The NHL may have postponed another round of games on Friday afternoon, but for fans of the Phoenix Coyotes, there still isn’t an ironclad guarantee that those games would have been played in Glendale anyway. The three year ownership saga that has become central to the team’s identity over that time is still going strong, and even recent developments still haven’t delivered the kind of affirmation that fans have been so desperately seeking.
According to several reports, former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison is nearing completion on the sale front itself, talking with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman last Monday. After rumors of financing issues over the summer, Jamison apparently has found enough investors for his bid to go forward, and his meeting with Bettman shows that there are at least positive steps being taken toward resolving the purchase of the team from the league.
On the opposite front, talks with the city of Glendale about tweaks to the lease agreement that had been hammered out over the summer are still ongoing. The city is planning to pay Jamison an arena management fee in order to offset potential losses associated with keeping the team in Arizona, but there have been changes made to the language of the agreement so that Glendale isn’t on the hook for as much money in the first five years of the 20-year arrangement. These tweaks would have to be voted on by the Glendale City Council, but with an election coming up in a few weeks, it seems unlikely that such a vote on a controversial issue would take place.
Speaking of that election, there is an initiative on the ballot in Glendale that is giving some pause to the proceedings. At stake is the fate of a temporary five-year sales tax increase that the city put into effect over the summer, and the ballot initiative, if passed, would reverse it. This would leave the arena deal with the Coyotes essentially dead, and likely torpedo efforts to seal the deal with Jamison.
Several members of the City Council have spoken out against the attempt to repeal the tax increase, saying that it would cause a huge problem with the budget for not just the Coyotes, but also for police, fire department, and other essential city services. If the vote fails, then everything would presumably get done in short order to get the team locked into being a tenant for the arena for years to come.
Regardless of the outcome of this election, fans of the team in Glendale, as well as fans of the NHL as a whole, deserve a resolution to this matter as promptly as possible. The league has taken huge steps in intervening throughout this whole process, even going so far as to contest the sale of the team to Jim Balsille in 2009 in a dispute over whether the league has the sole power to determine who is allowed to own teams.
After winning that case and purchasing the team from former owner Jerry Moyes, the league has since held stewardship over the club through two years of attempting to find a new owner to keep them in Phoenix. Bids from groups like Ice Edge holdings, as well as Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer have also failed. With Jamison, the league is hoping that they finally have found the right fit.
Throughout that entire process, fans in Arizona have been exceedingly patient, but they are getting understandably frustrated by all the drama surrounding the team. Attendance figures are still down despite the team making the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, and that has a large bit to do with the uncertainty over whether or not the team would be in the city past the end of the season. The NHL has indeed gone to heroic measures to keep the team in Phoenix, but at some point soon, enough finally has to be enough, and this team either needs to announce a new owner, or find someone who is going to buy the club and move it elsewhere.
It is often said that patience is a virtue, and while fans of the Coyotes have certainly embodied that maxim over the years, the same can also be said of other owners, who have watched the team continue to lose money while the NHL has been in control. Yes, that money is guaranteed to be paid back by the city of Glendale, but with a player lockout raging and the main point of contention being splitting up league revenues, it is hardly surprising that there has been some grumbling over keeping such a toxic asset on the books when there are other markets out there that could potentially do better than Phoenix.
So for those owners worried that this team will continue to lose money and bring the rest of the league down, and for fans who are anxiously awaiting word on whether or not their city will bring NHL hockey back, this situation needs to get resolved. Waiting until election returns come in on November 6th is all well and good, but after we find out whether the sales tax initiative passes or fails, then all hands need to be on deck for one final push to determine the future of this team in the desert.
Hopefully, the league and Jamison will get good news after the ballots are cast. If the city of Glendale is able to keep that revenue stream open, there is good reason for believing that the Coyotes could be a turnaround story of a similar caliber to that of the Chicago Blackhawks or Pittsburgh Penguins. They play within range of a large population in the fifth largest city in America, and they are going to benefit from the sports landscape in town as it currently stands. The Phoenix Suns’ main box office attraction has headed west to Los Angeles (Steve Nash), and the Arizona Cardinals are faltering after a hot start. Factor in the so-so results of the Arizona State Sun Devils, and you have a potential vacuum in terms of a team being able to dominate the sports landscape in this city.
You factor in the struggles of other teams, as well as the inevitable excitement that comes with a new owner, and you will find yourself with a potential gold mine with this hockey team. Fans everywhere, and this is especially true in Phoenix, come out when a team is winning, and with very reasonably priced tickets and an ownership group committed to keeping the team in Glendale, the Coyotes could go from punch line to success story in short order.
The time for wait and see is finally reaching its conclusion, and not a moment too soon for fans and executives alike. Will the Phoenix Coyotes still be in Arizona after the NHL lockout concludes? Hopefully we find out the answer sooner rather than later.
James started out for The Hockey Writers covering the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009, and has also covered the Chicago Blackhawks, served as NHL Correspondent, and is now a Managing Editor and the site’s NHL Central Blogger. He also writes for The Golf Writers.
