NHL: Coyotes' Re-Sale Not Imminent, Multiple Suitors Interested

NHL Has Not Committed To A Timeline Of When It Will Sell Coyotes To Another Buyer

The NHL "expects to complete its purchase of the Phoenix Coyotes next week," but the league "has not committed to a timeline of when it will flip the troubled franchise to another buyer," according to Sean Fitz-Gerald of the NATIONAL POST. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly in an e-mail said a re-sale is "not imminent." Ice Edge Holdings "has publicly confirmed its interest in the team, and met league commissioner Gary Bettman earlier this week," but Daly noted that the Coyotes "have attracted more than one suitor." Daly: "Ice Edge isn't the only horse in the race" (NATIONAL POST, 10/28). But the GLOBE & MAIL's Paul Waldie reports Ice Edge is "ready to buy the Phoenix Coyotes as early as next week, and the group is vowing to keep the NHL club in Phoenix." Ice Edge COO Daryl Jones: "One thing I will guarantee you is that we won't move the team. We've never even contemplated that." Jones said that Ice Edge "has lined up financing for the bid." Jones: "We feel pretty confident with our financing." Meanwhile, Waldie notes Ice Edge "has indicated one way it plans to boost revenue is by playing a few 'home games' in Saskatoon," but the NHL "has yet to approve the idea" (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/28). Jones said Ice Edge is "certainly cognizant" of the Coyotes' financial losses. Jones: "We enter this with our eyes wide open. ... Any new buyer is going to need some help, and I don't mean concessions. You need help from the NHL to draw fans, and Glendale on a grassroots level." When asked if he expects competition in bidding for the Coyotes, Jones said, "Whoever buys the team ... has to be able to deal with losses in the short term. That's going to make it a little less of a competitive process. But NHL teams are assets people are keen on owning" (AZCENTRAL.com, 10/27).

OVERLY OPTIMISTIC? YAHOO SPORTS' Greg Wyshynski wrote Ice Edge is "approaching this mess with a mix of realism and optimism that might not necessarily sync up, given the huge debts and incredible apathy in the market they're battling against" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/27).