Why did the people vote no to a new arena for the Arizona Coyotes? Analysing the future of Yotes franchise

The future of the Arizona Coyotes is a murky one after Tuesday night.

The city of Tempe was voting on whether or not to help fund a new arena for the NHL's Coyotes.

In the lead-up to the vote, many around the NHL expected the vote to be approved and the Coyotes would remain in Arizona. Yet, it was voted no which was a shock for the entire franchise and the NHL.

"We are very disappointed Tempe voters did not approve Propositions 301, 302, and 303,'' the Coyotes said in a statement. "As Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said, it was the best sports deal in Arizona history. The Coyotes wish to thank everyone who supported our efforts and voted yes.''

In the lead-up to the fight, former mayors and politicians all publicly supported the vote. As well, Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo and GM Bill Armstrong went knocking on Tempe doors to try and secure more votes from the citizens.

Arizona Coyotes' future is murky

One of the biggest reasons why the vote may have been voted no is due to the fact it is close to the airport.

According to some reports, the proximity to the airport has raised some flags, to the point where the City of Phoenix sued to prevent the development because the housing portion was too close to runways and flight paths, violating a previous agreement.

As well, many in the public don't believe that the arena will need no public funding, so some citizens were worried about their taxes increasing to build an arena for a team they don't care about.

Along with the money and being close to the traffic, several people brought up the fact that increased traffic around the airport is a major concern for people as they worry about missing flights.

What's next for the Arizona Coyotes?

As of right now, it's uncertain what the next step is for the Arizona Coyotes.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was disappointed and frustrated with the vote as the league now has to look into the future of the Coyotes.

"The NHL is terribly disappointed by the results of the public referenda regarding the Coyotes' arena project in Tempe," league commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "We are going to review with the Coyotes what the options might be going forward."

Currently, the Arizona Coyotes are playing at Arizona State University's Mullett Arena which seats just 5000 people. That is obviously not good enough for an NHL team to play in so the no-vote may have been the last straw in the future of the Coyotes.