The Phoenix Coyotes and their performance continue to grab the most attention, but there's still plenty going on behind the scenes with IceArizona as it settles into its first year as the ownership group of the team.
Chairman and governor George Gosbee occasionally chats with azcentral sports throughout the season to give an update on IceArizona's transition and shares insight into his role as an owner.
Question: Over the weekend, you were at Dodger Stadium to take in the outdoor game between the Kings and Ducks. What did you make of it?
Answer: After seeing it there, I'm even more convinced that we could do it in Arizona. Obviously, we've been pretty vocal about wanting to do it and hopefully we've presented a good case. We know there's lots of other teams that want it. It's such a unique event. We're going to keep trying to get it in Arizona, and after seeing it in LA, I'm sure it could work in Phoenix.
Q: The Coyotes went 1-1-1 on their recent road trip through western Canada. What are your thoughts on the team's play as it's set to begin a five-game homestand tonight against the Kings?
A: All teams can go through slumps, and it's tough to keep that intensity going for the entire year. But we're not worried about the team. We like the direction they're going. I was out in Vancouver for the game (Sunday) night, and I thought the team played really well. It's unfortunate that we missed out on an overtime win, but they're intense and they're passionate about it. For me, there's no worries about it.
Q: The trade deadline is March 5. How involved do you think you'll be in those talks?
A: There's always trade rumors going around all the time, and obviously there's different teams proposing different things. Since we've got the team, we've always been listening to suggestions and things like that. I'm sure it's going to intensify during the trade deadline after the Olympics. We'll be all ears to what Don (Maloney) and Dave (Tippett) have to say.
Q: You're going to Sochi to watch the Winter Olympics …
A: I can hardly wait.
Q: Why did you decide to go?
A: This will be my fifth Winter Olympics. I love the Winter Olympics, especially the hockey. I go to the majority of the hockey games. I saw Canada's first gold medal (in 50 years) in Salt Lake, and I saw their second one in Vancouver. And now this year, now having five players going, I already have my jerseys — my Finnish jersey, my Czech jersey with players on the back that I'll be wearing at their games, my Oliver Ekman-Larsson jersey. I've got five different jerseys this time rather than just one. I love the atmosphere. I love the culture. It's real exciting hockey. I think it's my favorite hockey to watch.
Q: So this trip isn't work-related?
A: Yeah, but I've set up lots of meetings. I want to be active with the (International Ice Hockey Federation) over there. I really want to make sure the IIHF and the global hockey community knows about the Coyotes. We're bringing over a bunch of caps and jerseys and hopefully exchange them and hand them out to people over there. We want to show them that we're serious in international hockey.
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