Phoenix Coyotes Ownership Saga nearing an end?
By Troy Baker
If you listen to the buzz surrounding the Phoenix Coyotes of late, the message is this: Many interested in acquiring the franchise and keeping them in Glendale.
So says many sources including Gary Bettman who is quoted saying: “There seems to be more interest at this particular point in time than we’ve seen throughout the process”.
Good news for the beat up fans in the desert who every year fear they will lose their favorite NHL team. Not a lot of good news since Greg Jamison broke all our hearts with his failed bid to buy the Coyotes with a sweetheart of a deal from the City of Glendale. Still scratching my head he let that one slip away. Now the prospective owners:
* Darin Pastor – Lifelong hockey fan and Capstone investment mogul who made his mark with JP Morgan Chase seems to be the front runner in my opinion. A few retreads on this list who never seemed able to complete the deal are unlikely to figure it out all of a sudden. Pastor is a NY native who has family roots in owning hockey just not in the NHL.
* Mathew Hulsizer – I just dont see this one as he came and whispered in our ears but the Goldwater Instigators never let that happened and he ran away to invest elsewhere. He was a real nice guy and the top two would be my choice unless Greg Jamison pulls a miracle.
* George Gosbee and Anthony LeBlanc – Reportedly have submitted a bid and the necessary paperwork to begin negotiating with the City of Glendale and the NHL. I have very little info on this pair but they seem to have Canadian interests at heart and that is always scary.
* Greg Jamison – Ok so why is he on the list? He claims he is still interested and putting a package together to own the Dawgs. Forgive me if I am a bit pessimistic but he burnt me before. That was me excited in this picture. Thinking we had just won a vote that would lead to the end of the painful saga. Canadian whooping boys are us ‘Yote fans.
Why the recent push all of a sudden to own the Coyotes? Well at one point it seemed no one wanted us. Now with revenue sharing and other perks of the latest CBA it seems not possible to lose $10-15 million as has been the case during this ownerless run the past 4 years. It is a glass of water to the Coyotes fans who are thirsty for stability.