GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Phoenix Coyotes played the past four seasons with a chip on their shoulders, trying to prove they could win without an owner.
Now that there are owners looking over their shoulders, the Coyotes are facing something new: Expectations.
When IceArizona purchased the Coyotes from the NHL this summer, it put the Coyotes on the same financial and operational ground as the league’s 29 other teams.
The group headed by George Gosbee and Anthony LeBlanc has already made a mark on the team, giving Phoenix the resources to re-sign goalie Mike Smith and lure top-line center Mike Ribeiro in free agency.
The next step for the Coyotes is to take their newfound stability — and wealth — and win more games after missing the playoffs last season.
