It looks like Jerry Reinsdorf’s group has pulled out of the bidding for the Phoenix Coyotes. All potential buyers had a deadline of yesterday (Tuesday, 8/25/09) to submit their offer. Reinsdorf’s group gave reasons for withdrawing their offer, such as “an unwilling seller” and “We have faced an organized publicity effort designed to provide negative and misleading information to interested parties,” … “Not only has this stymied negotiations, but it has eroded local market demand for Coyotes tickets, luxury boxes, and sponsorships.”
The only two offers that made it in before the deadline were Jim Balsillie’s $212 million to move the team to Hamilton, and an offer by the NHL. Financial details of the NHL’s offer have not been released at this point.
Judge Redfield T. Baum will now have to decide whether or not Balsillie’s offer is worthy and he is a capable owner, even though the NHL Board of Governors have turned him down with a vote of 26-0. If the Judge decides against Balsillie and favors the NHL and their offer, the NHL says that they will then sell the team to a private investor.
There will be a hearing on September 2nd to work through some documents that Balsillie has filed, including a provision that would allow him to walk away from his offer and the deal if thing are not settled by September 14th. The auction for the sale of the Coyotes is set for September the 10th.
Doesn’t this tell Bettman and the NHL anything?? NO ONE wanted to make an offer to keep the team in Phoenix. Can’t they get a clue??!! An NHL team cannot survive and thrive in Phoenix. Please stop making the other teams in this league financially support your bad decisions, and do what is right for the league, the sport of hockey, and its fans… LET BALSILLIE WIN and LET HIM MOVE THE TEAM TO HAMILTON where Canadian citizen live and breathe hockey.
It looks like there might be a local bid put forth by the end of this week to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in Phoenix (or Glendale). This news come a week after bankruptcy court Judge Redfield T. Baum ruled against Jim Balsillie’s attempt (and June 29th deadline) to purchase and move the team to Hamilton, Ontario.
In other news…
the Montreal Canadiens were sold to the Molson brothers (mmmm, beeer) by George Gillett for perhaps at much as $555 million.
Over the weekend, our favorite mini-commish Gary Bettman made his first appearance at an NHLPA meeting in Las Vegas. The meeting lasted nearly two hours and the biggest topic of discussion had to do with steroid and performance enhancing drug use in the NHL. Bettman and the players seemed to agree that it wasn’t much of an issue in the league, and nothing was decided on the issue of drug testing in the future. For Bettman… typical talk and PR. Furthermore, the NHL’s TV contract also came up in the meeting… it seems as though players want the league to move to ESPN, but the little man sticks to his original terrible decision to put and keep the games on NBC and Versus.
If you haven’t already heard, Judge Redfield T. Baum ruled this past Monday evening against Jim Balsillie and his bid to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes from Jerry Moyes for $212 million, and move the team to Hamilton, OT. The Judge said that Balsillie’s decision deadline of June 29th did not give enough time to completely cover and rule on the whole case.
Balsillie isn’t giving up, however… even though his battle might be a tougher one than trying to make ice in a desert. Balsillie is going to submit another motion to the court, to purchase the team and hopefully enter mediation with the NHL.
So what do we all and Jim Balsillie do? SEND AN EMAIL TO GARY BETTMAN AND FLOOD HIS INBOX!!!!!!!!!!! We are working with Jim Balsillie and his MakeItSeven campaign to send the little commish as many emails as possible.
Simply fill out the form below and hit submit, and the message below will be sent to Gary Bettman!!!!!:
Name(required):
Email address(required):
Dear Mr. Bettman,
Why not?
It’s a simple question being asked by hockey fans like me. The nation that has the deepest roots and passion for the game of hockey, and fans all over the world want to know why there can’t be a seventh NHL hockey team in southern Ontario?
The NHL has already approved Mr. Balsillie as an NHL owner and in his ruling on Monday the 15th, Judge Redfield T. Baum recognized that he is an approved NHL owner.
It is clear that Hamilton remains the best location for the Coyotes versus letting it wither in the desert. So why not?
In his ruling Judge Baum also encouraged the NHL and Jim Balsillie to sit down together in mediation to determine what a fair and reasonable relocation fee would be. Mr. Balsillie has said he’s willing to participate in mediation. So why not?
We love this game and we know you do too. It’s time for discussion. It’s time to Make It Seven.
Update @ 12:49p.m. on 6/9/09: If you’re on Twitter, follow @kash2112 for a play by play of the courtroom case in Phoenix.
