Arizona Coyotes target kids in order to grow fan base

 

The old saying goes, “Get them while they’re young.”

For the Arizona Coyotes, that is just what they are doing this coming hockey season, by offering kids who show up to games with opposing teams jersey a free Coyotes jersey in exchange.

In an interview with Puck Daddy, Coyotes co-owner Anthony LeBlanc said it’s an effort to encourage the younger generation to grow up as Coyotes fans.

“You may support the Sabers, but Johnny supports the Coyotes. Why don’t you ditch that Sabres jersey to get a Coyotes jersey? That’s really the focus,” LeBlanc told Puck Daddy. “When you look at hockey markets that have been very successful in non-traditional markets like San Jose and Dallas, they really focus on youth and in particular youth hockey.”

It’s an issue that every Valley professional sports team faces. A market with transplanted sports fans who’s deep rooted loyalties are still with the team they grew up rooting for. In some cases those loyalties run generations deep.

But after 19 years since the Coyotes moved to the Valley, LeBlanc understands that there may be no way of getting the Blackhawks fan out of dad, but there’s hope for the kid who grew up with the Coyotes.

It is not known if another professional sports team offering something similar. But when it comes to the Coyotes, anything helps. Especially for a franchise that has been plagued with bad luck since arriving in Phoenix, from a playoff contending team playing in an arena with bad sight lines, to an under performing team playing in an arena built for hockey — bankruptcy, questions regarding ownership and constant threats of relocation.

But now with stable ownership that is committed to staying in the Phoenix market and a young nucleus of players on the rise, the future is looking bright for Coyotes fans.