Report: Coyotes may get locked out of Gila River Arena for unpaid taxes

The Arizona Coyotes may be looking for a new home temporarily. The team may be locked out of local Gila River Arena due to delinquent tax bills and unpaid arena charges, per The Athletic’s Katie Strang. The City of Glendale, Arizona, is threatening to shut the team out of its own facility, owed $1.3 million in unpaid city and state taxes, per Strang. The Coyotes have already been notified of the cancellation of their business license.

The Coyotes have until Dec. 20 to pay everything off or be locked out of their home arena. The Coyotes have lost three games in a row and are at the basement of the NHL at 5-18-2 (or 12 points). The Coyotes would be able to play five games before their next home game after that cutoff, which is Thursday, Dec. 23 against the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Arizona is a mess as a franchise and its clear the team will eventually be moved elsewhere. We don’t know if the Coyotes plan on paying back these charges in time to settle with the city of Glendale. If that’s the case, they can play out the rest of their pathetic season. The Coyotes have already been exposed for their “toxic” workplace by The Athletic. Now the latest could mean the team gets kicked out of its own city.