It’s a strange feeling for Valley hockey fans, but not an unwelcome one.
For the second year in a row, the Phoenix Coyotes are locked in a tight battle for first place in the Western Division and look like a solid choice as a postseason team.
For a team that sat in obscurity outside the playoffs for seven straight years, these past two years have been a beacon of hope to those who thought ice hockey in the desert would never be competitive.
But at the same time, no one is seriously expecting the team to make a serious run at the Stanley Cup, and the reasons for this are deeply seeded.
The Coyotes have found that delicate mix of players that separates the playoff teams from the rest of the league. They have their loyal veterans in Shane Doan and Ed Jovanovski, who provide leadership and direction from within the team.
They have the up-and-coming talent in Mikkel Boedker and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, both of whom are European players with immense potential and are already making an impact.
The Coyotes have that ever-crucial puck-stopping component in veteran goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who already has 27 wins this season.
And perhaps most importantly, they have a bona fide hockey coach in Dave Tippett, whom many have directly credited with the resurgence of this team that had been in the dark for most of the last decade.
Gone are the days of Wayne Gretzky behind the bench, and it’s clear now that the Great One still has plenty to learn as a coach.
This new Phoenix Coyotes are hungry and ready to play good hockey.
Then why aren’t they up there with the elite of the NHL?
For one, the team has no superstar. The Sidney Crosbys and Alex Ovechkins in the league boost their team, draw in huge crowds and make the game fun and exciting to watch.
This is a franchise that has never won a Stanley Cup, even when the team was based in Winnipeg and called itself the Jets.
And the best hockey is traditionally located in the northeast, where the Red Wings, Canadians, Bruins, Flyers and Penguins all play.
There’s just no draw here in Phoenix for a major superstar. There’s no history of winning, no passionate father and son fan base and no other ice rinks for miles around.
Most hockey players are fiercely loyal to their sport, and these sorts of things matter to them, tradition most of all.
If a team doesn’t have these things, then a franchise needs money to entice a superstar. And that is something the Coyotes definitely do not have.
Since the franchise was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2009, the NHL has owned the team. While Gary Bettman and the National Hockey League are willing to fork over the cash necessary to keep the team competitive, they certainly will not pay to make the team elite.
The only hope for the Coyotes is to get the franchise sold to a buyer who’ll be willing to put that kind of money into the team.
And on Tuesday, the Phoenix Business Journal reported that the potential sale of the franchise to Matthew Hulsizer is facing serious legal problems, as well as the fact that more lucrative franchises are also looking for new owners.
So while hockey in the Valley may be competitive, it will likely never reach elite status.
As for an elite franchise here? It just might not be possible.
Reach the reporter at egrasser@asu.edu
