GLENDALE-The Phoenix Coyotes officially announced today that free agent forward Lee Stempniak has re-signed with a two year, $3.8 million dollar (numbers via Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet and verified by EJ Hradek of ESPN) contract with the club. The 27 year old previously played for the Toronto Maple Leafs scoring 30 (14 goals and 16 assists) points in 62 games before he was traded to the Coyotes at the trade deadline last season. With the Coyotes, Stempniak went on a scoring tear scoring 18 points (14 goals and 4 assists) in 19 games. Of those 14 goals 13 of them were scored within the first 14 games he was a Coyote. As a result, the NHL named him the 'First Star' for the month of March 2010.
“We are very pleased to have signed Lee to a two-year contract,” said Phoenix Coyotes GM Don Maloney said in a prepared statement. “He played a key offensive role with our team down the stretch last season. He is just entering the prime of his career and we look forward to him having continued success with our organization.”
Stempniak's deal is worth $1.9 Million this season and $2.3 million the next season. The Cap hit is $1.9 million dollars.
PHOENIX-Up until now, Phoenix Coyotes fans have mostly heard from the Coyotes side of the Martin Hanzal contract negotiations. Via e-mail this afternoon Martin Hanzal’s agent, Craig Oster, provided this update into the negotiations with the Phoenix Coyotes:
“We have spent a lot of time with the Coyotes attempting to find a contract that makes sense for everyone. We are confident we will eventually reach a deal as both sides are sincerely motivated to do so.”
When asked if Martin Hanzal was going to report to the Phoenix Coyotes if a deal hasn’t been reached by the opening day of training camp, Oster stated that “we have not discussed that as we are not hoping to be in that situation.”
Sounds like everything is on the right track for a new deal.
Monday afternoon, the Phoenix Coyotes hired Jim Brewer as Vice President of Marketing and Communications. To most Coyotes fans, this announcement may seem like more useless off-season news. I mean the majority of you are waiting on the next off-season free agent signing, right?
Phoenix Coyotes fans should be treating this announcement as if another Don Maloney was hired.
Why?
In short, the hiring of Jim Brewer into the Coyotes Marketing and Communications department has the potential to bring further stability to the Phoenix Coyotes in terms of marketing the team and bringing in much needed corporate sponsorships.
On paper, Brewer brings some impressive credentials to the Coyotes. His resume in the press release (from the Coyotes about his hiring) weaves a story of not only someone who has extensive experience in marketing and communications but also someone who has:
1) Worked in a professional sports environment (The Suns)
2) Worked in startup/policy creation situations (ASU)
3) Worked in the corporate (Suns), non-profit (Phoenix Zoo) and governmental (ASU) fields
What does this mean and why is this important to the Coyotes?
From his experience with the Suns, Brewer knows how a winning pro sports team operates and what will be needed, marketing and communication wise, for the Coyotes to be successful. This work experience alone sends a huge message that the Coyotes are serious about building a winning tradition.
Secondly, Brewer worked in a startup/policy creation position at ASU, these skills will come in handy as the Coyotes begin to take their steps to the next level on and off the ice. Brewer has the opportunity to develop a new path for the Coyotes in the marketing and communications realm starting from where the team currently is.
Finally, Brewer has worked in the corporate, non-profit, and governmental fields. This means that he more than likely has a wide range of contacts and has built numerous relationships over the years to draw on in terms of corporate sponsorships for the upcoming Coyotes season. In addition, he knows how all three types of businesses work in terms of bringing in much needed income for the Coyotes.
Now as good as this signing may be on paper, Brewer’s hiring brings up some questions:
Question #1) Again, Brewer’s resume is indeed impressive. There is no point in arguing that. However, he has zero hockey experience and, from what I can tell, zero experience in situations where a pro sports market does not identify with the team or its players. How does he plan to tackle these challenges?
When it comes to hockey, Coyotes fans are not just going to want a team that wins or just offers various specials on tickets. Don’t get me wrong, fans love a winning team and being able to get a price break on Coyotes tickets in this economy.
The thing that fans want is to identify with players on the Coyotes roster whether they are marquee players or not.
For example, take Luis Gonzalez and the recent retirement of his #20 by the Arizona Diamondbacks (D-Backs).
The D-Backs have not been able to draw fans for the 2010 season for various reasons that aren’t important in this article. All of a sudden, not only do they sell out the Gonzalez retirement game, but said game is now the eighth largest sell out in Arizona Diamondbacks history.
