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I was a few days from submitting my Full STH 20/21 response, which would have meant paying (or beginning payments) when all the fun hit. I was lucky enough to not have laid out a penny. However, my rep kept in contact with me throughout as I advised I’m certainly interested but I’m not paying or committing until we see what the world, and the hockey world, looked like. The organization expressed no concerns with forcing an official decision from me as the months followed. They eventually contacted me about my options regarding the cancelled games (I’m letting credit sit for now for next season) and the moment my rep returned from his furlough (after the temp rep continued to text me to offer her services), he let me know he was back and would await any decisions and pass on any info. In other words, the Coyotes organization treated me perfectly throughout these months of confusion beyond their control, and I have absolutely nothing...not a tiny tidbit...to complain about. Now that’s a rarity for me; thus this missive.
I must be one of the lucky STH since my rep contacts me on a regular basis. She is concerned for my wife and me as clients but also as people. I have full confidence the team will treat us well.
Craig, we're talking about a problem across the board, whether it is the AZ Coyotes, the UofA Wildcats (non-Conference season cancelled; holding everyone else hostage vs. Pac 12 games), the airlines etc. With so much uncertainty it is a no win situation for everyone. They can't operate without planning "as if," it is impossible to do business otherwise. On the other hand, fans and ticket holders do get the short end of the stick. The key element is "credits." That means you're not getting your money back, but you have a credit for whatever. I have thousands of dollars worth of airline credits. Actual money was never refunded. The catch is that it must be used within a one year period or you lose your money. The same is true with Coyote credits. I understand people's frustration BUT my position is: when is the last time you went through a pandemic? When you did go through one, how was business transacted? Could you please pass on that information to me and the people I do business with. Exactly, we're all learning as we go along. We're just going to have to keep good records and cut people some slack for awhile.
I feel a little bad that I am not as worked up as some folks are. Then again, I am not in Canada and don’t have a worry about trying to make it back to AZ.
I was disappointed and sad for my season ticket rep and a person I consider a friend to be let go from the company. But like some have said here, I made the choice to renew despite the uncertainty. They applied the credit to the remaining games missed due to the balance of the season pause and applied credit to my 20/21 total. So I am confident once a season/schedule gets announced, they will have/develop a plan to make it right.
I guess I feel opposite of some of the others here. If I have questions, I reach out to my new ticket rep. and he answers. I don’t feel they owe me any random contact or correspondence, as they have little information on what will happen for a season.
I don’t expect them to have answers on the upcoming season, when nobody has the answers. If they aren’t getting details yet from the NHL, what do we expect them to say?
We all take or took a risk renewing without a clear idea of what the next season will look like.
Thanks again for this, Craig - a fitting picture of the true chaos in the sports world on both sides of the argument.
It is only natural that folks are concerned, anxious, irritated, etc. about 'lost' dollars, especially when we have no idea whatsoever what the next steps are. If there is a silver lining, we are all in that same uncertain boat, together. It will unify us more than anything.
I agree that it would have been worthwhile to just wholly press 'pause' until more clarification emerges on 20-21, league-wide. This certainly makes more sense than charging people for future services, when there is no guarantee how, when, and to what capacity they will be rendered.
That said, I caution fans: all frustrations fully acknowledged... the hockey ops turmoil and subpar on-ice product (with future-driven anxiety about what the Coyotes 'might' look like in 20-21), while infuriating and confusing year over year, is not the appropriate substance for the argument here about being charged money for season ticket agreements. Turmoil and inferiority have been there other years when there wasn't a pandemic, and you still bought season tickets. For now, please don't conflate the pandemic (and its very REAL anxieties) with your views on the Yotes' hockey ops escapades. Those anxieties are very real too....but those aren't new at all. And you shouldn't use it to pad your (otherwise valid) arguments.
All told, I just want the Coyotes back on the ice. Hopefully sooner rather than later, we can enjoy the peaks and valleys of loving this team, as we are meant to: as one, through the highs and lows, together.
I'm just waiting to see what happens. I renewed my full season ticket package and knew that things weren't certain. The games we missed last year were credited back to my account and used twords my renewal. Unfortunately, it's just a hurry up and wait situation. There's not much the organization can do at this point we have to see how things turn out. Don't want the hassle wait to renew your tickets.
