A letter to Mr. Bettman...

Dear Commissioner,

As you know, health care reform has passed in the United States, which means the world will be ending soon. We don't know when, but we know it's coming. Some of us in Phoenix have a request before that happens, and we know you are the only one to help make sure it happens.

We've been struggling for months, worried we're losing our beloved Phoenix Coyotes. Thanks to you and the league, you fought all summer and spring to see that it did not happen. Yet, as we sit here approaching end-times, there is still no resolution to the Coyotes saga.

We've heard from many who wish us ill and are railing for the Coyotes to leave and return to Canada, that you are behind the Coyotes on-ice success this season. That you've paid off the refs, or given us a favorable schedule, perhaps even getting other teams to lay down. All in an effort to help you sell the team to a local owner and to encourage local fans to return to the arena and begin spending money again on this franchise.

Normally we'd dismiss conspiracy theories like those "crazy," but with time running out we're not going to take any chances.

That said, if any of that is true we ask you do not stop now. Please make sure that at a minimum we take the Pacific Division. If we're all still around when the playoffs start we can at least hang our first "Pacific Division Champion" banner at Jobing.com.

Bettman-willing, we'll have the time to get all the way through the playoffs and hoist Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time in our history. What a beautiful moment that would be.

We thank you for your consideration on this matter and wish we didn't even have to ask. But because some are convinced you are the anti-Christ (you or Obama, it's kind of split depending if you talk to Americans or Canadians) we know it must be you who is behind our rapidly-approaching destruction. As we are going out and you'll have succeeded in destroying our world, we ask you to look deep into your black heart and do one good deed for humanity before it's over.

Regards,

All fans of the Phoenix Coyotes

Coyotes Go Guerilla Marketing: I Love It!

COYOTES LAUNCH ‘AMBASSADORS CLUB’

FOR SEASON TICKET HOLDERS

GLENDALE, Ariz. --- Want to increase ticket sales to Phoenix Coyotes hockey games? Gather your season-ticket holders around, promise them discounts, credits on future purchases, freebies, drop a puck at Center Ice in a pre-game ceremony, or enjoy a free night in a luxury suite. And all you have to do is what you've been all year: working to get butts in the seats!

Guerilla marketing at its finest best describes the Ambassador Club, launched this week by the club. Coyotes President & Chief Operating Officer Douglas Moss said the incentive-based program allows Coyotes Season Ticket Holders to offer discounted tickets to their friends and colleagues by way of a unique Coyotes Web link.

“Our Season Ticket Holders are our most passionate fans and this is a way for us to have them play an even greater role in the success of our organization,” said Moss in a team press release Tuesday.

Each Season Ticket Holder that becomes a member of the Coyotes Ambassadors Club will be given personalized business cards with a unique Coyotes Web link printed on them. The link will allow friends, family members, colleagues and acquaintances of the member to purchase tickets at a discounted rate, the release said.

Members of the Ambassadors Club will then be rewarded for each ticket “sale” they make. Rewards range from credit to be used toward Playoff tickets for the 2009-10 season or toward a ticket package for the 2010-11 season, upgraded complimentary tickets to future games, a meet-and-greet with Coyotes players, or a night in a luxury suite. The Ambassador who sells the most tickets for the season will have the honor of dropping the ceremonial first puck prior to a Coyotes game.

The Ambassadors Club will also have monthly meetings with Coyotes executives to discuss issues related to the Club.

Coyotes blogs and message boards have been filled with ideas on ways to increase ticket sales as the team fights to stay in the Valley. And it looks like the team is listening. The Ambassador Club and the recently launched Coyotes Express, offering ticket and transportation to Coyotes games from select East Valley locations, were borne out of ideas first suggested by fans.

And this STH is already planning on cracking the Top 10 sellers list and shooting for top overall honors. I hope others will get behind this effort as well in the name of friendly competition. Perhaps, we can even get some side action going -- all legal, and above board, of course -- and kick those ideas around with executives when the Club meets.