Why?
Fans had a connection with Gonzalez and the 2001 D-Backs roster.
Following the number retirement ceremony, Gonzalez met with reporters (myself included) and stated that part of the reason for the team’s success in 2001 was because of the on field chemistry. He then stated that the other part of the Diamondbacks success was off the field, which helped with the fans connect with the team during the 2001 season.
Gonzalez said to the assembled reporters, “I always poured my heart and soul into the team, staying here and doing whatever I had to do to help…(whether it was) off the field, in the community, just to try to help promote the team or do whatever we had to do and I felt like it was part of the many hats I wore here when I played with the Diamondbacks.”
THIS is something that the Phoenix Coyotes severely lack in their team marketing.
Phoenix Coyotes fans and potential fans do not have players outside of Shane Doan and perhaps Paul Bissonnette to identify with. Regular fans of the Coyotes know that there is a great makeup and chemistry on the team. However, none of the casual fans or potential fans know anything about the team and how well they work together on the ice.
Over the years, Phoenix sports fans have shown that they can and will rally behind players on a team that they identify with.
So how can fans identify with the current Coyotes roster?
Here is an idea….
How about getting Fox Sports Arizona (FNSAZ) to create a show around Coyotes forward Paul Bissonnette?
Fans may or may not remember the ‘Eric Byrnes Show’ not too long ago on FSNAZ.
Here’s a sample of the ‘Eric Byrnes Show’:
Imagine Bissonnette taking over the ‘Eric Byrnes Show’ format. Do you know how potentially fun that would be?
Question #2) There is nothing written on how good Brewer’s marketing experience is in the online world. How does he plan to address this? The lack of attention to the Coyotes online presence and online fan base has been a head scratcher for many years.
When it comes to the communication aspect of the Phoenix Coyotes, there is not a whole lot of information coming out about the team other than box scores and your standard interviews.
One of the main reasons I started this Coyotes site was to report on aspects of the Coyotes that did not make it in the evening news or the daily edition of the Arizona Republic. In this town, there is only a limited amount of space and airtime; Phoenix Coyotes stories are not always included in the final product of TV/Radio/Print.
This is not a negative or a slam against other media outlets in town, its fact. There’s sometimes no room for Phoenix Coyotes news in the local TV/Radio/Print.
Fans, in some cases, literally have been screaming for additional coverage for years and gone as far as venting their frustrations on the local media.
Phoenix Coyotes fans need more than just basic information about a game or players. Fans want information that supplements their game experiences as well as wanting to make a connection with the Coyotes and other fans.
Two prime examples of NHL teams that ‘get’ online marketing and communications are the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks.
Poke around their sites and see the many and various ways fans can connect, contribute, and digest information about both teams. This includes podcasts, forums, deals for kids, and so on.
Now, I am not saying just open the floodgates open up to every blogger or wannabe writer that requests a press pass. No, people that want to write about the Phoenix Coyotes for an upcoming season are going to need to show that they are serious about writing. In addition, they have to show the professionalism required to cover a pro sports team.
As an Editor, I personally have been in a situation where I needed to see if a writer was serious about covering a pro sports team not too long ago.
In between the 2009 and 2010 Major League Baseball seasons, I had approached the Arizona Diamondbacks about sending a reporter to cover the team for home games during the 2010 regular season. The D-Backs told me present them a proposal when I am ready. I had a vision of what I wanted for the coverage and a writer in mind for the assignment. I needed to see what this writer could do before I could approach the D-Backs for credentials.
Long story short, I built this writer a dedicated site, gave them assignments, tapped them into D-Backs press releases, and even offered them a cut of Advertising revenue for the site I built them. They ended up flaking on the entire project without any notice or warning.
The point is that like my example above, people who are going to request credentials need to be serious about covering a pro sports team. On the other side, the Coyotes need to start taking a long look at the local bloggers and wrtiers in the area for potential credentialling. There are some really gifted writers/bloggers in the Phoenix area that deserve credentialing or are close to that level to where they should be credentialed. Unless, the team starts taking a serious look at these writers, the fans need for more local team coverage will continue to suffer.
When it comes to the health and identity of the team, the Marketing and Communications of the Coyotes is probably just as important if not more important than what General Manager Don Maloney has done in terms of the player related stability of the franchise.
Like Don Maloney when he first became General Manager of the Coyotes, Jim Brewer is going to have to build a solid Marketing and Communications foundation that he can use to build and grow the Coyotes into a winning franchise for years to come.
