Coyotes Trade Rumors

Judge approves sale of Coyotes to NHL
Comment
November 2
Arizona Republic
 
"A judge was signing an order Monday morning that will take the Phoenix Coyotes out of bankruptcy. After nearly six months, the NHL purchased the franchise for $140 million. The action had been expected since last week, when team owner Jerry Moyes agreeed to the sale."
Rangers End Their Slump as Coyotes Agree to a Sale
Comment
October 27
New York Times
 
"The Rangers beat the Phoenix Coyotes, 5-2, on Monday night at Madison Square Garden, winning for the first time in four games as Marian Gaborik scored twice to gain a share of the league goal-scoring lead. The night may prove to be significant for Phoenix. The bankrupt Coyotes seemed to move one step closer to staying in the Phoenix area under new ownership. In federal bankruptcy court in Phoenix, where a possible move to Southern Ontario was among the possibilities during contentious proceedings throughout the summer, the Coyotes' owner, Jerry Moyes, agreed to sell the club to the N.H.L., which has the last bid still on the table."
Commissioner hopes No. 99 returns to NHL
Comment
October 16
Toronto Sun
 
"Gary Bettman wants Wayne Gretzky back as part of the NHL family. But will Gretzky be back with the Phoenix Coyotes, if and when the team is sold? Will he be with the Los Angeles Kings, who have expressed having him in some capacity? Or elsewhere as a coach, something he is said to truly enjoy? That remains to be seen. "My hope is, either with the new ownership group or some other ownership form of the league or with another team, that Wayne will be back," Bettman said, adding that "I have always been and always will be a big Wayne Gretzky fan.""
Hearing to ensure NHL's bid is sufficient
Comment
October 16
Arizona Republic
 
"The Coyotes will be back in court later this month to discuss what it will take to sell the team to the National Hockey League and get it out of bankruptcy. From there, at least one potential buyer, Ice Edge Holdings, is waiting in the wings. A hearing on Oct. 26 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court is the first courtroom movement since a judge two weeks ago rejected both bids for the franchise. The judge tossed Canadian Jim Balsillie's offer and told the National Hockey League it would need to tweak its bid to satisfy the court. Since then, attorneys representing the team's unsecured creditors have been working with the NHL to revise its bid so the team can be sold and creditors paid. A court filing ..."
Coyotes demote 2008 top pick Boedker
Comment
October 15
Arizona Republic
 
"Coyotes forward Mikkel Boedker, the club's top draft pick in 2008, was sent down to the American Hockey League affiliate San Antonio Rampage. Boedker, 19, appeared in five games this season. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound forward recorded had 11 goals and 28 points in 78 games for the Coyotes in 2008-09. He finished tied for second among all NHL rookies with three winning goals. Boedker was taken with the eighth overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft."
Coyotes recall Lessard from San Antonio
Comment
October 8
Arizona Republic
 
"The Coyotes recalled forward Francis Lessard from San Antonio. Lessard served the first of his three-game suspension issued by the NHL, the result of a game misconduct penalty in a Sept. 18 preseason game versus Anaheim. His suspension also included the Coyotes' final two preseason games."
Sabres, Coyotes share rare bond of bankruptcy
Comment
October 8
Buffalo News
 
"Henrik Tallinder was a typical rookie, happy to be in the NHL and possessing a mind filled with questions. The best place to go for answers was to the veterans, but the defenseman noticed they were occasionally preoccupied. Even a 23-year-old newcomer could tell why. Mixed in with power-play meetings were bankruptcy updates. In addition to game plans, the 2002-03 Buffalo Sabres had to discuss which prospective owner might buy the team. Some guys had their minds split on faceoffs and court dates, wondering whether a judge would permit their bonuses to be paid. It certainly wasn't how Tallinder had pictured professional sports, but it's how things were on the bankrupt Sabres team being run ..."
Judge denies both bids for Coyotes
Comment
October 1
Arizona Republic
 