We all hope this season has a happy ending after the pile crap we've been wading through all these years, and that the Yotes will be here for years to come. And what a great way for all of us to say we had the chance to get truly vested in that effort.

So, STH, time to throw down and get dirty. Come up with some creative ideas to sell some tickets. Have friends who own a business? Have them give you some coupons to hand out to your ticket buyers. I know that's what I'll be asking for from my friends who own a strip club. :-D

Restaurants, bars, retailers, cab companies, hotels, the list is endless. The economy sucks, everyone is hurting, and any business not smart enough to make even the smallest effort to try and get new customers through the door would be foolish.

Have kids in Hockey Leagues, the Scouts, Little League, Soccer? Partner with their leagues, sit their little butts down in front of Safeway, Fry's and Albertson's and offer the discount ticket cards for a $5 donation to raise money for the kids' cause, and you get credit for the ticket sales. Not everyone will buy tickets, but some will and your kids' organization gets a cash boost.

I could go on, but I'd like to hear other ideas. Go hit Twitter, Facebook, your favorite Coyotes or Hockey message boards, and spread the word. Make this a true grassroots effort. And when the season is over, and we've assured a future in Phoenix and, hopefully, enjoyed a playoff appearance, we'll storm the Coyotes offices and demand they throw us a big frickin party! And we invite everyone!

Makeitseven? Troll elsewhere for that 7th team. You're not getting the Coyotes, and we're vesting ourselves in that effort to make sure Doan, Hanzal, Z, Yandle, OEL, Turris, Boedker and Summers stay clad in Coyotes brick-red for years to come, playing home games in Glendale.

Amber Alert Cancelled; Mueller Boy Found

Family, friends and fans of the Phoenix Coyotes received the wonderful news tonight that Peter Mueller, missing since early last winter, has safely returned to Jobing.com Arena.

Mueller, who had reportedly been sighted many times in the last year, only to have those reports turn out to be incorrect, showed up at tonight's game between the Coyotes and Blackhawks.

While early on Mueller tended to get lost in the crowd of players on the ice, causing many to believe this was another false sighting, he suddenly reappeared in the front of the net, by himself, and beat Chicago goalie Christobal Huet, bringing the crowd to its feet. Mueller's goal put the Coyotes up 2-0, and they would go on to win, 3-1.

"We're so happy to have Petey back," a beaming Uncle Shane Doan said after the game. "We never gave up hope he'd be returned to us, and we'll do everything in our power to keep him with us and safe."

Cousin Radim Vrbata, who had his best NHL season in Phoenix in 2007 and who played with the then-rookie Mueller who broke into the league and recorded 54 points, shared Uncle Shane's excitement. "I missed Peter since my return this year and kept hoping he'd return. Watching him tonight was like a flashback to two years ago when he was an up-and-coming star in this league. It's all up from here"

Mueller had few words to say after the game, other than how happy he was to be home. The last year has been quite an ordeal, he said, but he has a sense of renewed hope after tonight that he'll be able to recapture the magic that was his rookie season.

Mueller will join his teammates for the short trip to Anaheim for a Saturday game with the Ducks.

Oops! Forgot to Follow the Script

Tonight did not play out as it was scripted. The Phoenix Coyotes are out of bankruptcy as of today, the NHL is the team's new owner, local Phoenicians had that news in plenty of time to turn out for tonight's game and did not, and the Coyotes blew a 3-1 lead and lost to the LA Kings, 5-3. WTF?

The worst crowd of the season was in attendance -- World Series game 6, I know, but 5,855? (And it was not even close to that) -- and the team lays an egg after a great win Saturday against the Ducks. Granted, they were lucky to be in the game at all but still managed to sneak a 3-1 lead 39 minutes into the game, then couldn't hold on as they looked eerily similar to the Coyotes of years past.