But let’s face it, even with all the experience and connections across town, Jim Brewer has got his work cut out for him.
GLENDALE-The Coyotes have announced that they have signed journeyman center Bracken Kearns to a one year $550,000 two way contract.
If anything, this is a bottom 6 depth signing for the San Antonio Rampage as he’s the type of player that has the gift of hockey smarts, great character, and a great work ethic. Three things that fit well in the Coyotes system.
Last season with the American Hockey League (AHL) Rockford Ice Hogs, Kearns scored 51 points (15 goals and 36 assists) which was second on the team in scoring.
GLENDALE-The Phoenix Coyotes announced today that they have re-signed Alexandre Picard to a one year deal worth $868,219. A former first round pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets (8th overall selection in the 2004 draft) Picard has yet to showcase his skills at the NHL level.
The scouting report on Alexandre Picard is that he’s a big physical player who has lots of skill. However, Picard has never been able to translate that into NHL game skills during his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
It’s tough to say at this point if Picard is another talented prospect that the Blue Jackets mishandled (see Gilbert Brule) in the five years he’s been in the league. It’s clear by the Blue Jackets trading Picard to the Coyotes that they were done with seeing if he can become a solid contributor to their club.
It should be noted that in the 16 games he has played in the Coyotes organization (with the San Antonio Rampage) he tallied 15 points (9 goals and 6 assists).
The Coyotes are clearly going to give Picard all the chances to see if he can be a regular contributor to the organization more than likely betting on the fact that the Blue Jackets mishandled his development.
GLENDALE – Over the past week, the Phoenix Coyotes began filling in the holes in their lineup due to players who left via free agency, who had their contracts bought out, or signed via free agency. Now I’m quite sure that the Coyotes aren’t done with filling the holes in their roster yet. Let’s take a look at a summary of the what the Coyotes did this past week to fill their roster spots:
(Cap numbers courtesy of Capgeek.com)
F – Ray Whitney – 2 year/$6 million dollar contract ($3 million a year) – Acquired Via Free Agency – I spent some considerable time looking over Whitney’s play over the past couple of years (Via NHL Gamecenter) to see what exactly he brings to the table and how it can help the Phoenix Coyotes. Simply put, Ray Whitney is the complete offensive package. He has incredible vision of the ice, can make plays (and score goals) out of nothing, play the point, has a great shot, and isn’t afraid to go to the net. Add to that his playoff and Stanley Cup experience (Whitney won the 2006 Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes defeating the Edmonton Oilers in seven games) and you have one hell of a signing for the Coyotes.
D – Derek Morris – 4 Year/$11 million dollar contract ($2.75 million a year) – Re-signed via Free Agency
D – Sami Lepisto – 1 Year/$800,000 contract – Re-signed as a restricted free agent
Two solid signings to help shore up the Coyotes defensive depth. The loss of Zbynek Michalek to the Penguins hurts the overall depth of the Coyotes but it’s not something that can be overcome via free agency. There’s still time to shore up the defensive depth of the Coyotes but as of now, the Coyotes are in better shape than people think.
G – Al Montoya – 1 Year/$750,000 contract – Re-Signed – It’s uncertain where Montoya fits in Coyotes GM Don Maloney’s master plan as the Coyotes have many goalies in their system at this moment in time. It’s looking more and more like Montoya and Matt Climie (below) will be the goaltending tandem in San Antonio to start the season. However, when it comes to the big picture, it’s uncertain if Montoya is being groomed for the Coyotes down the road or if he’s just a depth signing for those ‘just in case’ scenarios.
C – Andrew Ebbett – 1 Year/$500,000 Contract – Signed via free agency – This looks more like a 3rd or 4th line depth signing at center for the Coyotes as Ebbett doesn’t really have the tools to be a top 6 player in the NHL. He’s fast and has the tools to be successful but up to this point in his career, he hasn’t shown it in the NHL. Granted, Ebbett did spend time last season injured first with a concussion and then with a finger injury.
D – Nolan Yonkman – 1 Year/$550,000 contract – Could be a darkhorse to make the Coyotes roster this season. Having signed with the Coyotes because they offered more money and opportunity than the Nashville Predators (who reportedly wanted to keep him to help younger players develop) Yonkman will have the opportunity to not only help the other players in San Antonio to develop into NHL players but may have the opportunity to battle for a bottom 3 defensive spot on the Coyotes roster. Yonkman is a great character signing based on the community work he did with the Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators AHL affiliate).
