Arizona Coyotes fans devastated as people vote no to new arena - "We are so bummed about this"

The Arizona Coyotes' plan for a new arena and entertainment district in Tempe didn't receive enough local support.

The Coyotes moved to Tempe in 2022 and suggested their plan to the city council to construct a $2.1 billion entertainment district, which included an arena that would boast a capacity of 16,000 spectators at the city's center.

The Arizona Coyotes proposal received immense support from the city council and the former mayors; however, the public has rejected the club's plan to move forward with constructing a new arena and entertainment district in the city.

After the 29,153 ballots that were counted on Tuesday, nearly 56% of the votes favored the "No" campaign on Propositions 301, 302, and 303. Each of the propositions needed to pass for the Coyotes to win the special elections.

Following this defeat, the future of the club is in question.

The Arizona Coyotes fans were devastated by the news and took to Twitter to share their thoughts following the results.

What's next for the Arizona Coyotes?

Since the referendum failed, the Arizona Coyotes will now likely have to start from scratch and find a new permanent home.

The league and its board of governors have met with prospective owners in cities, like Houston, Salt Lake City, and Kansas City. The meetings indicate that they are ready to relocate the team if necessary.

The NHL also made clear its stance that a permanent solution must be found for the Coyotes. The team has been searching for a new home since they were forced out of their arena in Glendale. The league and team owners have been focused on creating a new arena in Tempe, but following the elections, it now seems the plans in Tempe will not be going forward.

The NHL has mapped out a game plan behind the scenes. It's possible that the Coyotes could be playing somewhere else as soon as next season if the referendum fails. However, it's unlikely that the team would relocate that quickly.

If the Coyotes failed to find a backup in Arizona, cities including the Houston, Portland, Quebec City, and Kansas City could come up as a great backup for the club. It will be interesting to see how the club proceeds.