The Phoenix Coyotes are so desperate to fill seats (despite the fact that the home opener sold out) that they are giving away free tickets but there’s a catch – they have to win certain games.  The first of these singled-out contests (there are five in total) is the game against the Los Angeles Kings on October 24, 2009.
The promotion, which has been dubbed “join the pack,” is meant to create a more loyal fanbase and it could work.  When you’re facing bankruptcy and being sold/moved to another city, you’ve got to try everything.
With all of the drama over the …read more

An Arizona court ruled yesterday that Canadian billionaire, Jim Balsillie, could not buy the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to Hamilton, Ontario.  The 21-page judgment determined that “there wasn’t enough time to deal with all the unresolved issues raised by the unprecedented case.”
According the the judge, there were too many problems to resolve before the June 29, 2009 closing date that had been set in an effort to speed things along.  Incredibly, Balsillie’s plan was to have the team in place for the 2009-10 season.
I don’t mean to be rude but I find that slightly arrogant.  First of all, setting …read more

For once, Gary Bettman and I can agree on something – if the Phoenix Coyotes get moved from Arizona, they should return to Winnipeg (they were the Winnipeg Jets up until 1996).

Okay, so maybe Bettman didn’t say those words exactly but court documents have revealed that the NHL commissioner would prefer to see the Phoenix Coyotes move to Winnipeg than Hamilton.  I think that’s the smartest thing I’ve ever heard him say.
Honestly, I know that a lot of people are all for it moving to Hamilton but I just don’t think it’s right to have three teams in the …read more

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has given Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes $38 million (USD) of the league’s money in an effort to help the team maintain operations.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t completely understand some of the jargon being thrown around but I will say that it’s pretty clear that the league was unhappy when Moyes tried to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 
The NHL holds an "irrevocable proxy" according to documents filed in an Arizona court and I believe that they will fight any efforts to sell the team.  “As a condition to providing this support, the league required …read more

Canadian billionaire, Jim Balsillie, has thrown his hat in the ring and has made an offer to buy the struggling Phoenix Coyotes for a cool $212.5 million USD.  The co-chief executive officer of the Blackberry maker, Research in Motion, swooped in after the club filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  In the meantime, he’s given then $17 million to continue operating through the proceeding.  Wow.
There’s just one catch – Balsillie would want to move the team to southern Ontario.  I don’t like the idea but Prime Minister Stephen Harper decided to weigh in on the matter: "I’d love another …read more