I wanted to attend this game based on the wall postings and the amount of people that were bypassing other parties and events like the FBR Open to come to this game.  From what people were posting, this had the makings of an intense rivalry game.  I mean they are playing the University of Arizona.

Now, I’ve been to a hockey game of just about every single level of professional and amateur hockey in my lifetime EXCEPT for NCAA hockey (this includes international competitions).  Sure I’ve seen the Frozen Four on TV but never in person.  I wasn’t able to locate a copy of the NCAA rule book to familiarize myself with the nuances of NCAA hockey.  However, I knew most of the differences between the rules of the NHL versus the NCAA (like all players wear helmets with face cages).

When I arrived in the arena the stands were already packed and the standing room only ‘seating’ was just about full at the top of the arena.  Furthermore, as the Facebook invite stated, there were fans there who made the drive from the University of Arizona for the game and MAN were they LOUD.  However, the Sun Devil fans matched and beat those fans at every opportunity.

From the opening face-off U of A had the momentum and played their game.  For as dominant as they were, especially on the Power Play Unit, they could never translate that to goals on the score board.  The Sun Devils matched them toe to toe defensively, in hitting, and in goals. As the goals for both teams increased, so did the intensity in the game and was matched by the fans at every huge hit, near miss on goals and every score.

This was a pretty even battle across the board until things broke open in the third period and the defense of the University of Arizona Icecats (Icecats? Ok…) kept coughing up puck after puck which led to even and odd man rush breakaways.  Eventually, the Sun Devil’s got into a groove and made the….Icecats…pay for their mistakes by scoring three straight goals in a very short span of time.

The crowd, many of which were attending their first Sun Devil’s hockey game ever may have not known all the rules of the game but they did understand two things:

1) This was a rivalry game against the U of A

2) They knew what a goal was and knew exactly what to do when a goal was scored by ASU.  Cheer and SCREAM!

By the end of the game, tempers flared to the point where small scraps were started by both teams which was unusual but not a surprise to this reporter based on the hitting and trash talking during the game.  However, like all good sportsman both teams lined up and shook hands with one another followed by the entire ASU hockey team saluting all the ASU fans that came out and cheered them on.  Beleive me, the team fed off of the near capacity crowd on hand tonight.

I’ll say this, all the new fans that came to the game have got to be hooked on ASU Hockey.  Because,  after a game like this if they aren’t hooked, they more than likely don’t have a pulse and an undertaker should be called.

Everyone in the area needs to come out and see an ASU Hockey game before the season is over with!

For more information on ASU Hockey please refer to their website:

http://www.asu.edu/clubs/div2hockey/index.html

The Battle of Arizona – Round 1 – Winner – Arizona State University – 5- Icecats – 3

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The Battle of Arizona goes to a new level when the Arizona State Sun Devil’s square off against their cross-state rivals the University of Arizona Wildcats.  The puck drops Friday at 7:40 PM and Saturday at 5:40 PM.  Both games will be at the Alltel Ice Den in North Scottsdale.  Come and support the Sun Devil Hockey team as reports have it there will be lots of U of A fans making the trek to the arena.  Judging by the Facebook event invite there will be TONS of people there.  Get there early and don’t miss the hard hitting action of Sun Devil Hockey!

Tickets are:

$7 – Adults

$4 – ASU Students (Must have Valid ASU ID)

$5 – Children

$2 – Youth Hockey Players if wearing their game sweater

Can’t make it to the game?  Watch the game Live over the internet!

Click the link below and then select the ASU game:

http://www.ustream.tv/search/all/hockey

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.000454891883e556d379a&ll=33.639017,-111.880968&spn=0.003716,0.009087&z=17

The Phoenix Coyotes are hosting an NHL All-Star game viewing party at Zipps on Camelback and Miller in Old Town Scottsdale.  The Coyotes Radio Play by Play announcers from XTRA Sports 910 will be on hand with prizes and promotional giveaways.

Don’t miss this opportunity to watch the NHL All-Star Game with your fellow hockey and Coyotes fans!!

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.0004612584776046389b5&ll=33.507371,-111.918883&spn=0.014814,0.02459&z=15

In the final installment of our look at attending a Phoenix Coyotes game (at the Westgate City Center and the Jobing.com Arena), we look at the goings on inside of the Jobing.com arena in advance of a Coyotes game.