"A federal bankruptcy judge Wednesday rejected both bids to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes, slamming the door on Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie but inviting the NHL to take a shot at making its offer more acceptable to the court. Technology mogul Balsillie wanted to buy the hockey team and move it to Hamilton, Ontario, without the NHL's blessing. That option was rejected by Judge Redfield T. Baum in a ruling that came 19 days after the two bidders vied for the team in a bankruptcy auction and more than five months after majority owner Jerry Moyes filed the Coyotes into bankruptcy. Although a deal hasn't been clinched, the ruling looks like a win for Coyotes fans, as it nixed any ..."
Baum turns down both bids for Phoenix Coyotes
Comment
October 1
TSN.ca
 
"After months of back-and-forth disputes over who would ultimately obtain control of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise, Judge Redfield T. Baum turned down both bids by the National Hockey League and Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie on Wednesday. "In hockey parlance, the court is passing the puck to the NHL, who can decide to take another shot at the sale net or it can pass off the puck," Judge Baum wrote on Wednesday. Balsillie said he would not appeal the decision. In a statement, Balsillie said, "nobody can deny that we are now a big step closer to having a seventh NHL team in Canada."
Ex-Stars coach Tippett to lead Coyotes
Comment
September 24
Arizona Republic
 
"Dave Tippett, former coach of the Dallas Stars, will be named the new head coach of the Coyotes today. He replaces Wayne Gretzky, who resigned today. Tippett, 48, coached the previous six seasons in Dallas, compiling a record of 271-156-28. He took the Stars to the playoffs in his first five seasons. The official announcement will come at 3 p.m. news conference."
Balsillie continues to finesse Coyotes bid
Comment
September 24
Toronto Star
 
"Billionaire Jim Balsillie sweetened his offer to the city of Glendale and offered an olive branch to the NHL if he wins control of the Phoenix Coyotes in an amended offer to bring the bankrupt hockey team to Hamilton. A key part of his amended offer is keeping the Coyotes in Glendale this coming season if he wins. But none of what came forward to Judge Redfield T. Baum – who convened an emergency meeting to consider sending all sides to mediation – changes the NHL's key position that Balsillie is not approved as an owner. The league believes its offer of $140 million (all figures U.S.) should prevail."
Waiting game continues in fight for Coyotes
Comment
September 15
Toronto Star
 
"It has been five months of courtroom theatre that still has a few more days of behind-closed-doors intrigue to play out, but Round 1 of the bankruptcy case of the Phoenix Coyotes is nearing completion. Judge Redfield T. Baum has all the information he needs – including guidance from lawyers eager for him to set precedent and advice from creditors over whether the NHL's or Jim Ballisillie's is the best bid – to make his decision. Both sides have until today to submit the written version of their bids that were changed on the fly over two days of a bankruptcy auction. The NHL's remains worth $140 million (all figures U.S.) but with an internal shell-game of moving money, it found about $15 ..."
Balsillie clings to 'one dream'
Comment
September 12
Toronto Sun
 
"Whatever his perceived weaknesses, Jim Balsillie showed yesterday he can take the heat - both from another scorcher in the desert and some savage cheap shots delivered by NHL lawyers. And with the tedium of months of legal proceedings on hold for now, his immediate future as a potential owner of the Phoenix Coyotes is now in the hands of Judge Redfield T. Baum and his Arizona bankruptcy court after yesterday's final day of the auction. "I really have one dream here and that is to bring a hockey team to southern Ontario," a stoic Balsillie said on the courtroom steps after the NHL opted not to put the man they feel would be a rogue owner on the stand."
Judge will rule when he's good and ready
Comment
September 12
Toronto Sun
 
"It was only a verbal shot, but a good one as the NHL dropped the gloves in its courtroom battle with Jim Balsillie this morning. In an at-times heated exchange, league counsel Tony Clark said Balsillie has himself to blame for being rejected by NHL owners. "If Mr. Balsillie wants to understand why he is rebuffed in his sincere and passionate desire to be a team owner, why he has been rebuffed by 29 other owners, what he needs to do is look in the mirror," Clark said. "He has brought this upon himself by his refusal to abide by the rules.""
Gretzky's status fuzzy at best
Comment
September 12
Toronto Star
 