Been a STH since year 2 in the valley. The team was proactive in pushing my credit towards this years package, lowering my payments. I have just gotten a new rep due to my previous one leaving. Sean came highly praised by others and he has reached out several times. I guess I’m just the all in fan that hasn’t stressed about it too much. I’ve seen it all over the past two decades.
The only contact with a rep I have had regarding my ticket package has been me reaching out to them. I know they have a skeleton crew, but they have no trouble taking my money each month. All I ask is a phone call now and the to update me, the paying fan on what is or isn't being done. COMMUNICATION.
Important article and thanks. I’m in my 9th year as a STH. My investment with this team may be the biggest investment I’ve made. I never call my rep, he’s called me occasionally.
As long as the ticket app on my phone scans me in to the arena, I’ve got no complaints. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had going to the games and will keep investing as long as they are here. If they leave, they can keep the balance and I’ll look for another hobby.
I was one of the dopes that got too excited too soon when the Coyotes reached the playoffs through the “grace” of the NHL. Thus, I paid an initial $400 towards a four-seat weekender package. This past campaign I paid for 4 full-season seats - ouch!
When I realized that next season would be delayed AND that the arena could be off limits to fans, I was angry at myself. There are too many questions left unanswered at this point, and it doesn’t include the status of the teams’ GM or their upcoming roster. Who the heck would want to come to AZ to play for the Coyotes with such a train wreck of an "organization?"
Bottom line is I have a bad feeling about this franchise and their bare-bones communication efforts. The Coyotes only have $400.00 of my money, but they won’t get any more without some evidence of better things to come.
It is incredibly sad to see how many employees had to be let go. The ones who remain are working hard, however. They reach out to us every month to check in on us. In addition to our season tickets for the upcoming season we also held 10 extra seats for the red wings game towards the end of the season and 5 extra seats for the rangers game. I. Confident they'll do right by us when they know what the upcoming season looks like
As Canadian long time STH there is more to the story for us to travel south this winter. While we are allowed to go to the USA and quarantine for 14 days upon return there is a major problem with our Travel Health Insurance. Most plans will not cover us if we get covid-19 while there. There is a Travel Advisory to the USA at present. That is the reason we all had to head North earlier than usual. As most "Snowbirds" are older and some have health conditions it is just not worth the risk. Our Coyotes rep has been very understanding with us. We did not renew and may not be able to. The missed games were refunded as requested. Our rep remains in contact with us. There are a lot of factors in play including that even if we are able to get health insurance eventually most of us would be back in Canada before next season concludes. No one knows when/if fans will be allowed to attend. Too many questions remain at present for us to make any commitments. We know that at least one Canadian team (Flames) has not taken any money for next season. The missed games were either refunded or are earring interest until the season starts. STH choice. It is a mess and will remain so for a while. A vaccine will solve a lot of problems for everyone. In the meantime we are enjoying NHL hockey on TV.
I'm a STH for double digit years. With all the bad things happening with this team and once again another rebuild as a possibility, I'm glad that I asked for my end of season refund and not roll it over like they wanted me to do. There's just TOO many unanswered questions right now and an owner we NEVER hear from. What about a town hall meeting with the STH's? Some type of communication... ANYTHING!!!
I'm a full STH as well. My rep has been consistent with asking about renewal for next year but I can't do it at this time. The schedule, GM situation, team situation, and future roster concern leave too many questions. I have a credit and when things get clearer I will decide. My rep has been patient and understanding but says I may lose my seats due to interest when they eligible for release. That won't come until a schedule is released, so I have time, but I don't know how the league year gets back on track without a shortened season at some point. Cramming a bunch of games in less time to make it up isn't appealing to me either. Just a tough situation all around.
My husband and I are full STH. We did renew for 20/21, and our rep texts me regularly, just boilerplate stuff. I won a signed jersey in the “spin to win” game and reached out to find out how to get it, since it was very vague. I think the answer was when we start up again. I like our rep very much, I don’t think she knows how to answer the questions about next season, so I’m just going to try to be patient... after all, I’ve had a lot of practice as a Yotes fan.