Jobing.com Arena

The Jobing.com Arena is located at the 223 acre Westgate City Center in Glendale, Arizona. Quickly approaching its 5^th anniversary, Jobing.com Arena is a state of the art multi-use arena that is one of the premier multipurpose arenas in the nation.

Once inside the Jobing.com arena, one of the coolest features of the arena is that in the middle of the main concourse of the arena fans have the ability to view the action of a given game from the concourse on the main level. Not many other arenas in the United States offer this kind of up close look at the game experience.

View inside the main concourse of the Jobing.com Arena before a Coyotes game

The best way to equate this is to imagine what watching a game from the lower level concourses of Chase Field is like.  Just like watching an Arizona Diamondbacks game action up close and personal from the concourses, the builders of the Jobing.com arena incorporated the ability to have fans get unique perspective of the game experience so all fans can get a taste of what the up-close action like is at an NHL game. The views from this vantage point, make the Jobing.com arena unique from all of the other NHL arenas around North America. On top of that, the sight lines from every seat in the arena give fans excellent views of all of the game action.

View of the pre-game warm ups at Jobing.com Arena from the upper concourse a the south end of the arena

I personally have sat in or have seen games from numerous vantage points throughout the Jobing.com arena (including the Press Box) and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. All seats in the arena were designed to give fans the best views of the game action.

View of the pre-game warm ups at Jobing.com Arena from the upper concourse a center ice

Coyotes Pre-Game – Inside

The doors to the Jobing.com arena open up approximate one hour before game time. Once the doors open, one of the best things that fans can do is watch the Coyotes and their opponents warm up before the game. It’s a great time for fans of all ages to go down to ice level and watch their favorite Coyotes players getting ready for the game.

Fans watching the pre-game warm ups from ice level at Jobing.com Arena

One of the best things first time visitors can to do before the game is wander around the concourses of the Jobing.com arena to not only explore the arena but to take in some of the fun.

Food

One of the best things about eating at the Jobing.com arena is that there is LOTS of variety for food choices. From Pizza to wings to hot dogs, fans have a wide array of choices to satisfy any hungry appetite.

50/50 Raffles

50/50 Raffles are a tradition in all levels of hockey from the Minor Leagues to the National Hockey League. The Coyotes give charities or other organizations that need to raise funds (a good example would be youth Hockey teams) the opportunity to raise funds via the 50/50 raffle. How the 50/50 Raffles work is that fans pay $2 per raffle ticket. The money is then all collected and a raffle ticket is drawn. The winning raffle ticket is drawn and the winner gets 50% of the total amount collected from the game. The other 50% is split in half. One half goes to Coyotes Charities and the other half go to the organization that is trying to raise funds

Two of the many 50/50 raffle vendors wandering the arena

Mystery Pucks/Charity Table

The Mystery Puck sales are put on by Coyotes charities throughout the season. The Mystery Puck table is normally right inside the main entrance to Jobing.com arena and can be identified by the table full of pucks wrapped like Christmas presents.

For $20 (all money goes to Coyotes Charities) you can select any puck from the table. Every puck is autographed by a Coyotes player. However, there are Coyote player autographed pucks signed in gold pen. This means that in addition to the signed puck, they win an additional prize.

When I first got into the arena, there was a table setup with representatives from the Salvation Army looking for Volunteers to help them on Christmas morning feeding the needy. (Editor’s note: By the time I called to offer assistance all their volunteer slots were full).  To the left of the Salvation Army table was the Mystery Puck table (see photo below).

The Mystery Puck Table (Left, Back) along with the Salvation Army Table

Silent Auction

At every home game, again right by the main entrance of the Jobing.com arena, there is a table full of sports memorabilia from across all sports that are available for bidding through the third period.

Other offerings

During the first intermission, before the Zamboni’s came out and laid a fresh sheet of ice, two teams of Pee-wee hockey teams played a quick scrimmage on the entire ice surface.

The Mystery Puck Table (Left, Back) along with the Salvation Army Table

Fan Experiences – During one of the breaks in the action, members of ‘The Pack Entertainment Squad’ were launching T-shirts and other prizes to fans around the arena.

