Statement by NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly regarding the Phoenix Coyotes Tuesday, 05.05.2009 / 8:53 PM / News By NHL .com
NEW YORK - National Hockey League Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly issued the following statement regarding the Phoenix Coyotes:
"We have just become aware of today's Bankruptcy Court filing purportedly made on behalf of the Phoenix Coyotes. We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the petition, including the propriety of its filing. We have removed Jerry Moyes from all positions of authority to act for or on behalf of the Club. The League will appear and proceed before the Bankruptcy Court in the best interests of all of the Club's constituencies, including its fans in Arizona and the League's 29 other Member Clubs."
Updated: May 5, 2009, 10:04 PM ET Balsillie offers to buy, move Coyotes ESPN.com news services
BlackBerry billionaire Jim Balsillie has extended an offer to buy the financially-strapped Phoenix Coyotes, contingent on moving the franchise to Southern Ontario.
Balsillie has offered $212.5 million for the franchise, which has spent the past 12 seasons in the desert since leaving Winnipeg, Manitoba prior to the 1996-97 season.
"The current team ownership asked that I table an offer to purchase the Coyotes and significant discussions resulted in an offer that is in the best interests of the franchise, the NHL, and the great hockey fans of Canada and Southern Ontario," Balsillie said Tuesday in a statement.
The Coyotes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday. The filing included the proposed sale of the franchise to PSE Sports & Entertainment, LP, a Delaware limited partnership, which would move the franchise to southern Ontario.
"Extensive efforts have been undertaken to sell the team, or attract additional investors, who would keep the team in Glendale," Jerry Moyes, the Coyotes chief executive officer, said in a statement announcing the Chapter 11 filing. "Creating a process under the supervision of a judge assures that anyone wishing to purchase the team will have the opportunity to bid.
"Likewise, the City of Glendale, which has been very cooperative with efforts to keep the team in Glendale, will be able to provide potential buyers assurances of the city's willingness to offer incentives to keep the team as a tenant in the Jobing.com arena, the lease for which is subject to rejection in bankruptcy. The process assures that the identities of the new owner and the team's location will be known by June 30, 2009, thus enabling the NHL to include the team in its 2009-10 schedule."
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement Tuesday that league has been notified of Phoenix's dire situation.
"We have just become aware of today's Bankruptcy Court filing purportedly made on behalf of the Phoenix Coyotes," Daly said. "We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the petition, including the propriety of its filing. We have removed Jerry Moyes from all positions of authority to act for or on behalf of the Club. The League will appear and proceed before the Bankruptcy Court in the best interests of all of the Club's constituencies, including its fans in Arizona and the League's 29 other Member Clubs."
Sources tell ESPN.com's Scott Burnside the NHL will oppose the Balsillie's move to purchase the team, as will the City of Glendale. It is believed the city will argue filing for bankruptcy does not give the team the right to break their lease, and that commissioner Gary Bettman was dealing with the situation in Phoenix when he was informed of the bankruptcy proceedings and the bid to sell the team to Balsillie.
Sources also say Moyes and Balsillie apparently collaborated on this strategy because Moyes believes Balsillie can, and will, pay more money than any other potential buyer or investor who would be interested in keeping the team in Phoenix.
So, can we finally stop calling Wayne Gretzky "The Great One"? Because I have never seen a icon of a sport so screw it up as he has done with the Coyotes. Even Jordan has gotten far more flack about the way he runs his team and at least he hasn't had the stupid ego to coach it himself. If it was anyone else who coached a NHL team for 4 straight years without making the playoffs once, they would had been canned a long time ago.
Obviously the best option is to let Balsillie move the team to Hamilton or Kitchener-Waterloo, but part of me would love to see Bettman screw this up just to keep his Worst Commissioner In Sports streak going. Maybe the struggling economy is enough for the anti-Canadian bloc of NHL owners that Bettman caters to to realize that maybe it's a good idea to move a team into an area that LOVES HOCKEY TO DEATH rather than an area that would give a damn.
Kirk, crackers are a family food. Happy families. Maybe single people eat crackers, we don't know. Frankly, we don't want to know. It's a market we can do without.
Originally posted by supersalvadoranSo, can we finally stop calling Wayne Gretzky "The Great One"? Because I have never seen a icon of a sport so screw it up as he has done with the Coyotes. Even Jordan has gotten far more flack about the way he runs his team and at least he hasn't had the stupid ego to coach it himself. If it was anyone else who coached a NHL team for 4 straight years without making the playoffs once, they would had been canned a long time ago.
