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 a close date that is so soon really seems like a sign of someone who is used to manipulating and pressuring people in order to get what they want.

Second, if you care about a team, you aren’t going to want to rush such a major transition.  Moving from Phoenix to Hamilton is a huge deal and, while I understand that the Coyotes are in trouble, I don’t think rushing a move is the answer to their problems.

Anyway, I know NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is celebrating since the league had argued that “the bid was designed to skirt league rules on the transfer of ownership and relocation and should be rejected for that reason.”  I am inclined to agree after what I’ve seen.

I am not sure, however, that I agree with the NHL’s assertion that the Coyotes could still work in Phoenix despite the fact that in the 13 years since the team moved to Arizona, they’ve actually lost $300 million.

On the other hand, Balsillie has unsuccessfully tried to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators.  While the Preds continue to struggle, the Penguins have just won the Stanley Cup which could really spark interest in their market.  Maybe it’s good that they stayed exactly where they are.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the Coyotes from this point forward.

image: TSN

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 same province (and, yes, I also don’t think California needs all those teams – especially after I saw first-hand how little many of the residents of Anaheim care about the Ducks).

Besides, the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton is more than 30 years old and Winnipeg just got a new arena.  Sure, it only seats around 15,000 fans but that seems like more than enough at this point.

The Coyotes’ bankruptcy hearing is on Tuesday.  I can’t wait to hear what comes out after that.

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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 Mr. Moyes . . . to execute proxies in favour of the commissioner of the NHL to control the equity and operation of the (club).  Moyes asked that he be allowed to retain his titles to avoid public embarrassment, and the league so agreed, but with the express understanding that he had no authority . . .  to take any action outside the normal course of business, including filing for bankruptcy."

I don’t know what to say about that but it looks like Moyes was trying to pull a fast one on the league.  I’m guessing that BlackBerry millionaire, Jim Balsillie, flashed some major cash in front of him and Moyes was tempted.  Of course, the Coyotes owner is denying the claims and says that the NHL “was only given voting powers on certain matters and that bankruptcy is not included because it is not a voting matter.”

image: TSN

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 NHL team in Canada . . . particularly southern Ontario can support another team.  I have even (mentioned) to a couple of NHL owners I think southern Ontario is ripe to support more than one NHL team."

Uhhhh… I am one of the Canadians who actually likes Harper and I just want to say that I find it very bizarre to have our nation’s leader weighing in on this potential move.  I know he’s a hockey fan (and we’re a hockey loving country) but I’m sure he’s got better things to talk about.  What am I missing here?

Anyway, I’m sure earning the support of the prime minister bolstered Balsillie’s spirits but I’m equally sure that it has the NHL (particularly commissioner Gary Bettman) seeing red. 

Bettman doesn’t want the team to move and believes that it can still work in Phoenix.  His plan is to do his best to make sure the team stays right where it is.  My only question about that pertains to the fact that the Coyotes got into financial ruins somehow, right?  If it was a good hockey market then would the team be on the brink of bankruptcy? 

"We generally try to avoid relocating franchises unless you absolutely have to," he said. "We think when a franchise is in trouble, you try and fix the problems. That’s what we did in Pittsburgh and Ottawa and Buffalo prior to our work stoppage. That’s what we did when the perception was that five out of the six Canadian franchises around the turn of the century were in trouble. We fixed the problems. We don’t run out on cities."

Here’s my thing – is Ontario the only Canadian province that can get a new hockey team?  Every time I hear chatter about a move, it’s always about Ontario.  Guess what?  That place already has the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs so why not share the love a little bit?  The population in places like Saskatchewan has grown considerably and continues to grow and I think that it is a market that is ripe for the picking. 

What do you think?  Where should the Coyotes be?  Should they stay in Phoenix or move?

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The Phoenix Coyotes have sent defenceman, Derek Morris, to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenceman Dmitri Kalinin and forwards Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha.

Morris will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2009. The 30-year-old player has five goals and seven assists in 57 games.  It will be interesting to see how he works with Rangers coach, John Tortorella.

image: TSN

Oh man… I was happy about the rumors this morning involving the possible trade of Olli Jokinen from the Phoenix Coyotes until I found out that it meant the Calgary Flames would lose one of my favorite players, Matthew Lombardi.  Along with Lombo, the Flames have sent Brendan Prust and a first-round draft pick.

I’m really unhappy to lose Lombo even though I am excited to see what Jokinen will do for the team.  With captain, Jarome Iginla, and Mike Cammaleri doing so well right now, this could really be great if Jokinen fits well with the team but it could be disastrous if he comes in and wants to take over the place.  I guess we’ll see…

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The Phoenix Coyotes have dealt goaltender, Mikael Tellqvist, to the Buffalo Sabres, a team that is probably pretty desperate for someone between the pipes since their star netminder, Ryan Miller, has been sidelined indefinitely with an ankle injury after being hit by Scott Gomez (New York Rangers). 
Tellqvist has posted a 7-5-1 record so far this season while serving as the backup to Ilya Bryzgalov.  The 29-year-old Swedish netminder will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

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Olli Jokinen had not missed any of the last 397 games but, unfortunately, the Phoenix Coyotes center will have to sit out at least two weeks due to a shoulder injury.  His on-ice presence will definitely be missed since he is their second highest goal-scorer. 

He was hurt when he was checked into the boards by defenseman Marc Methot (Columbus Blue Jackets) during the first period of the Coyote’s 3-2 win on Wednesday. 

Coach, Wayne Gretzky, tried to keep things in perspective and put a positive spin on the situation: “We’re definitely going to miss what he brings to the team, but this gives him a few weeks to rest and regroup, and when he comes back he’ll be fresher.” 

Heal quick, Olli - the Coyotes need you!

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After losing the last three games, Phoenix Coyotes coach, Wayne Gretzky, decided it was time to shake things up so he chose to put backup goaltender, Mikael Tellqvist between the pipes and it seems to have been a good plan - the netminder made 31 saves.  The only time the Washington Capitals scored in their 2-1 loss was when Brooks Laich recorded a goal on a second period power play.  Here’s the scoring summary:

• WSH: Laich, B. (PPG, 08:18 in 2nd)
• PHX: Boedker, M. (02:29 in 3rd), Mueller, P. (06:32 in 3rd)

Watch the video highlights:

The NHL has suspended Phoenix Coyotes left wing, Daniel Carcillo, for two games after he jumped off the bench to participate in a fight.  There were three minutes left in the second period when he leaped into the melee to fight with Ben Eager (Chicago Blackhawks).  He’s going to lose/forfeit $9610 in salary.  Hope it was worth it…

The Coyotes lost 4-1 to the Blackhawks.

image credit: TSN