Fan Experiences – Wii shootout battles – This was a really cool addition to the game experience (as I’ve never seen this before the last game I went to) as there were two kids just off the concourse doing a NHL game shootout on a Nintendo Wii that was broadcast on the center ice video screen. The winner of the shootout got a prize from the Coyotes.

The Nintendo Wii Shootout battle in progress

Contests in between periods – In the second intermission there was a contest to see who could eat the most pizza amongst 4 contestants. It was pretty funny watching four high school to college aged guys stuff their faces in front of the Jobing.com crowd. The winner of this contest got a signed hockey stick

The Pizza eating contest, in progress

Closing

I could go on and on about how fun it is to go to a game but you have to experience a Coyotes game for yourself. Only when you attend a Coyotes game can you fully experience the fun, the action, the excitement of the fast pace of the game, of the hits, and when the Coyotes score a goal and win the game. Furthermore, the Westgate City Center, the City of Glendale and the Phoenix Coyotes have really done a world class job in giving fans  the best experience possible when attending a Coyotes game.

This is the perfect time to become not only an NHL fan but a Coyotes fan as they have finally turned the corner in their franchise and are beginning to display all the characteristics of a winning franchise. Furthermore, this is also the perfect time to become familiar with all the new faces on their roster as they are many of them are going to be with the team for a long time.

So get your family or friends together and plan an evening to the Jobing.com Arena and the Westgate City Center. Tickets to Coyotes games (see below) are extremely reasonable and they always have some sort of special or sale going on. If you have a large group, contact the Coyotes (Link below) and I’m sure they can set you up with a great package for you and your group.

Coyotes Tickets

Starting at $15, tickets for Coyotes games are very reasonable and are amongst the most affordable in the National Hockey League. According to the Coyotes, they have the following ticket packages available to fans:

All You Can Eat Pack

The All-You-Can-Eat Pack is available at all Saturday Coyotes home games. All-You-Can-Eat Packs include an upper-level game ticket and unlimited hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts and fountain sodas for only $25.

Family Pack

The Family Pack is available for all Friday, Saturday and Sunday Coyotes home games. Family Packs include four game tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas starting at only $79.

XTRA Value Thursday Pack

The XTRA Value Thursday Pack is available at all Thursday Coyotes home games. XTRA Value Thursday Packs include a game ticket, hamburger and bottled beer or soda starting at just $30.

Student, Teacher and Military Rush

The Student, Teacher and Military Rush discount offer is available for all Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Coyotes home games. Specially-priced lower-level tickets in select areas will cost just $20 and upper-level tickets will be available for $10. Tickets must be purchased at the Jobing.com Arena Box Office beginning at 6 p.m. the day of the game and each must be accompanied by a valid school or military ID at the time of purchase.

For more information about the Phoenix Coyotes or to purchase tickets, please refer to their website:

http://coyotes.nhl.com

For more information about the Westgate City Center please refer to their website:

http://www.westgateaz.com

We continue our look at the going on at a Phoenix Coyotes game by examining some of the ways to occupy your time before a Coyotes game.  In this segment, we explore the Westgate City Center.

Westgate City Center

The Westgate City Center is a sprawling complex nestled right at the entrance to the Jobing.com arena. Located at Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue, the Westgate City Center is considered one of North America’s best sports and entertainment complexes as this facility prides itself on being a practically an all inclusive entertainment complex. Since it’s opening in 2006, the Westgate City Center is becoming one of the premier attractions in the greater Phoenix area.  The Westgate City Center offers its visitors a wide array of activities including a variety of restaurants, retail stores, movies, and even many options to spend the night.

The Westgate City Center

Below are some of the examples of some of the stores that are on the grounds of the Westgate City Center:

Stores

- Tahitian Noni

- McFarlane Stores

Food

The majority of the foods available to eat at the Westgate City Center are, for the most part, unique to Arizona. With a few exceptions, you won’t find your normal chain restaurants but a wide array of places to eat that you can’t find anywhere else in the State of Arizona. Here’s a list of some of these places to eat that you won’t find tons of other locations in the Greater Phoenix Area:

-Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville

- Motu’s Tahitian Noni Island Grill

- Saddle Ranch Chop House

- Moe’s Southwest Grill

- Bar Louie

- Shane’s Rib Shack

- Which Which?

