It's been almost exactly two weeks since Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes put the team into bankruptcy protection with an eye for selling the team to Jim Balsillie. In the interim, a Phoenix fan base many have been questioning has begun to turn away from its team:

A representative of the City of Glendale claimed there were several bidders willing to take over the Coyotes with the belief they can be profitable. But Mr. Daly expressed concern that the team's position in the Phoenix market had deteriorated since the Coyotes entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 5th.

It was recited in court that since that time, the team had sold only $20,000 in tickets for next season compared to $1.5-million leading up to that time.

"You heard our lawyers state statistics in respect to what the business has been since the bankruptcy filing," Mr. Daly said." It's not a pretty thing."

Bankruptcy hearings apparently aren't good for business.

I've talked about Phoenix's struggles to sell tickets previously and what it means for the market, especially when you consider the low average ticket price (about $37), but a further dip in ticket sales could easily see the losses escalate further from the some $35-million Moyes has reported losing in 2008-09.

It's also not as if they can slash payroll much, considering the Coyotes were just $3-million over the salary floor this season and had the second lowest roster cost in the league.

The Coyotes do have a hardcore fan base, but with the court battle now likely to stretch at least into late June, I imagine more and more of them will be leery about signing on for what could be a lame duck season. A lot of the press in Arizona has been very negative toward the team, and it doesn't help that they have money quotes like – "hockey isn't financially viable here" – from top former team officials. 

I've spent a lot of time talking to and reading comments from people in Phoenix the past two weeks, and many of the non-hockey fans have a similar response. 

"A great sport, but not enough people are attracted to it here at the NHL level," wrote one on the Arizona Republic's site. "Many fans go to see their favorite teams which are not the Coyotes, but another team."

Another says, simply: "Adios Coyotes!! Hockey is dull and belongs in Canada along with curling."

The critics, in other words, aren't only coming from Canada, and the few fans in Arizona are taking just as many shots from their neighbours as those up north.

Being a hockey fan in Phoenix was always difficult, but now it's also becoming increasingly unpopular and, in a lot of ways, not very much fun. And, given the situation, regardless of how the court proceedings end, I expect the Coyotes will take a huge hit at the gate.