"Whither Wayne Gretzky? Bankrupt, and without an owner, training camp begins today for the Phoenix Coyotes. But will Gretzky – minority owner, potential creditor and coach – be there? It's a question that was left unanswered by the Coyotes' media relations staff, and spoken of in vague terms inside the court. The NHL's lawyers told Judge Redfield T. Baum if the league wins the Coyotes it did not intend to "assume" Gretzky's contract. "What does that mean?" asked the judge."
Crunching big numbers for Coyotes
Comment
September 12
Toronto Star
 
"If Jim Balsillie ever does get his hands on the Phoenix Coyotes for $242.5 million, even in U.S. dollars it could be a bargain. So says a Toronto-based chartered business valuator, Ari Kashton of Soberman LLP, who along with Charles Smedmor, the veteran forensic accountant with a keen eye toward sports balance sheets, has been wading through the case's paperwork containing franchise valuations and disputed relocation fee information, locating both the real and imagined figures. Based on the recent Forbes evaluation of the Maple Leafs at $448 million, Kashton says $242.5 million, the amount the BlackBerry baron is offering to a Phoenix bankruptcy court, could mean "Balsillie is getting a ..."
Coyotes fight goes into overtime
Comment
September 12
Toronto Star
 
"It seems lots of people believe $140 million is better than $242.5 million. The NHL's bid – which is lower than billionaire Jim Balsillie's –for the Phoenix Coyotes won considerable support from parties involved in the bankruptcy auction of the team. By the time Judge Redfield T. Baum banged the gavel to close the auction yesterday, the NHL had won key support from secured creditors, unsecured creditors and the city of Glendale."
Watchdog will act if Balsillie is blocked
Comment
September 12
Toronto Star
 
"The Canadian Competition Bureau is keeping an eagle eye on Jim Balsillie's fight to buy the Phoenix Coyotes, and is ready to swoop in if the Maple Leafs veto the franchise's move to Hamilton. "We are seized by the matter, and we are monitoring it very closely," Richard Taylor, the deputy commissioner of competition, civil matters, told the Star yesterday. In Phoenix yesterday, Balsillie and his lawyers continued their lengthy quest to win a bankruptcy auction for the Coyotes in which the National Hockey League itself is the only other bidder. Balsillie has offered $242.5 million (all figures U.S.) for the team, contingent on moving it to Hamilton. The NHL has countered with a $140 million ..."
The plot thickens
Comment
September 11
Toronto Sun
 
"Judge Redfield T. Baum's long-awaited decision on whether Jim Balsillie or the National Hockey League will own the Phoenix Coyotes might be no decision, at all. In a sobering moment early yesterday in Arizona bankruptcy court, Baum hip-checked the army of lawyers from Balsillie, the league, current owner Jerry Moyes and the city of Glendale, stating "there is a third opportunity when we're done here -- no sale. I think it's more than theoretical. You all ought to keep that in mind." Balsillie's bid of $242.5 million US to move the team to Hamilton and the league's $140 million to anchor it were officially laid out before Baum in the first of two days of extensive testimony. It ended with ..."
A lot at stake as Coyotes' auction nears
Comment
September 10
Toronto Star
 
"The landscape for hockey – and indeed the entire sporting world – could be drastically altered by the events that take place today and tomorrow in a bankruptcy court. Hockey fans in Hamilton hope billionaire Jim Balsillie's $242.5 million (all figures U.S.) offer to buy the Coyotes prevails in the precedent-setting case. Fans in Glendale are squarely on the NHL's side – the league is offering $140 million – as the case goes through some final hearings today before tomorrow's auction."
Bettman: Rose-coloured and red-faced
Comment
September 10
Toronto Sun
 columnist Gary Loewen
"In envisioning long-term NHL success in the Sun Belt, Gary Bettman must be wearing rose-coloured glasses. Or maybe he just has a nasty case of pink eye. But clearly the NHL commissioner's efforts to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in the desert are misguided. Bettman long ago should have faced up to the lack of interest in non-traditional hockey markets such as Arizona and taken steps toward NHL contraction."
Sides still fighting with Coyotes auction looming
Comment
September 10
Toronto Sun
 