Hard to look at this game and say anyone stood out from a positive standpoint, but there was plenty of sloppy play to go around. Give the Kings credit. They were well prepared for this game as they did a great job playing the Coyotes style of shutdown defense by clogging passing lanes and pressuring the puck, but you still can't blow a 3-1 lead as the 'Yotes did.

Best to put this one in the books, learn from it, and get ready for a trip to Colorado for a game Wednesday, then return home Thursday for a tilt with the Blackhawks. Hopefully the team will rebound. But will hockey fans who have been loud and clear that they'll stay away from the Job until Jerry Moyes was gone, wake the hell up and start making their way back to the arena? I sure as hell hope so. The summer's been tough enough but there is a small flicker of light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the NHL seeing that RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie's effort to steal the team away to Canada was rejected in BK court.

Of course attendance isn't going to jump 20%, 30%, or 40% overnight, but come on people! Tickets are cheap, and season ticket holders and other faithfuls are doing everything in their power to encourage more fans to check out this team, so the time is now to show any potential local owners out there that investing in the Coyotes and Glendale is worth the shot. Time to step up! Forgo Sonic, Jack-in-the-Box and Burger King for a few weeks, cook some cheap, healthy meals at home for a change, and throw down $60 to take your family of four to a freaking hockey game. Yeah, it's that important!

STH have access to upper level seats priced at $10.25 - $21.25, and can also get you into lower bowl seats for $31.25. Reach out and tell them you're on a budget and cannot afford gate prices. They'll hook you up. Message me here if you don't know any other STH and I'll hook you up. None of us are looking to make a profit on this deal, we want butts in the seats and we want NHL hockey to remain in the Valley. And we're willing to share our discount pricing.

I know, we all know, things are tough financially for many families. But if you care about seeing the Coyotes stay here and can figure out a way to trim your household budget by $20, $30, $40, $50 or $60 at some point between now and the end of December, please get out to a game.

You can also visit phoenixcoyotes.com and check out some of the great deals they have there including student nights when a student ID gets you upstairs for $10 and downstairs for $20. All-you-can-eat packages for everyone upstairs are $30. Heck, bring some shopping bags and cart out the dogs, peanuts, popcorn and nachos on those all-you-can-eat nights to cover dinner for a few nights, and use that money you save to go to another game.

OK, maybe that's a little extreme, but we'll soon be approaching desperation time, folks. The opportunities are there to get hooked up with affordable tickets. All you need do is ask. It will be worth the effort.

Coyotes Find Another Way to Win

On this Halloween night when it seemed everything was coming up "trick" instead of "treat," the Coyotes found a way to grab two more points and close out October with 9 wins and 18 points, a record for the franchise.

Despite some questionable calls that went against them, the Yotes killed off 6 of the 7 power plays the Ducks enjoyed, giving up the only goal with 4 seconds left on a 5-3 Ducks advantage. The Yotes were 0-2 on the power play.

After falling behind 2-1 halfway through the 3rd period, the Coyotes responded by tying the game just 18 seconds later when Sami Lepisto, looking like a forward more than a defenseman, hit Vernon Fiddler on the tape and Fiddler buried his 2nd of the season as he camped out in front of the net, just to the right of goaltender Jonas Hiller who never saw Fiddler's shot.

Tied at 2 heading into the shootout, Radim Vrbata scored on the first shot to get things going, and that would prove to be the game-winner. Bryzgalov stopped all three shots he faced with relative ease -- OK, maybe not with ease if you were on the ice, but from the stands he made it look easy -- while Shane Doan and Lauri Korpikoski both hit the posts on their SO attempts.

The Coyotes 3-2 shootout win over the Ducks puts the 'Yotes in 2nd in the Pacific Division, one point behind the Sharks, and 4th in the conference three weeks into the season. We all know it will take another month of playing like this before the doubters will wake up to the fact that this is a good, solid hockey team, but anyone who has watched every game already knows what the detractors soon will.

