Judge Calls for Mediation in Coyotes Case
The Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy hearing was today as a judge was supposed to settle the dispute between the National Hockey League, Jerry Moyes, and Jim Balsillie. A resolution was expected but was not given.
Instead the judge is ordering the sides to mediation where they will need to work things out between them and come to some sort of resolution.
Personally I do not agree with this at all. I am an objective writer but I am also a Coyotes fan and this does nothing but hinder the team in every way possible. The sides have shown that they can not resolve this issue by themselves and went to a judge so that he could figure it out for them. Sending them back to the negotiating table is not going to do anything except prolong eventual outcome whatever that may be.
If the two sides could have successfully mediated then the parties would not have had to go to a bankruptcy court in the first place.
How does this affect the team? It handcuffs General Manager Don Maloney from doing anything until this is resolved. Ownership is in dispute right now but the team operations needs to continue to happen whether it is drafting, going through free agency, and even having training camp. The team will not be able to help itself to bring back the roster it had this past season, let alone try to improve. What is being created is a lame duck organization with no ability to better itself.
The small piece of good news that came out for Coyotes fans was that if Chicago sports owner Jerry Reinsdorf did purchase the team, Head Coach Wayne Gretzky would be out. I have been against Gretzky as the head coach of the franchise but accepted the fact he was not going anywhere because he was a part owner of the team. However, Mr. Reinsdorf promised something that all Coyote fans have been hoping and praying for the last two seasons.
The next hearing will be on May 27th when the judge will look to see the kind of progress that has been made between the parties involved. I hope he is not expecting something to happen between now and then.
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