RW – Mathieu Beaudoin -1 year/$500,000 contract
D – Garrett Stafford – 2 year/$1.2 million dollar contract ($600,000 per year)
G – Matt Climie – 1 year/$750,000 contract
These three players are lumped together as they are casualties of the Dallas Stars financial and organizational problems. These three players were key components of the Stars AHL affiliate Texas Stars run to the Calder Cup finals this past season. Given their ages (26, 30, and 27 respectively) these players look to be more of an overall organizational depth signing for the Coyotes than anything. Beaudoin and Stafford might get the opportunity to battle for one of the Coyotes roster spots this season. However, they chances are they all will probably be sent to San Antonio to help out what was one of the worst teams in the AHL last season.
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Coyotes announced today the long rumored signing of forward Wojetk Wolski to a two year contract worth $3.8 million dollars per season.
Last year Wolski scored new career high in numerous categories playing for Colorado and Phoenix:
This is a great signing by the Coyotes as the team will need a scoring forward with Wolski’s talent going into next season. “We are very excited to sign Wojtek to a new contract,” said Phoenix Coyotes General Manger Maloney said in a statement. “He is a talented offensive player who performed extremely well for us last season down the stretch and led our team in goals during the playoffs. He will be a key contributor for the Coyotes going forward as he enters the prime of his career.”
As previously stated, signing a scoring forward is exactly what the Coyotes need. However, the Coyotes will need to address scoring depth this season as that was one of the main reasons for the Coyotes inability to move out of the first round of the 2010 NHL playoffs.
The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed veteran forward Taylor Pyatt to a Two year two million dollar contract. The contract will pay Pyatt 800,000 in the first season and ($1.2 million dollars the next season) Last season with the Coyotes Pyatt (also his first with the club), registered 23 points (12 goals and 11 assists) and 39 penalty minutes with the club along with two points in their post season series with the Detroit Red Wings (1 goal and 1 assist). In two previous seasons with the Vancouver Canucks Pyatt registered 37 points per season.
As for the signing and the amount of money in the contract?
This is a good deal for both Pyatt and the Coyotes. This season is going to be a deciding factor for Taylor Pyatt as fans are going to see which direction he’s going to take with his NHL career. Will his career go up or down in the scoring department? As seen last season, Pyatt will be given the opportunity to show what he’s got on the ice. Pyatt has the skills to fill just about every role on the Coyotes except for goaltender. If he wants to be a scoring forward, he has the skills to do it. If he wants to be a checking force on the ice, he’s got the skills to do it.
Coyotes GM Don Maloney signed Pyatt to a great deal as the Coyotes have got a solid character player with a potential that is practically limitless.
Wow there’s a TON of Coyotes and NHL news that’s been going on recently, let’s get to it!
Coyotes massage therapist passes
Our sincerest condolences to the family of Jukka Mieminen who was the long-time trainer of the Phoenix Coyotes. From what I have been reading in the news he was a valued and loved member of the Phoenix Coyotes family.
Coyotes at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft
We’re working on a Draft article which should be out in a few days. Until then here’s a reminder for you all….the Coyotes have the following picks in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles – Two firsts, a second round pick, a fourth round pick and a fifth round pick.
The first round of the 2010 NHL Draft will be shown live on Versus/TSN/RDS on Friday June 25th from 4:00 PM to 7:30 PM. The Second through seventh round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft will be shown live on the NHL Network on Saturday June 26th starting at 10 AM.
Coyotes to host NHL Draft Party
Speaking of the 2010 Entry Draft, once again the Coyotes will be hosting a NHL Draft Viewing party at Santisi Brothers Pizzeria and Sports Grill. (2710 West Bell Road – Phoenix) The fun will take place on June 25th from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM.
Coyotes announce 2010-2011 Pre-Season Schedule
The Coyotes have released their 2010-2011 Pre-Season Schedule. As you can note below, there are only two pre-season games before the Coyotes head off to Europe to kick off the season.
September 21, 2010 Anaheim Ducks Honda Center 7:00 p.m. September 23, 2010 *Los Angeles Kings Jobing.com Arena 7:00 p.m.
September 23, 2010 *Los Angeles Kings STAPLES Center 7:30 p.m. September 25, 2010 *San Jose Sharks Jobing.com Arena 7:00 p.m.