I was a few days from submitting my Full STH 20/21 response, which would have meant paying (or beginning payments) when all the fun hit. I was lucky enough to not have laid out a penny. However, my rep kept in contact with me throughout as I advised I’m certainly interested but I’m not paying or committing until we see what the world, and the hockey world, looked like. The organization expressed no concerns with forcing an official decision from me as the months followed. They eventually contacted me about my options regarding the cancelled games (I’m letting credit sit for now for next season) and the moment my rep returned from his furlough (after the temp rep continued to text me to offer her services), he let me know he was back and would await any decisions and pass on any info. In other words, the Coyotes organization treated me perfectly throughout these months of confusion beyond their control, and I have absolutely nothing...not a tiny tidbit...to complain about. Now that’s a rarity for me; thus this missive.
I must be one of the lucky STH since my rep contacts me on a regular basis. She is concerned for my wife and me as clients but also as people. I have full confidence the team will treat us well.
Craig, we're talking about a problem across the board, whether it is the AZ Coyotes, the UofA Wildcats (non-Conference season cancelled; holding everyone else hostage vs. Pac 12 games), the airlines etc. With so much uncertainty it is a no win situation for everyone. They can't operate without planning "as if," it is impossible to do business otherwise. On the other hand, fans and ticket holders do get the short end of the stick. The key element is "credits." That means you're not getting your money back, but you have a credit for whatever. I have thousands of dollars worth of airline credits. Actual money was never refunded. The catch is that it must be used within a one year period or you lose your money. The same is true with Coyote credits. I understand people's frustration BUT my position is: when is the last time you went through a pandemic? When you did go through one, how was business transacted? Could you please pass on that information to me and the people I do business with. Exactly, we're all learning as we go along. We're just going to have to keep good records and cut people some slack for awhile.
I feel a little bad that I am not as worked up as some folks are. Then again, I am not in Canada and don’t have a worry about trying to make it back to AZ.
I was disappointed and sad for my season ticket rep and a person I consider a friend to be let go from the company. But like some have said here, I made the choice to renew despite the uncertainty. They applied the credit to the remaining games missed due to the balance of the season pause and applied credit to my 20/21 total. So I am confident once a season/schedule gets announced, they will have/develop a plan to make it right.
I guess I feel opposite of some of the others here. If I have questions, I reach out to my new ticket rep. and he answers. I don’t feel they owe me any random contact or correspondence, as they have little information on what will happen for a season.
I don’t expect them to have answers on the upcoming season, when nobody has the answers. If they aren’t getting details yet from the NHL, what do we expect them to say?
We all take or took a risk renewing without a clear idea of what the next season will look like.
Thanks again for this, Craig - a fitting picture of the true chaos in the sports world on both sides of the argument.
It is only natural that folks are concerned, anxious, irritated, etc. about 'lost' dollars, especially when we have no idea whatsoever what the next steps are. If there is a silver lining, we are all in that same uncertain boat, together. It will unify us more than anything.
I agree that it would have been worthwhile to just wholly press 'pause' until more clarification emerges on 20-21, league-wide. This certainly makes more sense than charging people for future services, when there is no guarantee how, when, and to what capacity they will be rendered.
That said, I caution fans: all frustrations fully acknowledged... the hockey ops turmoil and subpar on-ice product (with future-driven anxiety about what the Coyotes 'might' look like in 20-21), while infuriating and confusing year over year, is not the appropriate substance for the argument here about being charged money for season ticket agreements. Turmoil and inferiority have been there other years when there wasn't a pandemic, and you still bought season tickets. For now, please don't conflate the pandemic (and its very REAL anxieties) with your views on the Yotes' hockey ops escapades. Those anxieties are very real too....but those aren't new at all. And you shouldn't use it to pad your (otherwise valid) arguments.
All told, I just want the Coyotes back on the ice. Hopefully sooner rather than later, we can enjoy the peaks and valleys of loving this team, as we are meant to: as one, through the highs and lows, together.
I'm just waiting to see what happens. I renewed my full season ticket package and knew that things weren't certain. The games we missed last year were credited back to my account and used twords my renewal. Unfortunately, it's just a hurry up and wait situation. There's not much the organization can do at this point we have to see how things turn out. Don't want the hassle wait to renew your tickets.
