The Coyotes' home opener at Mullett arena was an absolute disaster

If failing to sell 5,000 tickets to a home opener isn't sad enough, the accommodations for the players are tragic. The home dressing room looks to be a repurposed utilities room of sorts. It's closer to that of a small-town rink than an NHL arena. I've been in OJHL dressing rooms that were more luxurious.

The Coyotes' temporary dressing room is downright ritzy compared to what the visitors have to deal with. The dressing room the Winnipeg Jets were subjected to appears to be made in an underground parking facility, with temporary curtains taking the place of walls. It's even been reported that players have to walk outside to get from their rooms to the rink itself.

Perhaps most embarrassing of all, Mullett Arena appears to lack a goal horn. That's right - a Coyotes goal at home sounds more like a Pee-Wee Tri-County game than the best hockey league in the world. The fact that the Coyotes are expected to play here for no less than 3 years is an embarrassment not only to the NHL, but to pro hockey in general.

Of course, if Gary Bettman were ever to admit that his experiment in the desert has failed, the 18,259-seat Videotron Centre in Quebec City is ready and waiting. I'm quite certain that fans in Quebec City, who have been begging for a team since the Nordiques left for Colorado, would pack that building on a nightly basis.

The NHL is still a gate-driven league, and the fact that they are studiously ignoring the chance to quadruple one of their franchise's attendance numbers is baffling. It's a massive blemish on Gary Bettman's record. One that shouldn't be forgotten when he finally steps down as Commissioner.