- Fox Sports Grill

- Kabuki

- The Shout! House

View of the Saddle Ranch Chop House

Hotels

There are two hotels on the Westgate City Center complex that offers visitors an option to stay overnight at the Westgate City Center. Eventually, the Westgate City Center will contain five hotels that will have 1,100 total rooms.

Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa – A Four Star 320 room hotel that offers upscale accommodations

Hampton Inn & Suites – a 149 room hotel located in close proximity to the Jobing.com arena.

Movies

Within the Westgate City Center complex is the AMC Westgate 20 movie theater which is the Arizona’s largest movie theater. This state of the art theater is within a very brief walking distance of the entire Westgate City Center complex and Jobing.com arena.

So, as you can see there’s something for everyone at the Westgate City Center. When it comes to attending Coyotes games in the middle of the week, you can easily fill your time up if you decide to come early to the game. But, as the classic salesman’s pitch goes, that’s not all! Once game time nears, the Phoenix Coyotes have many activities setup outside for kids of all ages.

Coyotes Pre-Game – Outside

Once game time rolls around, the Coyotes (and depending on the day of the week, the Westgate City Center) have a bunch of activities outside the Jobing.com arena for fans to check out. Each game is different but they seem to have (from the 6 or so Coyotes games I have been to) the same inflatable games that fans of all ages can check out.

Coyotes inflatable games for fans of all ages to check out

On weekend day games, the Westgate City Center has entertainment setup outside the main entrance to the arena. The weekend that I was there a Dance team was setup and doing some great routines.

A Dance Team entertains the audience outside the Jobing.com Arena

Every once in a while, there is a couple of vendors out front that have some great giveaways and raffles like this one below:

One of the Giveaway tables outside of Jobing.com arena

On Monday we will publish the final part of this feature about what goes on inside of Jobing.com arena at a Coyotes game.

With the current state of the economy, finding something to do with your free time isn’t as easy or as cheap as it used to be.  People want to know that they are going to get the best bang for their buck before they go out.  This is one of reasons why this site was created.  So from time to time we’re going to cover places to go, and things to do around town that you may have heard of but know nothing about.

The first three part feature in this series revolves around going to a Phoenix Coyotes game at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale.  This feature will also include the many activities that go on at the Westgate City Center Complex before, during and after a Coyotes game.

When it comes to going to Coyotes games at the Jobing.com arena in Glendale, people around the Phoenix area want to know that if they come from Mesa or Gilbert (no matter what day of the week) will they get the best bang for their buck?

The answer is yes!  Fans can indeed get the most out of their money when it comes to going to a Coyotes game and when they visit the Westgate City Center before a Coyotes game.

Buying a ticket to a Coyotes game does not only involve just the 60 minutes (three twenty minute periods with intermissions in between) that make up the hockey game.  There is so much more that goes on at a Coyotes game then just hockey, that your investment for gas, food and tickets goes a lot farther than you probably realize.  In addition, the Westgate City Center provides the residents of the greater Phoenix area a bonified entertainment destination for all.

One of the characteristics that makes an NHL Arena great is not just the team that plays under its roof but the things to do around the arena before and after the game.  I personally have been to just about every single NHL arena on the West Coast (the exception being the Staples Center in Los Angeles) and have extensively explored the areas around a 5 mile radius of said NHL Arenas.  There simply isn’t that much for fans to do before or after a game that is within close proximity (less than a mile to five miles) of their respective arenas.

The Jobing.com arena and the grounds of the Westgate City Center is a completely different story.

The Westgate City Center an all inclusive, state of the art, entertainment destination for residents of Phoenix to come and enjoy.   Hockey fans can come to the Westgate City Center in advance of a Coyotes game and find a plethora of activities that can fill up any of the extra time they may have before a game.  The great thing about this is that Coyotes fans don’t have to worry about wandering too far from the Jobing.com arena because the arena is right on the grounds of the Westgate City Center.

Now when I say the arena is ‘right on the grounds of the Westgate City Center’, I mean that it’s less than 30 feet from the closest Westgate City Center restaurant to the main entrance of the Jobing.com Arena.