"The Great one" refers to his play. Where he had more assists than the #2 all-time scorer has points. Where he scored more goals and points than anyone else. It'll be a long time before anyone can even think of getting close to those numbers.
As a coach? Meh. His on-ice brilliance doesn't translate obviously. Plus the Coyotes really never had a great team. This season they weren't that bad actually if I remember correctly. But always 1-2 players removed from really getting anywhere.
Originally posted by supersalvadoranSo, can we finally stop calling Wayne Gretzky "The Great One"? Because I have never seen a icon of a sport so screw it up as he has done with the Coyotes. Even Jordan has gotten far more flack about the way he runs his team and at least he hasn't had the stupid ego to coach it himself. If it was anyone else who coached a NHL team for 4 straight years without making the playoffs once, they would had been canned a long time ago.
There is another Icon who has GM of the Knicks, and Commisioner of CBA on his resume who would like to put his hat into the ring for Icon who most screwed the pooch.
Balsillie is being quite smart by saying, "Southern Ontario" rather than Hamilton or Kitchener/Waterloo specifically. I think he's totally correct, i.e., that there is a very large market of hockey fans in that area who cannot or will not pay the premium for Leafs tickets. But not naming a particular place makes it sound more like he's willing to work with the league to figure out where the best place is within the target market.
I know the Copps Coliseum was built with an eye towards housing an NHL team someday. It was state-of-the-art when it was built and everyone I know who ever played there loved it (and I certainly enjoyed watching some international hockey there one year). But it's probably "too small" and I don't know how much it could be renovated.
It would be great to see a team in Hamilton/Burlington or Kitchener/Waterloo. I think you'd see a very different kind of fan, the kind that cares whether their team wins or loses.
Come on, now...Ontario already has the Leafs and the Sens...and the Sabres aren't too far from Toronto. Considering the current economic state of Hamilton...I don't know if the city could really support the team.
I would love to see a team back in Winnipeg. There's an incredible stadium there, and I'm sure the fans would forgive the NHL for abandoning them when the Jets left. Manitoba and Saskatchewan are booming right now, and it'd be a good idea to put a team in either province; strike while the iron is hot!
Balsillie tried to steal the Penguins and the Predators. In the words of my generation, I hope dat nigga fucking dies.
I'm indebted to Bettman and think he's infinitely better than someone like Selig who has looked the other way and tacitly approved everything. Bettman broke the union, Selig kowtows to the status quo. And Stern certainly has him beat in so many ways but they've proven to be complete opposites when it comes to franchise larceny by the Balsillies and Clay Bennetts.
Originally posted by OliverI would love to see a team back in Winnipeg. There's an incredible stadium there...
As much as I would love to see the resurrection of the Jets (I still have a Jets jersey), my understanding is the new arena is considered too small. Plus, one of the key reasons they left the first time was it was considered too small a TV market.
I am all for the southern Ontario move. I just don't see Phoenix working.
Originally posted by OliverI would love to see a team back in Winnipeg. There's an incredible stadium there...
As much as I would love to see the resurrection of the Jets (I still have a Jets jersey), my understanding is the new arena is considered too small. Plus, one of the key reasons they left the first time was it was considered too small a TV market.
I am all for the southern Ontario move. I just don't see Phoenix working.
First off...I should have said arena, not stadium. The MTS centre is pretty swank.
Second of all, why is the size of the arena a real issue? I mean, I'd rather see a team play in a smaller venue where there's more a chance of a sellout than a larger venue with more expensive seats that, given a good chance, isn't totally sold out.
Some smaller markets can be total success stories. I don't know what the NHL considers to be a large market...but I think that Calgary and Winnipeg are doing good, and the Senators have rebounded from its near bankruptcy pretty well.
To be honest, I bet Hamilton would be a great market for a hockey team...but not now. Until the economy picks up and the steel mills start running back at full capacity, things are kinda stagnant there right now...and it would probably be a waste.
Of course, I doubt that's gonna make a difference. Lord knows Bettman doesn't always look at logic.
Originally posted by Mr Heel II I am all for the southern Ontario move. I just don't see Phoenix working.
That would be "Glendale", not "Phoenix". (See my rant (The W) about that whole Glendale Sports Complex debacle. Or the one here (slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com).) It's an important distinction for us here. :-)
JayJayDean: Yeah, if you can figure out how to pack up the Glendale arena, you're welcome to it. Not like much of anything else plays there. (Even the erstwhile professional lacrosse team folded operations.) Compare the Upcoming Events lists for Glendale (jobingarena.com) to the downtown Phoenix (usairwayscenter.com) arena. It's kinda pathetic, actually.
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