NHL wins, but Coyotes still could move

June 15th, 2009, 5:59 pm · 1 Comment · posted by Scott Bordow

The NHL got what it wanted Monday: Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie out of its hair.
The 21-page ruling by bankruptcy judge Redfield Baum prohibits Balsillie from purchasing the club from Jerry Moyes and moving it to Hamilton, Ontario without the NHL’s consent.
It’s a clear victory for the league, the city of Glendale and Coyotes fans, and it all but assures the Coyotes will play their games at Jobing.com Arena next season.
But don’t be fooled into thinking Baum’s ruling guarantees the Coyotes will be a Glendale resident for years to come.
An auction for the club will be held later this month; NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said four parties have expressed interest in purchasing the Coyotes.
But, at a hearing last week, league attorney Tony Clark said that if the NHL can’t find a buyer who wants to keep the team in Glendale, it would then hold another auction with the intent of moving the club after the 2009-2010 season.
The question now is whether Bettman’s “interested parties” are 1) truly interested in buying the club; and 2) want to keep it in Glendale. It’s already been suggested that three of the parties will play one season in Glendale then apply for relocation, whether to Las Vegas or Toronto.
Complicating matters is the Goldwater Institute threatening a lawsuit if the city of Glendale offers subsidies worth $15 million per year to a potential buyer. Without those subsidies, it’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to purchase the Coyotes and lose up to $30 million per year.
In other words, stay tuned. This drama is far from over.

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