Look for your self….

Westgate City Center from the second level of the Jobing.com arena

The Westgate City Center stands out amongst the other mega malls in the Greater Phoenix area (like Desert Ridge, Tempe Market Place, Mesa Riverview, etc) in that they offer its customers the most unique shopping and entertainment experience in the area.  In the case of many of the Westgate City Center tenants, there are some destinations that are unique to Arizona.

Very few if any NHL, let alone any other professional sports teams, can make the claim that they can provide pre and post game entertainment for their fans literally right outside the door of their arenas.  I’ve been to many different professional sport arenas/complexes all across North American and Europe and I have to say what the Phoenix Coyotes have in the Jobing.com Arena and the Westgate City Center is unlike any other sporting/entertainment complex I have ever seen.  Can you honestly think of another arena in North America that has an all-inclusive complex not only for sporting events but for entertainment as well?

What the Jobing.com arena and the Westgate City Center can offer a resident of Phoenix is an all inclusive entertainment destination for residents of Phoenix of all ages.

What does that mean to you, the consumer?

This means that when you come to a Coyotes game, you can come many hours in advance of the start of the Coyotes game, park your car for free and find many things to do to occupy your time until said game starts.  Even if you don’t go to a Coyotes game, the Westgate City Center is quickly becoming a popular destination for residents all across the valley.

Click here for Part 2 of this Feature about the Westgate City Center and the Coyotes.

That’s right!  The Phoenix Coyotes have partnered with the Westgate City Center to present you with a deal to see your Phoenix Coyotes do battle with the Colorado Avalanche and then spend New Year’s Eve in Style at the Westgate Rocks New Years.

For one single price (per person) you can go see the Phoenix Coyotes play against the Colorado Avalanche at 6 PM (at the Jobing.com Arena) and then walk not even 20 feet out of the arena and go right on into the Westgate Rocks New Years celebration right as the game ends.

You can’t beat the great price and uniqueness of this event at all!

Lower Level Ticket Packages are $55/per person and include a ticket to the Coyotes/Avalanche game and a ticket to Westgate Rocks New Years.  Tickets are only available for fans 21 and over.

Lower Level Ticket Packages are $30/per person and include a ticket to the Coyotes/Avalanche game and a ticket to Westgate Rocks New Years.  Tickets are only available for fans 21 and over.

Ticket packages for this event can only be purchased through the Phoenix Coyotes website (http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com) or by calling the Phoenix Coyotes at 480-563-PUCK (7825).

For more information on the Westgate Rocks New Years Eve, please refer to our article about this amazing event!

In these troubled times, the Phoenix Coyotes have announced an Economic Stimulus package to help Coyotes fans be able to better afford going to Coyotes games.

“Offering great value to our fans is a top priority,” Douglas Moss, president and chief operating officer of the Coyotes said recently. “We wanted to make sure there was an affordable ticket available to everyone coming to enjoy exciting Coyotes hockey.”

Stimulus Package #1 – All You Can Eat Tickets!

The first Stimulus Package starts with the New Year’s Eve Home Game against the Colorado Avalanche.  The last time these two teams played, fans witnessed probably the best game the Coyotes played this season.

For $25 per ticket, you can get an upper level ticket to the game and all the hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, and fountain sodas you can eat!

Stimulus Package #2 – Howliday Packs/4-Pack Ticket offers

The Phoenix Coyotes are offering a Howliday Pack of four tickets for fans where they can pick any four games for the price of three.  This offer is good through December 31st.  After December 31st, the Howliday Packs will be replaced by a 4-Game Pick em plan.

Stimulus Package #3 – Family Packs

For every remaining Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Coyotes home game this season you can purchase a Family Pack of four tickets starting at $79.  Each Family Pack includes 4 (four) tickets to a Coyotes home game, four hot dogs and four sodas.

Stimulus Package #4 – XRTA Value Thursday Pack

For every remaining Thursday Coyotes Home game, fans can purhase an XTRA Value Thrusday Pack which includes a game ticket, hamburger, and a bottled beer or soda.  Ticket Prices start at only $30.