You just can't ignore the facts. Thirteen games in and the Coyotes are:

-- 1st in the NHL for fewest goals allowed (only team giving up <2>

-- 1st (tied) for winning % when leading after 2 periods

-- 3rd in winning % when out-shooting their opponents

-- 4th in 5-on-5 goals for/against ratio

-- 4th in winning % when trailing after the first period

-- 5th overall in out-shooting its opponents

-- 10th overall in Power Play %

Those are some pretty solid numbers across-the-board. If this team can find some consistent offensive firepower, who knows? This might be the year the playoff drought ends.

Only one of the 13 games so far this year have the Coyotes been routed. That was last Monday in New York. Since then, the Coyotes have strung three straight wins together over Columbus, St. Louis and Anaheim, giving up a total of 3 goals in those 3 games.

Their 9 wins have come against teams with a combined 54-37-11 record so far in 2009, and seven of the eight teams they beat were in the playoffs last year. I call that a pattern, and one that appears to be taking shape for the whole season, if this team can stay healthy.

I think it's safe to say that other than Peter Mueller's disappointing play, there have been a lot of pleasant surprises so far. Did anyone think Sami Lepisto was this good? Anyone besides me thinking that when Kurt Sauer returns to the lineup, that Coach Dave Tippett will skate seven defenseman each night? With what Lepisto has shown so far, and highlighted by Saturday's performance against the Ducks, you sometimes forget Sami is a defenseman with his ability to skate, make the outlet pass, and maneuver through the offensive zone like a forward.

Vernon Fiddler is fast becoming a fan favorite, and deservedly so. He brings energy and tenacity to the 4th line he centers with Taylor Pyatt and Daniel Winnik that looks like it will be together for some time. He's been brilliant in the face-off circle, a beast on the fore-check and back-check, and is on pace to crank his amp up to 12 from 11!

Pyatt and Winnik are both looking like the solid two-way forwards they were always projected to be, and Adrian Aucoin and Jim Vandermeer are demonstrating that they must have been misused or miscast in Calgary, where each had reputations as poor defenders.

I'll save some of the other surprises for later.

Let's hope that as the season moves forward the Coyotes continue to establish themselves as a team no one likes to play, knowing that every contest will be physical, exhausting and frustrating for opponents as they try and solve a defensive system that doesn't seem to have many holes. And goaltenders who seem to be benefiting from a new coach who understands that when you're well over 6-feet tall, solid positioning and using your body is the key to success, rather than sliding and flopping while trying to make acrobatic saves. That might work for the little guys, but big bodies like Bryz and LaBarbera need to play a controlled game. And Goaltending Coach Sean Burke seems to be instilling that in both goalies so far.

Finally, I'd be remiss without mentioning Head Coach Dave Tippett. He has been nothing short of magnificent in leading this team so far. He preaches a pack mentality, praises good play, and calls out those who are under-performing. Peter Mueller got the call-out Saturday as a healthy scratch. The last two guys who were healthy scratches -- Scottie Upshall Thursday in St. Louis, and Lauri Korpikoski Wednesday in Columbus -- have played with great intensity since they returned. You might not have noticed it if you were strictly looking at the scoresheet, but if you watched the games you'd know what I am talking about.

It's your turn now, Petey. Time to wake up and show everyone the 54 points you recorded in your rookie season two years ago was the REAL Peter Mueller, and not the guy impersonating you since last year.

Yotes Win Again; And I'm Liking Ice Edge

Maybe we found the secret for success for the Phoenix Coyotes: stay on the road; play every night; and alternate the goaltenders.

Thursday's solid 2-0 effort in St. Louis followed an equally impressive win Wednesday in Columbus as the Coyotes wrapped up a road trip that saw them win two-out-of-three in four days and now head home for games Saturday and Monday against Pacific Division rivals Anaheim and Los Angeles, respectively.

Ilya Bryzgalov bounced back in magnificent fashion from Monday's fiasco in New York to become the first NHL goalie to record three shutouts so far this season.

