Gov. Doug Ducey said he'd like to see the Arizona Coyotes stay in the state, but for now it's up to the city of Glendale to solve its problems with the team.
“Of course, any sports fan would like to see the Coyotes stay,” Ducey said. “We'll probably see a Blackhawks victory in this year's Stanley Cup. But in future years, we'd like to see a Coyotes victory.”
Ducey's comments Thursday morning came a day after the Glendale City Council voted to end an arena lease agreement with the Coyotes and the team immediately threatened to sue.
Ducey said Glendale is going to have to make the hard decisions on its own.
Speculation has been rampant that Phoenix may try to get the Coyotes to move to the downtown arena where the NBA's Phoenix Suns play.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton wouldn't address those rumors Thursday, saying only that he'd use his influence to make sure the Coyotes "remain a regional asset."
“I do not want them to leave this community,” Stanton said. “I want them to remain a big part of this community.”
Capitol Media Services' Howard Fischer contributed to this report.