Coyotes' rebranding shows hockey is alive in the desert

Kevin Allen | USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Coyotes decided this offseason that no one was going to show confidence in them if they didn’t show confidence and pride in who they are and what they are all about.

“Enough is enough, all done apologizing,” Coyotes Chief Marketing Officer John Pierce tells USA TODAY Sports. “We are an NHL franchise, and we have been here for almost 20 years now. … it’s not like we just moved here.”

The Coyotes have embarked on an aggressive rebranding effort that celebrates the uniqueness of their team and pays homage to the dedicated fan base they have accumulated. They have created a video entitled "A Pack Apart" that trumpets the fact the Coyotes are “outsiders” and a “new breed.”

“If you are looking for your dad’s Original Six, look somewhere else,” the voice-over says. “That’s not who we are. We never will be.”

The voice points out that what makes the Coyotes different also “unites” them.

“(Coyotes defenseman) Connor Murphy saw the video one day, and said, ‘Yeah, that’s us — the players,” Pierce says. “‘It was really intended for fans. He said, ‘Well that’s what coach says.’ We know we’ve hit a nerve in a good way when both players and fans say, ‘That’s me.’ ”

What does it mean to be a Coyote? That’s what Pierce asked everyone within the organization and the fan base, and what he discovered is that everyone associated with the team was weary of analyzing, or discussing, the struggle it’s been to keep the team alive in the desert. They want the Coyotes to be about the hockey.

“We have to be able to be optimistic,” Pierce says. “Stop looking backwards and look forwards."

Fans told the Coyotes that the future of the team was important to them, and they wanted to know more about their prized young prospect forwards such as Max Domi, Christian Dvorak, Anthony Duclair and Brendan Perlini.

“And the third thing our fans told us is: Don’t water down the hockey culture for the people in Arizona who haven’t grown up with the game,” Pierce says. “Leave the uniqueness of hockey alone. When people who didn’t grow up with the game come under the tent, they will get it. (Fans said,) ‘Don’t water it down for them, because you will ruin it for us.’ ”

The rebranding effort has had a strong impact in improving the local awareness of the team. The team’s Instagram following has increased 100% since last October, rising above 100,000 followers recently. Social media engagement is up 72% from the same point last October, Pierce said.

The unspoken message is that the Coyotes are staying in Arizona. Although the lease deal in Glendale expires in two years, the ownership group has made it clear that it plans to keep the team in Arizona even it means moving elsewhere in the state.

It’s been easier for everyone in the organization to be more positive this season because the Coyotes look far more confident and competitive on the ice. The Coyotes, ranked 29th in NHL scoring last season, are 10th in the early going, averaging 3.2 goals per game. They rank eighth in goals-against average at 2.20 goals per game. They finished 28th in team GAA last season.

As stressful as the team’s lack of offense was last season, the team’s sloppy defensive play was more alarming. Coach Dave Tippett is known as a defensive-minded, structured coach. Those were the team’s hallmarks when it reached the Western Conference final in 2012.

“We need to get back to good solid, defending type of hockey,” Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson says. “We got away from that last couple of years.

Three of the top four Arizona scorers thus far — Domi, Duclair and Tobias Rieder — are 22 or younger. Duclair has four goals in five games, and Domi and Rieder have six and five points, respectively.

“We are cautious not to go overboard by what has happened early,” Arizona general manager Don Maloney says. “But we are encouraged that we are getting good play from different people.”

The Coyotes are trying to climb back into the playoffs after a three-season absence. A key is goaltender Mike Smith, who struggled early last season, then emerged from his slump in the final months. He looks reborn this season. Smith has a 3-1-0 record, 2.25 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.

“Mike is so competitive, he took the world on his shoulders last season,” Maloney says. “I think we contributed to that. I was as guilty as anybody. … I think as an organization we put way too much emphasis on Mike. We needed to defend better and then Mike could have done his job.”

Maloney compared Smith early last season to the golfer who bogeys the first two holes and “feels as if he needs to eagle the next three to get back in it.”

“When you chase it, it just doesn’t work,” Maloney says.

Maloney said late last season Smith realized he couldn’t do it all by himself. “His whole mindset is different,” Maloney says. “He’s a much calmer, focused on his job, and doing the best he can.”

Smith’s change of attitude mirrors his organization’s change of attitude.

“We are seeing tremendous growth in followers and likes (on social media),” Pierce says. “And we are also seeing levels of engagement, people responding, replying and commenting that we haven’t seen before.”

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