Stimulus Package #5 – Student, Teacher, and Military Rush

For every remaining Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Coyotes home game, Students, teachers and Military personel can purchase low price tickets.  The specially priced tickets start are $20 for lower level seating and $10 for upper level seating.  The only stipulations for these tickets is that 1) they must be purchased at the Jobing.com Arena Box office beginning at 6:00 PM on the Day of the game and 2) you must show the ticket agent your valid military or student ID at the time of ticket purchase.

These are pretty wide ranging choice of tickets that cover just about every possible Coyotes demographics.  People have don’t have any excuses to miss these amazing deals from the Phoenix Coyotes.

For more information, please refer to the Phoenix Coyotes website.

http://coyotes.nhl.com

The Phoenix Coyotes will be playing this coming Friday Afternoon at 2:00 PM versus the Colorado Avalanche. I normally don’t post individual game events as they are all on the calendar. However, there are reasons why this is a fun event that should be mentioned (other than this being just a Hockey Game):

1) The Coyotes will be debuting their new 3rd Jersey (Click Link for More info)

2) They will be selling ‘All-You-Can-Eat’ package tickets. The Package includes an upper level ticket, unlimited hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, and fountain sodas. Click here to purchase tickets for this game!

3) The Coyotes ‘Leading Ladies’ (The Coyotes players wives/girlfriends) will be hosting the ‘Biscuit in the Basket’ Food Drive at the game. Fans are asked to bring non-perishable boxed and canned food items at donation stations outside Gate 4 and Gate 7. All fans who donate food will be entered to win a Coyotes Jersey signed by the entire team and four (4) glass seats to a future Coyotes game. All food donated benefits the Salvation Army.  Click here for more information.

With all these exciting events going on, why not head on out to the Coyotes game on Friday!

Starting at 12:01 AM on Black Friday (Friday November, 28), the Phoenix Coyotes will be holding a 72 hour ‘Blizzard Sale’.  During the ‘Blizzard Sale’ Coyotes fans will be able to purchase select home games up to a 40 percent discount rate.

Games that will be available during the Blizzard Sale include:

The Minnesota Wild
The New York Islanders
The Toronto Maple Leafs

Tickets can be purchased via the following three methods:

1) Online at the Coyotes Website http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com
2) At the Jobing.com Arena Box Office
3) By Calling the Phoenix Coyotes at 480-563-PUCK (7825)

Don’t miss out on this great chance to see a great event at a great price!

If you’re a Hockey fan, I mean a REAL hockey fan you know that the best way to become a fan is to go to a game in person. Every single aspect of the game on and off the ice is part of the game experience. 50/50 raffles, the food, the sounds and feelings that occur when your favorite team scores a goal or wins the game. All of these experiences from going to a Hockey game, no matter what level of a hockey game you go to, carries on with you for the rest of your life.

However, not everyone gets to experience the joy of going to an NHL game let alone a hockey game.  Especially the disadvantaged children of the Greater Phoenix area.  Would you not like to offer the chance for a child who may not be able to get to experience a hockey game the chance to go?

The Phoenix Coyotes ‘Tickets for Kids’ campaign gives everyone the chance to donate tickets and suites to numerous Valley non-profit organizations. Why not give the gift of Hockey to kids who just might become life long fans? Who knows, perhaps that child will become the next Sidney Crosby or Wayne Gretzky? It all starts with you and your gift of a ticket to a Coyotes game!

“Last season, we were able to donate about 20,000 tickets through the Tickets for Kids program,” said Flavil Hampsten, vice president of ticket sales for the Coyotes.

Tickets are distributed to non-profit organizations that apply each year to the Coyotes front office.  Among the organizations that have benefited from Coyotes Fans Generosity are:

- The Arizona Lost Boys Center
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona
- Chicanos Por La Causa
- The Single Parents Association
- The Sojourner Center

“The Coyotes truly have some of the most loyal and generous fans in the league. This concept of fans giving back to fans is really inspiring to us,” added Hampsten.

For more information on the ‘Tickets for Kids’ program call the Phoenix Coyotes at 480-563-PUCK (7825)

On October 25th the Phoenix Coyotes will be hosting ‘Firefighter Appreciation Night’ during the annual Howl-O-Ween Event.  The ‘Firefighter Appreciation Night’ will be part of the Coyotes ‘Howl-O-Ween’ celebration when the Phoenix Coyotes do battle with Jerome Igilna and the Calgary Flames.