Rick Camelleri punks BizNasty at BIOSTEEL in Toronto…BizNasty when asked where he plays hockey, he says “Phoenix, well maybe Quebec soon”. http://www.thecheapseats.ca/2012/10/flames-mike-cammalleri-pulls-a-biznasty-prank.html
Its hard to see how the Coyotes will ever work where they are now. They can’t draw flies until the snowbirds start to arrive in November. Plus the rink is in the middle of nowhere, Glendale. At least if they were located in Phoenix, it would help with the corporate sponsors and luxury boxes. AZ fans will drive 100 miles to watch 8 NFL games a year, but not 41 NHL games a year. The Coyotes have so much working against them right now.
But aren’t they having their best year ever this year…. I mean the fan turn out is the same AND they are still saving on salaries?
Hi Greg. They had a very successful year on the ice. But once again they didn’t begin having strong crowds until later in the season. I think the best thing they could do is either play a lot of road games in the first couple of months or bring in teams like Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver as much as possible for October and November. Those teams bring their fans with them, although the Coyotes might feel like the visitors in their own rink lol. But at least their building would be full or close to it in the early season.
Hi Greg. They had a very successful year on the ice. But once again they didn’t begin having strong crowds until later in the season. I think the best thing they could do is either play a lot of road games in the first couple of months or bring in teams like Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver as much as possible for October and November. Those teams bring their fans with them, although the Coyotes might feel like the visitors in their own rink lol. But at least their building would be full or close to it in the early season.
Now THAT is funny stuff Greg! Kudos!
Just move the Coyotes to Quebec City where they belong already! Doesn’t anyone get it that when something doesn’t work the first ten times, that it won’t work the next 100? Phoenix never should’ve even been on a radar of getting a hockey team in the first place, and what morons really thought that could work in a place where hardly anyone even heard of the word “hockey”? Winnipeg had a great success with the return of the Jets, and Quebec will without a doubt be no different for a FACT!
Just move the Coyotes to Quebec City where they belong already! Doesn’t anyone get it that when something doesn’t work the first ten times, that it won’t work the next 100? Phoenix never should’ve even been on a radar of getting a hockey team in the first place, and what morons really thought that could work in a place where hardly anyone even heard of the word “hockey”? Winnipeg had a great success with the return of the Jets, and Quebec will without a doubt be no different for a FACT!
I believe there is one error in the article. From the article;.
“Yes, that money (Coyote financial losses the NHL now funds) is guaranteed to be paid back by the city of Glendale…”
Up until now, the City of Glendale has agreed to fund up to 25 million in losses each year. The league is on the hook for any additional losses, and the Coyotes have been exceeding 25 million in losses each year according to the reports I’ve read.
You are correct Curt…only losses up to 25 million is to be paid..the 2010 losses were 37 million but the ceiling for Glendale was 25 million.
More of the same bullshit from the hockey writters.Jim I would be worried about a team like the oilers going to seattle and not going to Quebec and don’t worry so much about the coyotes.This has always been about money Jim, tv money and the Market in phx.No worrries coyote fans the coyotes will be staying in az somewhere that is a FACT JIM….
It is hardy a fact Darrold, Big D etc…with the controversies around Clark’s campaign and the failed smear campaign against Chavira and Latinos in general, with politicians from all over your state admonishing her for her campaign literature, there has been more harm then good to the Coyotes. Compared to Glendale, the Oilers are very safe indeed. You should worry about things that matter. It is important to the taxpayers in Glendale that the team stays….but it seems everything that can go wrong has gone wrong…even without GWI geting involved..and that is still a possibility..they may very well not win a challenge but they can sure put up roadblocks lasting several months..The fact that you state they will be in AZ somewhere shows even you with your misguided views are worried about the possibility of Glendale losing the team. The only real fact that you show on every post is you still can’t spell or provide proper grammar. Get your head out of the sand and provide some real help to keeping the team than your usual wishing upon a star.
Ha you little fuck,don’t be a fucking coward behind a computer screen you punk
See geoff I know this team is staying in az. Now I didn’t say glendale did I this is about tv money you fool.
What TV money? There are about 2,000 fans who watch the games on TV…
Fred stay off my page and timeline,got it…
you mean like you Big D? You aren’t only a coward, you are always wrong. When is the vote you said was happening this week? OH YA IT AIN’T.
Ya TV money is where it’s at…that’s why the Islanders are going to Brooklyn and an already sports saturated TV market and into a smaller arena the same size as Winnipeg’s right? Are you always this STUPID or did you work at it? Try to answer with some proper spelling too, surprise us.
Ole Freddie tells the truth and the response is “stay off my page”….ooooooo Big D instills fear…back to the schoolyard Darrold!!!
geoff you woudn’t know fear.,but your the tough guy behind a computer you frog…
and what does that make you Little D? Someone who can’t argue intelligently so you resort to crap…so I will answer in a language you undestand. My Dad can beat up your Dad. You never get out from behind your monitor unless George is there to hide behind. And Geoff is a Scottish name, not French…but you aren’t that smart to realize that I guess…And when you mean “you are ” Darrold of Grade 3, it is spelled “you’re”.