Bryz saved all 32 shots he faced and Dan Winnik provided all the offense the Coyotes would need in the 2nd period when he blistered a shot past St. Louis goalie Ty Conklin. Winnik took a perfect pass from Vernon Fiddler and skated in to the left of Conklin before blasting a shot over Conklin's right shoulder.

Taylor Pyatt chipped in his first of the season and Fiddler earned his second assist on the night when Fiddler hit a cutting Pyatt who looked like he was moving to the forehand before pulling the puck to his backhand and flipping past an out-of-position Conklin.

The Coyotes continued to dominate and frustrate their opponents with aggressive fore-checking, back-checking, and playing the boards, limiting the Blues from getting deep very often on Bryzgalov. But even when they did, Bryz was up to the task, making four great saves in the game including two back-to-back pad saves in the 2nd period, the first sliding to his left to kick out one shot, then to his right extending a right leg to turn away the rebound.

A lot of things went well for the Coyotes, obviously, but one thing really stuck out: just as in the Columbus game, it was obvious that 12 forwards and 6 defensemen all contributed to the wins. In New York Fiddler and Winnik were the only two guys you could come away from that game and say, "yeah, Vern and Danny played hard." Last night and in St. Louis, you can look back and recall a nice play, or two or three by every skater. I'm getting a little tired of hearing "Pack Mentality" as the team's new moniker, but damn was it evident again tonight.

The Coyotes return home with an 8-4 overall record, and 5-2 on the road. Seems reasonable back-to-back wins at home will elevate the home record to that same 5-2 before heading out on the road again.

There was a lot of good news coming out of Phoenix this week with word that there was an agreement in principle for the NHL to close on its acquisition of the team and the look to sell it without the court looming in the background.

It will still take some time to close the deal, but Darryl Jones of the Ice Edge group made a very interesting statement this week and one that Coyotes fans should take some comfort in. Asked about his reaction to it looking like, finally, the NHL would get the team and could move forward on a sale, Jones said this: "...What people (fans in Phoenix) need is to really believe definitively that the team is not leaving, to be able to open up their hearts again."

An insincere statement to curry favor to close a business deal? Maybe. But I don't think so. Jones has said several things over the past couple of weeks that makes me think he and Ice Edge are sincere in wanting to make things work in Phoenix. Instead of putting a time limit on the front end of how long the group will commit to staying in the Valley, or what concessions it will demand from the City of Glendale or the NHL, Jones and Ice Edge talk about what Coyotes fans have been howling about all summer: the importance of repairing the damage done to the franchise over the years; some creative and cooperative marketing with the City and Westgate to "sell" not just hockey, but the Glendale-Westgate-Coyotes experience.

Ice Edge seems to recognize that success on the ice is crucial to the plan, but they also understand it's not fair to expect the fans to come flocking back until we are all convinced these guys mean business and their goal truly is to see hockey succeed in Phoenix.

I'd love it if the team continues to play well and the fans start to trickle back even if it's just to see some exciting and competitive NHL hockey getting played in Phoenix for a change. No one expects attendance to make a huge upswing this year no matter how well the team plays. But to hear Jones and Ice Edge telling us it will be up to to them or whomever ends up buying the team to put all those the pieces in place first in order to make the fans want to come back, and not the other way around, tells me they get it. And I'm really starting to warm to these guys.

New Line Combos Pay Off

Not sure if Coach Dave Tippett will continue to shake up the lines, but his moves tonight looked brilliant for all 60 minutes of play.

While it would still be nice to see more scoring from the forwards, the puck movement was outstanding, the forechecking, backchecking and pinching was reminiscent of the Pens game, and Peter Mueller showed some real signs of life out there tonight. I have a sense that once he gets his first he'll go on a tear, and pairing him with Doan is the key. The Captain's style of play seemed to inspire Mueller tonight, and he was hitting, chasing, passing and even shooting with a lot more confidence.

