Beyond the NHL-sized arena, the Coyotes are intent upon building an “entertainment district” with hotels, restaurants, stores and 1,600 apartments.

The total cost of the development is expected to land around $2.1 billion, with most of that projected figure being privately financed by the Coyotes — although, in the deal, the club also seeks $200 million in Tempe sales tax revenue generated by the completed entertainment district.

Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix has been a major detractor of the proposal, honing in on the possibility of its flight paths negatively impacting residents in the residential areas of the Coyotes’ entertainment district.

Morgan reported over the weekend that two separate polls of Tempe citizens pin the public support level of the Coyotes’ plan at around 60 percent, but that figure could change significantly in either direction by the date of the referendum.

No doubt, the Coyotes have a lot riding on this proposal. What happens if a vote doesn’t go their way? Could they, for instance, remain at Mullett Arena for more than their initial residency timeline of three to four years?

The Coyotes have said they project to bring in more revenue at ASU compared to Glendale, but it’s also not difficult to imagine both the NHL and its Players’ Association objecting to the club sticking around in such a small venue.

It’s also important to note that Mullett Arena isn’t the Coyotes’ building. It belongs to the university, and there’s no telling whether that entity would be comfortable with allowing an NHL franchise to bunk in with the Sun Devils indefinitely.

That said, there are more existing venues in the Phoenix area the Coyotes could potentially explore as backup options if their Tempe arena gets shot down.

The Footprint Center, home of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, is one of them. The Coyotes know it well — they previously played there from 1996 to 2003, but the sightlines weren’t ideal for hockey — and its location in downtown Phoenix would be very attractive for the franchise.

Under the ownership of Robert Sarver, the Suns have had “no interest” in sharing the arena with the Coyotes. But, in September, Sarver — embattled by personal scandals — said he has begun the process of selling the team.

Bettman spoke at the NHL’s Board of Governors meeting in October about what the Suns sale could mean for the future of the Coyotes. Here’s what Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman had to say in recapping Bettman’s comments:

“At the governors’ meeting, Bettman was asked about the effect the NBA Suns’ sale could have on the Coyotes future. One of the working theories is that the Coyotes could end up moving to that arena, although it would need a refurbishing for hockey. Bettman correctly pointed out it could take more than one summer to do those renovations and said an estimate of $200 million could be too low. He was prepared for the question, which tells me he’s done his research on the issue.”

Beyond the Footprint Center, there is also the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, located just two miles northwest of downtown Phoenix on the Arizona State Fairground.

Moving into the Veterans Coliseum would bring its own range of issues. For one, they’d have to operate around the State Fair, which takes place annually around the start of hockey season. It was in full swing while Daily Faceoff was down in Arizona.

Second, the arena is nearly 60 years old. It first opened back in 1965 and was the facility the Footprint Center replaced as the home of the Suns.

The Veterans Coliseum bears an uncanny resemblance to the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, and its leaky roof is even more problematic. It lacks luxury boxes of any kind, and its listed capacity for ice hockey is just 13,780. There are fixer-uppers, and then there’s this.