"Both sides tearing at the carcass of the Phoenix Coyotes are bent on battling it out right to the start of today's two-day auction hearing. The National Hockey League, in a late submission yesterday that brought the number of filings to almost 1,000 in the case, disputed would-be Hamilton owner Jim Balsillie's claims that it stalled on handing over relevant discovery data about a relocation fee. It's one of the many issues Judge Redfield T. Baum must wade through to reach the core of the matter -- whether Balsillie's $242.5-million US offer should supercede the NHL's $140 million, knowing the league will not accept the Canadian billionaire as an owner."
Ex-Albertan's group withdraws from NHL Coyotes auction — for now
Comment
September 9
Calgary Herald
 
"Ice Edge Holdings withdrew from the auction for the Phoenix Coyotes Tuesday, but the group has not ended its pursuit of the bankrupt National Hockey League team. The group of Canadian and American businessmen were unable to renegotiate the Jobing.com Arena lease with the city of Glendale, Ariz., leaving just Canadian BlackBerry billionaire Jim Balsillie and the NHL as the lone bidders for the court-supervised auction slated to begin Thursday in a Phoenix courtroom. Daryl Jones, one of the partners with Ice Edge, said his group could enter the fray again if the NHL wins the auction and follows through on its plan to sell the club. "We couldn't get there with the City of Glendale," Jones ..."
It's down to two: Jim Balsillie vs. NHL
Comment
September 9
Toronto Star
 
"It's officially down to a two-horse race – BlackBerry billionaire Jim Balsillie vs. the NHL – in the sweepstakes for the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes after a day filled with legal twists and turns, many of them bad for the league. Ice Edge LLC officially pulled its $150 million (all figures U.S.) offer off the table, leaving the NHL and its $140 million bid as the only buyer who would keep the Coyotes in Phoenix as the team heads into an auction starting tomorrow. But the news wasn't all positive for Balsillie and his attempts to move the team to Hamilton. His new, improved $242.5 million bid – including $50 million to the city of Glendale if it would drop its opposition to the sale – met with ..."
Ice Edge drops out of bidding for Coyotes
Comment
September 9
Toronto Sun
 
"The fight for the Phoenix Coyotes now officially is a Duel in the Desert between the NHL and Jim Balsillie. In a filing to Arizona bankruptcy court last night, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said that the Ice Edge Group, which had sought to keep the team in Glendale, Ariz., by raising some cash with home games in a Canadian city, has withdrawn its bid as the auction is set to begin in earnest later this week. That leaves the league's $140 million US bid against the big bucks of Balsillie, whose $242.5-million offer to move the team to Hamilton and placate leaseholders at Jobing.com Arena still might be deemed moot by Judge Redfield T. Baum. The judge has yet to rule on whether Balsillie ..."
Gretzky backs Ice Edge Coyotes bid, NHL says in court filing
Comment
August 29
Toronto Star
 
"If Ice Edge LLC nets the Phoenix Coyotes, then it may be thanks to a big assist from Wayne Gretzky. The group of Canadian and American hockey-loving investors seem to have gotten their wish in getting Gretzky to have a bigger role with the club in the first inkling that the Great One has chosen a side in the bankruptcy case. "Mr. Gretzky is actively working with Ice Edge Team LLC and Ice Edge Arena LLC (together, the `Ice Edge Group') who may become the eventual owners of the team," said a brief the NHL filed in support of its own bid for the bankrupt club. "We have been working with Wayne very closely throughout this process," said Ice Edge CEO Daryl Jones. "If we are successful, and we ..."
Jim Balsillie's bid taking some serious hits
Comment
August 22
Toronto Star
 
"Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie is feeling the heat following Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk's incensed response to having his name dragged through the mud in court filings submitted by Balsillie in his ongoing attempt to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes. Melnyk was outraged, saying yesterday he was the victim of a "cheap shot." Those in the Balsillie camp – who would speak only off the record – say Balsillie never meant to embarrass Melnyk by bringing up his fines with the Ontario Security Commission. Melnyk's name was brought up "reluctantly" and only as a means "to show context into how (Balsillie) has been portrayed by the NHL," said one source. "We don't feel character is an issue ..."
Reinsdorf, top Coyotes creditor agree
Comment
August 12
Arizona Republic
 
"The Coyotes' largest secured creditor told a U.S. Bankruptcy judge Tuesday that it will support Jerry Reinsdorf's efforts to buy the hockey team. Steven Abramowitz, representing SOF Investments, said the company had a tentative agreement in which Reinsdorf, if successful in his bid, agreed to substantially pay down a portion of the $80 million the team owes the creditor. The rest would be paid back over time. SOF Investments, with one of the bigger stakes in the team's sale previously had offered support only for a bid by Jim Balsillie. "I urge the court to do what they can to keep him (Reinsdorf) in the process," Abramowitz said in a court hearing Tuesday in Phoenix. His revelation came ..."
Jim Balsillie allowed to bid in Coyotes' auction
Comment
August 6
Vancouver Province
 
"Jim Balsillie's dream of owning a National Hockey League team in southern Ontario received a boost Wednesday, when a judge ruled he is eligible to participate in an auction to buy the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes. Judge Redfield T. Baum ruled in a Phoenix courtroom that PSE Sports and Entertainment — the company Balsillie is using to launch his bid for the National Hockey League team — will be able to join the Sept. 10 auction. At issue was if all bidders would be allowed to take part in the auction, or if it would be restricted to those owners willing to keep the team in Arizona. "Both sides make legitimate and compelling points to support their respective positions," Baum wrote in his ..."
Balsillie bid for Coyotes has life
Comment
August 6
Toronto Star
 
"It was a Baum-shell ruling that, at least in the view of a certain bankruptcy court, keeps alive Jim Balsillie's dream of moving the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton. In a decision filed in a Phoenix court yesterday, Judge Redfield T. Baum ruled that a Sept. 10 auction for the bankrupt Coyotes "shall be open to any and all bidders" and not restricted to those wishing to keep the team in Arizona. That means Balsillie, the Canadian billionaire and Research in Motion co-CEO, will have his bid of $212.5 million (all figures U.S.) presented along with two other bids for the NHL franchise. Baum earlier referred to Balsillie's offer as the "highest and best" of the three anticipated bids. "From the ..."
Ruling could be calm before the desert storm
Comment
August 5
Toronto Star
 
"The NHL, Jim Balsillie, various bidders, creditors and other interested parties with a stake in the Phoenix Coyotes are today waiting for a ruling from bankruptcy judge Redfield T. Baum, hoping to get some sense of the team's future. The only sure bet is that, whatever the judge rules, someone is going to be severely ticked off. Baum is expected to hand down a decision on how the Sept.10 auction of the Coyotes will be conducted, including whether Canadian billionaire Balsillie will be allowed to participate or whether it will be restricted to the two bidders who intend, after reworking the team's arena lease, to keep the team in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale."
Reinsdorf may withdraw bid for Coyotes; auction postponed
Comment
August 4
Arizona Republic
 
"Glendale and the NHL are desperately trying to salvage an offer for the Phoenix Coyotes that was put in jeopardy after confidential Bankruptcy Court files were leaked that showed the bidder wanted guarantees of millions of dollars from the city and an escape clause to move the team. Chicago sports mogul Jerry Reinsdorf, who with other investors has offered $148 million for the professional hockey team, was outraged by the leak of court documents Friday and threatened to withdraw his offer. It left Glendale and NHL officials scrambling over the weekend to repair relations with one of the few potential buyers wanting to keep the Coyotes in the Valley By Monday, however, Reinsdorf's attorneys ..."
NHL backs Reinsdorf group's bid for Coyotes
Comment
July 30
Arizona Republic
 