Been a STH since year 2 in the valley. The team was proactive in pushing my credit towards this years package, lowering my payments. I have just gotten a new rep due to my previous one leaving. Sean came highly praised by others and he has reached out several times. I guess I’m just the all in fan that hasn’t stressed about it too much. I’ve seen it all over the past two decades.
The only contact with a rep I have had regarding my ticket package has been me reaching out to them. I know they have a skeleton crew, but they have no trouble taking my money each month. All I ask is a phone call now and the to update me, the paying fan on what is or isn't being done. COMMUNICATION.
Important article and thanks. I’m in my 9th year as a STH. My investment with this team may be the biggest investment I’ve made. I never call my rep, he’s called me occasionally.
As long as the ticket app on my phone scans me in to the arena, I’ve got no complaints. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had going to the games and will keep investing as long as they are here. If they leave, they can keep the balance and I’ll look for another hobby.
Important topic and thank you.
I was one of the dopes that got too excited too soon when the Coyotes reached the playoffs through the “grace” of the NHL. Thus, I paid an initial $400 towards a four-seat weekender package. This past campaign I paid for 4 full-season seats - ouch!
When I realized that next season would be delayed AND that the arena could be off limits to fans, I was angry at myself. There are too many questions left unanswered at this point, and it doesn’t include the status of the teams’ GM or their upcoming roster. Who the heck would want to come to AZ to play for the Coyotes with such a train wreck of an "organization?"
Bottom line is I have a bad feeling about this franchise and their bare-bones communication efforts. The Coyotes only have $400.00 of my money, but they won’t get any more without some evidence of better things to come.
It is incredibly sad to see how many employees had to be let go. The ones who remain are working hard, however. They reach out to us every month to check in on us. In addition to our season tickets for the upcoming season we also held 10 extra seats for the red wings game towards the end of the season and 5 extra seats for the rangers game. I. Confident they'll do right by us when they know what the upcoming season looks like
As Canadian long time STH there is more to the story for us to travel south this winter. While we are allowed to go to the USA and quarantine for 14 days upon return there is a major problem with our Travel Health Insurance. Most plans will not cover us if we get covid-19 while there. There is a Travel Advisory to the USA at present. That is the reason we all had to head North earlier than usual. As most "Snowbirds" are older and some have health conditions it is just not worth the risk. Our Coyotes rep has been very understanding with us. We did not renew and may not be able to. The missed games were refunded as requested. Our rep remains in contact with us. There are a lot of factors in play including that even if we are able to get health insurance eventually most of us would be back in Canada before next season concludes. No one knows when/if fans will be allowed to attend. Too many questions remain at present for us to make any commitments. We know that at least one Canadian team (Flames) has not taken any money for next season. The missed games were either refunded or are earring interest until the season starts. STH choice. It is a mess and will remain so for a while. A vaccine will solve a lot of problems for everyone. In the meantime we are enjoying NHL hockey on TV.
I'm a STH for double digit years. With all the bad things happening with this team and once again another rebuild as a possibility, I'm glad that I asked for my end of season refund and not roll it over like they wanted me to do. There's just TOO many unanswered questions right now and an owner we NEVER hear from. What about a town hall meeting with the STH's? Some type of communication... ANYTHING!!!
I'm a full STH as well. My rep has been consistent with asking about renewal for next year but I can't do it at this time. The schedule, GM situation, team situation, and future roster concern leave too many questions. I have a credit and when things get clearer I will decide. My rep has been patient and understanding but says I may lose my seats due to interest when they eligible for release. That won't come until a schedule is released, so I have time, but I don't know how the league year gets back on track without a shortened season at some point. Cramming a bunch of games in less time to make it up isn't appealing to me either. Just a tough situation all around.
My husband and I are full STH. We did renew for 20/21, and our rep texts me regularly, just boilerplate stuff. I won a signed jersey in the “spin to win” game and reached out to find out how to get it, since it was very vague. I think the answer was when we start up again. I like our rep very much, I don’t think she knows how to answer the questions about next season, so I’m just going to try to be patient... after all, I’ve had a lot of practice as a Yotes fan.
We have been STHers for 12 years our rep has been great. We were told not to worry about anything until there is a concrete plan.