What do the American healthcare debate and the Phoenix Coyotes have in common?

The debate about government funded healthcare has been a hot topic in our country this past year (don’t worry, you didn’t accidentally wind up at some political website it’s all related to Phoenix sports). Is it socialistic, is it in the best interest of everyone and is spending more money now in the hopes of strengthening things in the future, are all questions that have dominated the headlines.

This may not seem like it has much to do with sports, but the Phoenix Coyotes current situations, the trades the franchise made prior to Wednesday’s NHL trade deadline and the uproar it’s caused, paralel the healthcare debate quite nicely (although, I wouldn’t tell you if it didn’t since it’s the basis for my entire post).

Think about it, the Coyotes are currently owned and operated by the NHL, it’s board of governors and every team in the league. The burden of paying for the club’s day-to-day operations, player salaries, zambonis and even the kennel Howler the mascot stays in while the team is on the road, is shared between everyone with a stake in the league. According to reports, the team is losing around $5 million of the league’s money per month –which is more than they pay Captain Coyote Shane Doan per season– and are on pace to lose over $50 million overall. All loses that the NHL is responsible for.

With the league footing the bill, many involved want the funding provided to the team kept to a minimum rather than “bailing out” the franchise further. While many hockey pundits praised the shrewd moves general manager Don Maloney made to improve his club at the deadline, apparently, according to the Toronto Sun, others were less than impressed with the additional $2.5 million the deals added to the team’s payroll.

“You know where that money comes from?” one furious league executive asked.

“It comes out of the owners’ pockets and they aren’t going to be happy with this because they’re already not happy with having to foot the bill for Phoenix in the first place.” [Toronto Sun]

The question is, whether the wealthier league and team’s should pay the additional salary to help the less fortunate club make the playoffs in hopes it will improve the financial health of the franchise and its new owners?

Like the American healthcare debate, it’s a complex issue in which both sides’ argument carry weight.

Helping out the less fortunate Phoenix Coyotes and stabilizing the franchise’s “health” should be in the best interest of everyone involved. Making the franchise financially viable and selling it to owners willing to put a competitive franchise on the ice does nothing but help owners in other markets. On the other hand, having the league and those who ran their clubs in a fiscal responsible ways foot the bill rather than letting normal economic principles dictate the success or failure of the franchise doesn’t seem fair.

It’s a complicated debate meant for smarter people than me to decide. With that said, as a person who follows the Coyotes and personally knows many of their diehard fans, it’s feels much better to improve the health of the franchise at the deadline regardless of who it upsets. Don Maloney seems to agree.

“Well, I can say it’s a lot more fun”, Don Maloney told reporters. “It’s nice to be in a position to improve your club with a chance to win. At the end of the day, what excites me about what we were able to do today is we made ourselves better not at the cost of any asets.” [Fanster]

At least not at the cost of any asests other than the ones the league and it’s owners are allowing to the team to spend on additional payroll.

Like healthcare in this country, this debate will rage on. Although, you’d think a sports whose roots are firmly planted in Canada — home of socialized medicine– would be all for this form of league funded hockey.

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Tags: NHL, Phoenix Coyotes, Trade deadline