Update @ 12:11p.m. on 6/9/09: The little commish is currently in a Phoenix courtroom awaiting the decision from Judge Redfield T. Baum regarding the ownership/control of the Coyotes… is it the NHL or owner Jerry Moyes? However, the decision is not expected to come until the end of the week.
This must be a great day for our favorite little man… has to be in Phoenix due to the failure of a franchise placed in the middle of a desert, and then has to fly back to Pittsburgh to possibly see the Red Wings eliminate the mental midget’s wonder boy from the Stanley Cup Finals… and then have to hand The Cup (reluctantly) over to the Red Wings.
Add another pair of investors to the list of those who have applied to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes. According to mini-commish Bettman, Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon of the Toronto Argonauts have filed an application with the NHL to purchase and keep the Coyotes in Phoenix.
Meanwhile, Paul Kelly (president of the NHLPA) let it be known that he (and most players) don’t think an NHL franchise is viable in Phoenix and that it is time to “pull the plug”… instead of letting the team continue to lose money and be held up by other teams and the league.
In his column at the Globe and Mail, Stephen Brunt gives a great take on the offers/applications being put forth by new investors for the Phoenix Coyotes, and how Bettman is bluffing… simply to eliminate the possibility of Jim Balsillie acquiring an NHL team. Bettman says that Balsillie hasn’t played by the rules… it seems to us that Bettman creates the rules as he goes along (much like the NHL refs), and is breaking them even more than Balsillie. What ever happened to good ol’ fashioned honesty Mr. Commish?
5/19/09 Update: Bankruptcy judge Redfield T. Baum today ordered the NHL and Phoenix owner Jerry Moyes into mediation until the 27th of this May, pretty much making fun of the fact that the NHL could not handle this outside of his courtroom.
This is a good sign for Balsillie, for the fact that the judge didn’t simply (as many expected) side with the NHL. It could be bad news for Balsillie, however, as this delays the possible transfer of the team, especially with prior concerns by the NHL about it interfering with next year’s schedule.
It sounds to us like the judge just hasn’t researched and learned enough about this case to yet make a decision… but we definitely do like his sense of humor:
“To save the suspense, I’m not going to rule from the bench today,” he said.
Hopefully his decision ends up coming from a bench favored by Hamilton.
Gary Bettman might not want a new NHL team in Hamilton, but he might be willing to let a team move back to Winnipeg. Bettman says that Copps Coliseum (where the Hamilton team would play) is over 30 years old and too old, and that only an expansion team would be allowed in Hamilton (which we all know will never happen). Another reason Bettman has given for not allowing the sale/move of Phoenix to Hamilton this year is because it would interfere with the 2009-2010 NHL schedule… which we don’t believe has been released yet. Either way, Jim Balsillie stated over the weekend that he is willing to delay the move of Phoenix to Hamilton until the 2010-2011 season, if scheduling was such a problem.
While all of this goes on and Bettman and the NHL said they have also been in talks with Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, about buying the team for $130 million and keeping it in Phoenix… the bankruptcy court showdown between Moyes and the NHL should end tomorrow - Tuesday, May 19th - with a ruling expected.
We do like the fact that Bettman has brought up Winnipeg’s name in the move of the Coyotes to a new place… but doubt that he is serious about it at all, and it is more of a PR stunt. Furthermore, why is he trying to prevent a thriving NHL franchise from existing in Hamilton, when one in Winnipeg already failed??! Once again, little Napoleon won’t let his ego out of the way and do what’s best for this league and sport…
In his article on ESPN.com today, Scott Burnside has confirmed our belief all along… that Gary Bettman was behind getting Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold to break off negotiations in the sale of the team to Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie.
Balsillie’s legal adviser Richard Rodier has made statements confirming this, and ESPN has also obtained emails between Leipold and Rodier, which contain discussions about Bettman’s involvement.
It appears as though Bettman has been and acted alone in this movement to keep a new team out of Canada, in following his vision of making the NHL exclusively a USA league. The only other name we’ve seen discussed in this matter is the Toronto Maple Leafs, because of a fear that a Hamilton team would steal their fan base. However, we have not seen any official comments released from the Maple Leafs on this issue.
Burnside brings up a great point how Bettman may have overstepped his bounds and made himself highly unpopular among the board of governors, and throughout the league… duh!! What is it going to take for them all to realize how bad Bettman is for the NHL? Hopefully not much more… it looks like we might find out in September, after the next board of governors meeting. Fire Bettman!!!!!
The first player to score 50 goals in a season was Maurice "Rocket" Richard of the Montreal Canadiens in 1945 (50th goal scored in the last game of the 50 goal season).
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