Daniel Winnik is approaching that point after 11 games where you can no longer say his play is a "surprise." He has been rock solid virtually every night and his skating looks so improved over last year. And with Fiddler and Winnik going hard in the corners, cycling the puck behind the net, and Pyatt beginning to show he loves to hang out in front of the net, that is a physical 4th line that can do some damage as the season progresses.

Yandle certainly shined tonight and is beginning to look like the power play quarterback we all expected him to become. The puck movement was tremendous by all the PP lines tonight and it was great to see the defensemen jumping in to the dots and not sitting passively at the blueline to make sure the puck was held in or they didn't get beat going the other way. There is enough speed on this team and physical, aggressive checking to slow down any rushed going the other way. Those plays will certainly happen, but more aggressive play and 5 players focused on getting the puck to the net will result in more goals than we'll give up. Absolutely loved the PP tonight.

The penalty kill also looked much better tonight, but LaBarbera deserves a lot of that credit. He was stellar all night long but looked particularly focused on the PK. Played a very controlled game, and seems to be learning well from Sean Burke to better use his size and positioning to block shots. He looks nothing like the disaster he was with the Kings. I'm sure it's a combination of maturity, getting the opportunity to come in to a team where he can legitimately challenge for 20-30 starts in a season, and to finally have a coach who understands what JL can and cannot do, and focus on making him better in those specific areas of his game. Safe to say Sean Burke is coaching like he played, and has been able to impart that knowledge both to Bryz and LaBarbera.

As well as all played tonight I think the bigger takeaway from this game is that it comes on the heels of Monday's disaster. Columbus is a very good team that plays a very similar style to the Coyotes. Same is true of the Rangers though they have more firepower than either the Yotes or Jackets. But to be able to put together an effort like tonight after Monday, and do it on the road has to be a huge boost of confidence for everyone. And not just because they won, but how they won.

Shaking up the lines reinforces the importance that this team needs to play 60 minutes of solid hockey every night and it can be in every game. Being able to develop chemistry between players who can then be interchanged to take advantage of the nightly matchups is a huge advantage, and one that is key to most successful teams in the league. We're not going to have scoring lines like Ovechkin, Crosby, Heatley, Kovalchuk, Datsyuk, Nash, and Kopitar night-in-and-night out. But we can certainly roll out lines that match-up to slow those scoring lines down as much as possible, and allow our speed and physical play on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines to take advantage of those scoring opportunities when they present themselves.

Doan will likely get his 70 points, but I won't be shocked if we have 6-8 guys scoring in the 30-50 points range. It's not flashy, but it's enough to win games if the goaltending continues to shine, the defense continues to improve, and the PK and PP develop more consistency.

The playoffs are certainly still an outside shot in a very tough Western Conference, but after 11 games in which we've had the chance to earn points well into the 3rd period in all but one of those games, the pattern is one to breed optimism.

Knock on wood we don't get clobbered by injuries going forward, but there is a difference between this year and last if the happens. Turris, Porter, MacLean, Boedker and Tikhonov and logging tons of ice time in San Antonio and responding well by putting up points and learning to be more effective two-way players. When they're called up they'll be better prepared than last year and should be oozing with confidence and determination to prove they deserve to stay with the big club. That wasn't even on our radar last year. With the versatility of Winnik, Fiddler, Mueller, and Lombardi to rotate effectively between the forward positions, we'll be able to call up the best forward available from SA, and not have to be limited by calling up a center if a center goes down.

I'm still not getting too high or too low on this team yet, but you have to like 14 points of 22; 8 of 12 on the road; and only 2 out of 22 points you never had a shot at.

I say roll out Labarbera again tomorrow, and roll with the same lines. Oh, and I loved that Lang goal to close it out. It was one of those moments when it hit you that, "Oh, yeah, I forgot he can do shit like that. That was sweet." Found the open spot, knew exactly where he was going with the shot, and had his stick ready and waiting for the feed. Did you see that effortless lift and flick? I did, but I know Steve Mason didn't.