Phil The Ticketing Manager?

There is little doubt that Phil Kessel is a unique individual. He's an incredible scorer and competes hard every night he's on the ice in the NHL. He takes potshots at loud-mouthed pundits who have tried to disgrace his image. He tossed his name into the Presidential election ring in 2016 as a bit of a joke - as seen to the left - in order to encourage people to vote. Phil has worn a number of hats in his career and a few jerseys, but his newest role in Glendale may be one he didn't even know he was doing.

Phil the Thrill, as he's jokingly called, has been responsible for an immense increase in ticket sales for the Arizona Coyotes since the Coyotes acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins a couple of weeks ago. According to The Republic newspaper in Arizona, "Season-ticket sales are up 600% compared to the same week last summer, including a 550% increase in all ticket sales. The Coyotes have also seen an increase in their website traffic mobile app visits and social media engagement over that time."

It should also be noted that the Coyotes saw "94% renewal in season tickets this summer, the club's highest such mark since moving to Glendale in 2003-04," and that the team has seen massive success with its "Weekender" season ticket package. Richard Morin writes,

The Coyotes feel they've reached a compromise with their "Weekender" season-ticket package that grants the purchaser access to each of the team's Friday, Saturday and Sunday home games.

Those packages, which launched prior to last season, have seen a 184% increase in year-over-year growth with still more than two months left in the offseason. It has provided some relief for those exhaustive rush-hour drives to Glendale on weekdays.

Those are encouraging numbers if you're the NHL and the owners of the Coyotes. For years, the Arizona franchise was seen as a place to burn money, and GM John Chayka has been the butt of many jokes about acquiring players who will never play again and going through an annual rebuild. Because there has been this sense that the Coyotes are a hole in the ground into which owners keep throwing money with no return, very few people have been keeping an eye on the progress the Coyotes have been making.

"It's certainly satisfying and exciting to see us doing something as a franchise that we feel makes us a much more competitive team and puts us in a better position to win," Coyotes President and CEO Ahron Cohen told Morin. "The fact that other people in this market are seeing that, fans are seeing that, and they're jumping on board. It's good, positive momentum for this organization."

Let's not forget that the Coyotes flirted with a wild card spot last season before finally succumbing to the rash of injuries they experienced. Goaltender Antti Raanta and center Nick Schmaltz missed considerable time last season while a number of veteran players including Derek Stepan, Jason Chychrun, Jason Demers, and Christian Dvorak all missed chunks of time with injuries as well. This led to their anaemic offence late in the season when they went 3-4-3 in a key ten-game stretch in March, scoring two goals or less in eight of those ten games.

Chayka has already been busy this summer in trying to fix the scoring issues by acquiring Kessel, signing Nick Schmaltz to a long-term deal, bringing in Beau Bennett, and inking first-round pick Victor Soderstrom. Backstopped by a tandem of Rantaa and Darcy Kuemper, who had an outstanding season, and bolstered by the returning Chychrun and Nathan Oesterle on the blue line, and the Coyotes aren't the pushover they once were. With a pile of cap room, they can still make additions if necessary, so Chayka may not be done just yet.

"Some of the challenges that we've experienced in terms of location have been well-documented," Cohen told Morin. "We could be playing in Yuma or in mid-town Manhattan, but if we're not doing things to put a successful and competitive team on the ice, then we're going to have limitations on how successful we can be."

The fact that the Coyotes are showing that they're trying to turn a corner and compete for a playoff spot has seen the optimism in Arizona rise. Getting a marquee scorer like Phil Kessel only added to that excitement, and that's helped drive the massive increase in ticket sales this summer. This is a good time for the Coyotes to build their brand with the Phoenix Suns being a non-factor in the NBA and the Arizona Cardinals being their annual disappointment, so adding key offensive players combined with some solid play under head coach Rick Tocchet's watch should push the Coyotes' popularity in and around the Phoenix area to new heights.

If Phil and his new teammates can thrill the fans on the ice, there's a good chance we may hear the goal-scoring howls the Coyotes use in the April and May this season. Wouldn't that be something?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!