This offer is open to all Arizona Firefighters, their families and friends and they will be able to purchase tickets at a discounted price with a portion of the proceeds to benefit Firefighters Charities.   Ticket packages are priced as low as $23 which include a ticket, Hot Dog, and a Drink.

For more information or to purchase tickets call Dustin England 623-772-3226.

The great folks at the Phoenix Coyotes sent us an e-mail for a KILLER deal for their October 23rd home game against the Washington Capitals.  Every Student, Teacher, and Military persons with valid ID will be able to purchase specially priced tickets for the game.

Specially priced Lower-level tickets will cost only $20.

Specially priced Upper-level tickets will cost only $10.

The tickets can only be purchased at the Jobing.com Arena Box Office beginning at 6:00 PM on the day of the game.  This offer is valid as long as there are tickets.  Once the tickets are gone, that’s it!

For more information about this deal you can check out the Coyotes website at http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com or call 480-563-7825.

The Phoenix Coyotes along with Coyotes Charities are holding the inaugural Pucks and Passports fundraising event on Monday October 6th starting at 6:00 PM.  The Jobing.com arena in Glendale will be the location of this unique event where you will be able to go on a culinary journey through the homelands of the Coyotes sampling various foods and drinks from many countries.  Coyotes players will be among the guides taking you on this amazing journey of culinary delights.

In addition to the Coyotes players, Managing Partner and Head Coach Wayne Gretzky along with General Manager Don Maloney are scheduled to be in attendance.

Tickets to this amazing event are $250 per person and Table sponsorship starts at $1,500.

To purchase tickets contact Maggie Goble at 623-772-3556

Well the week long CoyotesCaravan has been winding it’s way around the Valley of the Sun and the best part of this event is the Day long CoyotesFest.  Starting at 11:00 AM on Spetember 20th at Jobing.com arena fans, for Free, can be involved with the following events throughout the day:

- Appearances by Coyotes players
- Practice Sessions with Coyotes Players
- Scrimmages with Coyotes Players
- Autograph and Photograph Sessions with Coyotes players
- Contests
- Prizes
- Coyotes Broadcasters will be conducting interviews and commentary throughout the event
- Coyotes Charities will host an equipment sale that will include game used sticks and signed pucks.

If you have some free time On Saturday September 20th go to CoyotesFest because you really don’t get this opportunity to have players from professional sports giving this much accessibility to fans. The Suns don’t do this, the D-Backs don’t do this nor to the Cardinals. Only the Coyotes. Don’t miss this opportunity to see this year’s Coyotes players before they start their 2008-2009 campaign.

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Well, it’s that time of the year folks!  The Coyotes Caravan is in full swing around the valley.  What is the Coyotes Caravan you ask?  It’s a full on promotion of the Coyotes upcoming 2008-2009 campaign around the Valley of the Sun.  During the day Coyotes players will be heading to schools and businesses around town promoting the team and their drive to the playoffs.  Every evening leading up to CoyotesFest on the 20th the Coyotes will be taking the Coyotes Caravan to ice Rinks around the valley.  Check out the schedule below and take this opportunity to meet your favorite Coyotes player(s).

Here’s the schedule for the rest of the Coyotes Caravan:

Monday, Sept. 15
Oceanside Ice Arena
1520 N. McClintock Drive
Tempe    6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Appearances by Coyotes defenseman Derek Morris, goalie Ilya Bryzgalov and forward Enver Lisin

Tuesday, Sept. 16
Jobing.com Arena
9400 W. Maryland Avenue
Glendale    5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Autograph session prior to the 6 p.m. Coyotes vs. Kings rookie game by Coyotes forward Peter Mueller and defenseman Keith Yandle

Wednesday, Sept. 17
Alltel Ice Den
9375 E. Bell Road
Scottsdale    6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Appearances by Coyotes forward Olli Jokinen and defenseman Ed Jovanovski

Thursday, Sept. 18
Polar Ice – Chandler
7225 W. Harrison Street
Chandler    6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Appearances by Coyotes Captain Shane Doan and forward Todd Fedoruk