Las Vegas Desert Rats?

> A hockey team for the city of sin

Davie Wong
Sports Editor

 

[: expansion time! The lucky
city? Las Vegas was approved
for an NHL franchise in 2017-18.
While people who supported the
idea are jumping for joy, I'm a bit
more unsure.

The expansion comes at a
time when a couple of teams,
with one in particular, are unsure
of their ability to field an NHL
team in their city. The main
team in question is the Arizona
Coyotes. Fan interest in the team
has dropped off immensely since
the move from Winnipeg in the
late ‘gos, and it doesn’t help that

they can’t win for the life of them.

The team suffers from a variety
of issues, with most of them
stemming from a lack of funds
due to an inability to sell tickets
and merchandise. This last year,
the team ranked second last in
average tickets sold per game
at 13,400. Only Carolina ranked
lower than them. In my opinion,
all of this has to do with one
specific factor. Their geography.
Arizona is in the middle
of the Sonoran Desert. With
temperatures reaching to the

scorching 4o’s on a regular
basis, one would think that a
nice ice hockey game would be
a good escape from the heat.
Unfortunately, that’s not how it
works. With the sun constantly
shining, locals find it hard to be
interested in a sport that is not

 

commonly available to them.
Hockey just isn’t popular there.
There is no local talent for

the city to be proud of, and come
out to support, and there are

no players that garner huge fan
interest. It’s really a snowball
effect. There are no players that

From coastal beaches to inland ones

> Coach Kyra Iannone announces her departure from Douglas

Davie Wong
Sports Editor

 

t felt as if just yesterday, coach

Kyra Iannone was discussing
her plans for the team’s future
in the upcoming season. Things
were looking good with a young
squad of hungry athletes. Her
fifth year coaching the Royals
volleyball team was by far the
most successful, in terms of
records and accolades. The team
was poised for a record setting
season coming up, but that will
all have to be put on pause.

Starting September 1,

Jannone will be starting at her
new position as assistant coach
at the University of Arizona. The
decision may come as a surprise
to some, but those who knew
her saw this coming. After all, it
doesn't take long for a coach of
her skill to be noticed by larger
teams. For Iannone, the decision
to leave was a difficult one, but in
her heart, she knew the answer.
“I was offered a position for full
time coaching in the NCAA
Division 1 league, and to be
honest this is a dream of mine. I
have never had the opportunity
to coach as my full time position
and it has been my goal fora
long time to make coaching my
career. This is an opportunity of a

lifetime and I am so very blessed,
honoured, and excited for the
chance to make my mark on
NCAA beach volleyball.”

Looking back at her five years
behind the bench at Douglas,
there are a lot of memories to
sift through. It would be nearly

impossible to pick a favourite,
though some players would be
quick to mention specific trips or
moments. However, the coach’s
favourite memories go a little
deeper than a singular instance.
“In all honesty, my favourite
memories were the more intimate

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want to play for the Coyotes,
because there are no fans. No
fans means no money from jersey
sales, as well as just not being as
fun of a city to play in. No players
means no fans. It’s an endless,
pointless cycle that has yet to be
broken.

  

Photo by Davie Wong

and meaningful memories I have
with each girl. The moments we
share after a big win, or a big loss
when an important hug or kind
word was needed. It was watching
my players bond, or make a big
play, or the moment they realized
they were something special.”

My fear is that the expansion
Las Vegas team will not fare any
differently than the Coyotes. As
the saying goes, lady luck can be
oh so fickle. ’m worried that the
city will not have the patience
that is needed for an expansion
team. Make no mistake, the new
Las Vegas team will be bad, and
they will be bad for years. That’s
just the nature of expansion
teams and the expansion draft.
If people are expecting to see the
Stanley Cup Finals in the City of
Sin within the first five years, they
can continue dreaming, because
that isn’t going to happen.

It’s going to be a slow
process. The first iteration of
the team will likely be a disaster.
But fans need to stalwart. Rome
wasn't built in a day. However,
continued investment into the
team from a solid fan base will do
nothing but help. They need to
not get stuck in the Arizona loop,
which is a harder task than it
sounds. Las Vegas is smack dab in
the middle of the Mojave Desert,
and the fan base could be liquid
and evaporate within a couple
of years. It’s got all the same
warning flags as Arizona. Let’s
just hope this isn’t deja-vu.

Yet, for as long as five years
is, there are still some things that
have yet to be accomplished by
the team. For Iannone, it was the
big prize. “I would have loved to
win a championship. These girls
improved, changed culture, and
changed expectations, but they
deserved the respect of the league
and their peers that is earned
when you win a championship.”
Despite not being able to
obtain the coveted prize of a
championship win, the team can
be proud that they were able
to stand toe-to-toe with some
eventual championship winners
during Iannone’s time with the
team.

They say every career stop
teaches you a valuable life lesson.
For Iannone, the lesson she
learned is perhaps one of the
most valuable. “I learned that
family is the most important
thing, and we, the team, were a
family.” It was that passion that
kept her going through the tough
times, and allowed her to do
the work that she did for them.
As she leaves her post, Iannone
imparts this bit of wisdom for
fans of the Royals: “This is a
special group of girls who are
serious about their dedication to
the program, and each other. Be
proud of them and stand by them
because they are worth it.”