"The NHL's board approved Chicago White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf's application to become the new owner of the Coyotes and rejected a bid by Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, who is seeking to buy and relocate the team. The league told a third party planning to bid on the team that its application was incomplete. The NHL board of governors met Wednesday in Chicago to review ownership applications from three groups interested in taking over the Coyotes, currently in bankruptcy proceedings. The board, made up of team owners and executives, must vote on admitting new owners. The unanimous rejection is a stumbling block for Balsillie, who has offered $212.5 million on the condition ..."
Idea to split Coyotes home games draws criticism from observers
Comment
July 29
Arizona Republic
 
"A group expected to bid on the Coyotes is proposing the team play five "home games" in Canada, an idea that sports observers call highly unusual. Ice Edge Holdings LLC's plan would include part of any playoff run by the financially struggling team. Ice Edge says the Canadian games would help subsidize the franchise until its fortunes turn. But marketing professionals and sports-business professors said Tuesday that splitting a schedule can chip away at a team's brand and possibly its fan loyalty. They said it also raises questions about whether owners are testing a market for possible relocation. Ice Edge says that is not the case. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, or Halifax, Nova Scotia, were ..."
New group gives Coyotes close look
Comment
July 10
Toronto Star
 
"Another group of investors who'd like to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix has emerged, although whether it will actually get a bid into bankruptcy court is anyone's guess. Daryl Jones, managing director with Research Edge LLC, confirmed his company is investigating the possibility of investing in the bankrupt hockey team in concert with other investors who don't want to be named at this point. "We are involved in evaluating the Coyotes, which we are interested in investing in ourselves, but it's subject to us finalizing our due diligence, which is something we've just started," said Jones. "We're considering putting capital into this situation, and the people we are working with and for are ..."
Glendale fights release of Coyotes info
Comment
July 3
Arizona Republic
 
"Glendale is fighting in court to keep documents about negotiations over the Phoenix Coyotes secret. City officials want the documents to remain confidential until they finish talks with a potential future team owner over use of city-owned Jobing.com Arena. Glendale's attorney promised Thursday, though, that the city would make the documents public before the City Council voted on any new lease so that taxpayers could weigh in before the ink dried. Deputy City Attorney Nicholas DiPiazza faced off in Maricopa Superior Court against the Goldwater Institute, which is suing Glendale for denying the conservative think tank's request for city documents related to Coyotes negotiations. Chicago ..."
Jerry Reinsdorf makes bid for Phoenix Coyotes
Comment
June 27
Chicago Tribune
 
"Jerry Reinsdorf's Bulls- White Sox sports empire might be expanding into hockey. A group fronted by the Bulls and White Sox chairman submitted a bid in bankruptcy court Friday to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and keep the struggling NHL team in the suburb of Glendale. Friday was the court-imposed deadline for bids by interests intending to keep the team in Arizona. The NHL has been running the team since previous owner Jerry Moyes filed for bankruptcy last month. The Reinsdorf group's $148 million bid is $64.5 million less than a bid submitted by James Balsillie, a Canadian who hopes to move the franchise to southern Ontario. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is said to oppose the move because the ..."
Putting the mmm? in firm
Comment
June 23
Toronto Sun
 
"The NHL is confident a local bidder will put in a "firm" offer for the Phoenix Coyotes by Friday. Notice, the word "firm." If true, this would be a welcome change from "frivolous." Because, so far, we've been getting a lot of whimsy and flimsy from commissioner Gary Bettman, who has suggested there are four groups interested in buying the Coyotes and keeping them in Arizona. As for three of the groups Bettman has, ah, recruited, let's refer to them to as: The Twisted Arms; Dragooned in the Desert; and the Browbeaten Billionaires. A potential investor, Bettman says, is Jerry Reinsdorf, whose portfolio includes the Chicago Bulls and White Sox. But Reinsdorf's name has been out there ..."
Coyotes re-sign Prucha to two-year deal
Comment
June 20
NHL.com
 
"Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have re-signed left-wing Petr Prucha to a two-year contract. As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. "We are pleased to have signed Petr to a new contract," said Maloney. "He is a former 30-goal scorer and an emerging young offensive talent who competes hard every night. We look forward to Petr bringing a combination of speed and skill to our lineup." Prucha, 26, recorded 6-13-19 and 22 penalty minutes (PIM) in 47 games with the Coyotes and New York Rangers last season. Prucha, who was acquired from the Rangers on March 4 along with Dmitri Kalinin and Nigel Dawes for Derek Morris, collected ..."
Balsillie, Moyes go back on offensive
Comment
June 19
Toronto Star
 
"Billionaire Jim Balsillie and Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes want a bankruptcy court judge to force the NHL to negotiate with them the possible relocation of the team to Hamilton, just in case no buyer is found to keep the team in Arizona. Lawyers for Balsillie and Moyes – back on the legal attack after a devastating decision earlier this week – also want the judge on Monday to force the NHL to determine by July 31: Whether Balsillie has been approved as an owner; Whether the NHL will allow the Coyotes to be relocated; What a relocation fee for Hamilton would be."
Coyotes seek Sept. 15 sale deadline
Comment
June 19
Arizona Republic
 
"In a renewed effort to sell to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, the Phoenix Coyotes have asked a bankruptcy judge to set a Sept. 15 deadline for the sale of the financially troubled hockey team. The Coyotes said in court filings on Thursday that Balsillie's company, PSE Sports & Entertainment, would be willing to extend its bid, which had been set to expire June 29. Balsillie wants to buy the franchise and move it to Hamilton, Ontario. But in a victory for the NHL and its push to keep the club in Phoenix, Judge Redfield T. Baum on Monday rejected the proposed sale of the franchise to Balsillie. In a 21-page ruling, Baum concluded the June 29 deadline set by Balsillie did not allow ..."
Balsillie still hunting Coyotes
Comment
June 17
Toronto Star
 
"Jim Balsillie isn't giving up hope. The billionaire, however, chose not to show up for a news conference called on his behalf yesterday, letting others do his speaking for him when it comes to his continued pursuit of the Phoenix Coyotes. "His commitment remains completely unchanged," said Balsillie spokesman Bill Walker, noting his boss was busy with work as co-founder of Research in Motion on the day after a judge rejected his $212.5 million (U.S.) offer to buy and relocate the team. "He's committed to Hamilton, he's committed to Copps Coliseum. "He's just sees this as another day at the office. He's moving forward. He's completely unfazed. `What's next?' is his question.""
Flyers centre Brière just doesn't do it for Canadiens
Comment
June 16
Montreal Gazette
 
"The Canadiens are not interested in acquiring centre Daniel Brière and it has nothing to do with the fact he snubbed the team two years ago when he was an unrestricted free agent. Brière has a no-movement clause in the eight-year, $52-million contract he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2007, but the franchise has hopes of creating some cap space. The folks in Philly have talked to the Canadiens and the Los Angeles Kings, but neither team was interested. There also is a report that they have talked to the Phoenix Coyotes, although you have to wonder whether anyone has the authority to talk on behalf of the team that may or may not be bankrupt and/or on the way to Hamilton. Montreal ..."
NHL wins, but Phoenix headache remains
Comment
June 16
Toronto Star
 