September 25, 2010 *San Jose Sharks HP Pavilion 7:30 p.m.
September 28, 2010 Calgary Flames Pengrowth Saddledome 7:00 p.m.
September 29, 2010 Edmonton Oilers Rexall Place 7:00 p.m.
October, 6, 2010 Dinamo Riga (KHL) Arena Riga (Latvia) TBD
The Coyotes 2010-2011 regular season schedule will be released on June 22nd.
NHL Network to re-broadcast Stanley Cup Finals
The NHL Network will be dedicating a full day to re-broadcasting the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals on June 19th. All six games will be re-broadcast for fans to re-capture the magic of the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks battle for Lord Stanley’s cup. The programming will include the Blackhawks Stanley Cup Parade at 7:00 PM Pacific Time.
Here’s the full programming schedule for June 19th (All times below Eastern):
9:00 a.m. 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 1
11:00 a.m. 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 2
1:00 p.m. 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 3
3:00 p.m. 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 4
5:00 p.m. 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 5
7:00 p.m. 2010 Stanley Cup Final Game 6
9:00 p.m. NHL On The Fly Awards Preview
10:00 p.m. Blackhawks Stanley Cup Parade
2010 Hockey Hall of Fame Class to be announced Tuesday
The NHL and the Hockey Hall of Fame have called a press conference on June 22nd where they will announce the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2010 inductees. Keep an eye on our AZ Vibe Sports Twitter account that afternoon for the announcements as they happen.
Coyotes connected players invited to USA Hockey’s National Junior Evaluation Camp
Coyotes 2009 second round draft pick, Chris Brown has been invited to USA Hockey’s National Junior Evaluation Camp which will take place in Lake Placid, New York from July 30th to August 7th.
Also invited to the Evaluation Camp is the son of Coyotes Assistant Coach Ulf Sammuelsson, Philip who hails from Scottsdale.
The Evaluation Camp serves as a player audition for the US Junior National Team that will take part in the 2011 World Junior Championship in Buffalo, New York from December 26th 2010 to January 5th 2011.
The Coyotes have brought Jeff Twohey as an amateur scout. Twohey spent the last 30 years with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Seventeen of those 30 years Twohey has served as the Petes General Manager.
Bissonnette on Twitter
For those of you Coyotes fans that use Twitter, Coyotes forward Paul Bissonnette has joined the Twitterverse!
- The Coyotes have re-signed the following players:
D – David Schlemko – Terms not disclosed
LW – Ryan Hollweg – Terms not disclosed
LW – Scottie Upshall – One year Deal – Amount of contract not disclosed
D – Adrian Aucoin – Two Year Deal – Amount of contract not disclosed
The Phoenix Coyotes announced yesterday that they have re-signed forward Scottie Upshall to a one year deal. Per club policy, the terms of the deal were not disclosed. (When the terms of the deal are made public, we will let you know.)
Last season, Upshall took a major step forward with his game as he flourished in Coach Dave Tippett’s system with disciplined, hard nosed hockey. His passion for playing the game at very high levels sometimes cost Upshall at the start of the season with penalties and poor play. However, as the season progressed, Upshall began to transform his game into that of a disciplined high energy scoring forward. With 32 points in only 49 games, Coyotes fans saw a glimpse of his potential last season until he suffered a season ending ACL tear in January.
Without his knee injury, Upshall’s re-signing would practically be a formality in the off season. However, with his knee injury along with approximately six months of rehabilitation time and the uncertainty of his knee being able to withstand the rigors of an NHL season, you can’t blame the Coyotes for only offering a one year deal.
If Scottie Upshall can build upon his performance last season and stay healthy, he just might be wearing Coyotes colors for years to come.
We started this site to meet the growing demand by Coyotes fans in their need for Coyotes News. We do things a bit differently here. We don\'t provide the canned articles you would find on most other sites. We provide analysis, news, and information with a bit of attitude. EDITORIAL MISSION: We let the other guy handle the box scores and stuff like that. We fill in the gaps in coverage....and trust me there are lots of gaps in local coverage that need to be filled.
We started this site to meet the growing demand by Coyotes fans in their need for Coyotes News. We do things a bit differently here. We don\'t provide the canned articles you would find on most other sites. We provide analysis, news, and information with a bit of attitude. EDITORIAL MISSION: We let the other guy handle the box scores and stuff like that. We fill in the gaps in coverage....and trust me there are lots of gaps in local coverage that need to be filled.
