Glendale's Gila River Arena posted one of its best seasons financially since 2010, but the city still saw a net loss of $4 million on arena operations in fiscal year 2017.

That's a sizable improvement from a net loss of just under $10 million in fiscal 2015 and a net loss of $22.8 million in fiscal 2011.

"We are definitely going in the right direction," Glendale Mayor Jerry Weirs said.

Sales-tax hauls from the arena and the nearby Westgate Entertainment District would soften the loss, but city leaders have historically earmarked that money to help pay off the $180 million that Glendale borrowed to build the 14-year-old arena.

The improved operating costs come as the city dropped the Arizona Coyotes as the arena's manager in 2015 and hired AEG, a company that specializes in running arenas around the country, last year. The National Hockey League team is now just a tenant.

Although the AEG deal saves the city money, it carries the risk that the Coyotes could leave. The team's owners have said they are shopping around for a new home in the Valley.

Any change in Glendale-Coyotes relations?

Andrew Barroway became the sole owner of the Coyotes this spring, but it's unclear whether this will lead to any sort of detente with Glendale.

Last month, Barroway said the team would remain in Arizona and pursue a new arena. "We're going to get a new stadium in Arizona, where it should have been located to begin with," he said.

Team President and CEO Steve Patterson said the team was open to talking with anyone interested in a partnership.

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When asked last week about the team's plans, the team issued the following statement:

“We are not going to address our ongoing lease arrangement at this time. We have a great working relationship with AEG who is also a member of the NHL's Board of Governors (L.A. Kings) and a great partner of ours.”

AEG Sports, a company affiliate, owns and operates the Los Angeles Kings hockey team.

Barroway and Patterson could say more during a town hall slated for 4 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Renaissance Glendale Hotel and Spa, where hockey fans can ask the Coyotes executives about the team before a preseason game.

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Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps said he's hopeful a long-term deal with the team can be brokered, particularly as the team is under new leadership. Phelps said he met with Patterson to discuss how the city and team could work together.

Phelps said they discussed general ideas, but didn't touch on concrete plans for the future, likening the meeting to a first date.

"It's usually not a good idea to start talking about 'when do we get married and how many children are we going to have?' " Phelps said.

Gila River Arena Manager Dale Adams said AEG is in active discussions with the team but said the future remains uncertain.

"I don't know if the Coyotes are going to stay, leave or do anything else," Adams said. "I'm assuming they're staying for the time being because I think that's what we have to do; that's what's in front of us and I have no indication to feel like they are going anywhere else."

A torrid history

The Coyotes' 21 years in Arizona have been full of twists and turns that include venue changes, bankruptcy, coaching controversies and a revolving ownership door.

In the latest chapter, the team's future has been uncertain since Glendale ripped up its 15-year contract and replaced it with a two-year contract that can be renewed annually. The team has done that for the 2017-18 season.

The Coyotes have searched for a new home since they signed the new deal, presenting plans to Phoenix, Mesa and Arizona State University.

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The team lobbied for $225 million in public money to build a new arena in either downtown Phoenix or the East Valley back in March. Higher-ups from the team and NHL threatened the Coyotes would leave Arizona if the state Legislature didn't pass the bill.

The legislation died in the Senate.

How critical are the Coyotes?

The Coyotes pay AEG $500,000 annually to use the arena and share a small portion from suite rentals with the city. Phelps said concerts are far more lucrative for the city than Coyotes games, but noted that 40-plus hockey games a season brings crowds to the shops and restaurants at Westgate.

A thriving Westgate is important to Glendale as sales-tax hauls there help pay off the debt Glendale incurred to build the arena. Like a mortgage, the city will pay on the debt through 2033. Westgate's sales-tax collections cover about 75 percent of the $13 million annual debt payment, Assistant City Manager Tom Duensing said.

Phelps said the city hasn't developed a contingency plan if the Coyotes were to leave, but said the city would likely pursue more non-hockey events. He noted that Glendale probably wouldn't attempt to attract other professional sports teams.

Adams said AEG found that many in the entertainment industry didn't know of the arena's existence and has worked to promote the venue since it took over last year. The efforts appear to have paid off as the arena sold more tickets than ever before and had the second-highest ticket revenue since 2010.

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The arena sold 180,348 tickets to 24 non-hockey events in fiscal 2017, bringing in about $4.2 million.

Those two-dozen events ranged from Coldplay to Trans-Siberian Orchestra. By comparison, the arena held 23 non-hockey events in fiscal 2016 and 20 the prior year.

Part of Adams' strategy includes booking as many events as possible even if some don't sell out the arena. AEG's Vice President of Communications Michael Roth compared it to empty seats on an airplane.

"You like to keep a building busy every day of the year so sometimes you take a show that you know may not sell out, but again will bring in revenues to the building," Roth said. "It's like an airplane — any open seat is lost money."

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