"It always was a spectacular long shot. Jim Balsillie just wanted us to believe differently. He launched a confident public relations campaign – T-shirts, hats, slogans, celebrity supporters, corporate sponsors – aimed at making his attempt to heist the Phoenix Coyotes out of Arizona seem as though it was a grassroots campaign, the heartfelt desire of the people, rather than a billionaire trying to elbow his way into the exclusive NHL club. He wanted to make pursuing the Coyotes seem patriotic. At other times, it seemed he want to shame the NHL into doing a deal with him. But that was all meaningless smoke and mirrors. A bankruptcy court in Arizona yesterday flatly rejected all of ..."
Clause for concern
Comment
June 13
Toronto Sun
 (scroll down)
"There is some interesting talk coming out of Phoenix with the Coyotes in disarray. The whisper is if the franchise is allowed to move to Hamilton, captain Shane Doan might try to declare himself an unrestricted free agent. The winger has four years left on a deal that pays $4.55 million per season and includes a no-movement clause. If the Coyotes relocate, the belief is Doan could argue the clause was voided and he should be allowed to test the market. All of this just goes to show you how messed up this Coyotes situation has become."
NHL, Balsillie wait decision
Comment
June 12
Toronto Sun
 
"No matter what -- or if -- Judge Redfield T. Baum rules in a Phoenix bankruptcy court today, hockey's other big series has a captive and high-powered audience. Last night, both the NHL and Jim Balsillie were awaiting Baum's ruling on the Waterloo billionaire's $212.5-million US bid to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and relocate the franchise to Hamilton. And indications were that if Baum rules today, it may be more expansive than expected. Earlier this week, there were suggestions that a separate ruling on the size of a potential relocation fee Balsillie would be required to pay the NHL would be required. It now appears that Baum, who presided over a lengthy session in his courtroom on ..."
Coyotes may cost over $400M
Comment
June 11
Toronto Star
 
"The NHL is threatening an indemnity fee on top of a relocation fee – pushing the price tag for the Phoenix Coyotes to perhaps more than $400 million – if bankruptcy court judge Redfield Baum allows the team to move to Hamilton. "Relocation is separate from indemnity," said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. "There may be indemnity fees owing if a franchise were ever located in Hamilton." It's expected the league could ask for more than $100 million (all figures U.S.) as a relocation fee and perhaps as much again in payment to the Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres in indemnity for the Coyotes encroaching on their territory."
No decision on Phoenix Coyotes as judge drops hammer
Comment
June 10
Toronto Star
 
"With the artistry of a skilled centre, Judge Redfield T. Baum stickhandled his way through conflicting legal precedents, put all the lawyers on the defensive and found the one way that may end the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy mess. And then he left everybody hanging. Shortly after word emerged that the NHL might charge "in excess of $100 million (all figures U.S.)" to billionaire Jim Balsillie if he was in fact allowed to buy the Coyotes and move them to southern Ontario, Baum sent the 40 lawyers who descended on bankruptcy court on their way last night – telling them he wanted to sleep on his decision. The Balsillie camp warned they may withdraw their bid if any relocation fee is charged. ..."
NHL wants $100M for Coyotes relocation
Comment
June 9
Toronto Star
 
"The NHL would charge billionaire Jim Balsillie $100 million (U.S.) as a relocation fee to move the Coyotes to Hamilton. Balsillie lawyer Susan Freeman let slip the amount — a dollar figure blacked out in all court documents — in a relocation hearing Tuesday. Judge Redfield Baum said the league was within its rights to charge a "reasonable" fee and to take a "reasonable" length of time to consider Balsillie's applications to buy and move the team."
Fight over Coyotes heats up
Comment
June 9
Arizona Republic
 
"Today's arguments from a Phoenix courtroom will resonate across the continent as the Coyotes bankruptcy case raises broad issues that could impact professional sports teams. One question is whether a sports franchise bankruptcy trumps a sports league's control over moving the team to another location. The other is whether bankruptcy can suck the power out of a contract with a city that poured millions of taxpayer dollars into a sports venue. With the unfolding drama, one of the least-watched teams on the ice has become the most-watched from the courtroom. "You can really see an interesting case developing here," said John Vrooman, a sports economist at Vanderbilt University. "All leagues ..."
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