There's no question that Bettman welcomes a new prospective buyer - serious or not. It'll keep more butts in the seats. Pastor gets more free publicity - it's win-win!
“We haven’t been exploring the alternatives,” Bettman said. “We are exploring everything we can do to work this out, and there seems to be considerable interest. If you go through the history of this, there have been lots of reasons – not excuses, but lots of reasons – this has taken a lot of time. There seems to be now, in the calm of the moment, a lot more interest than we’ve ever seen.”
Asked about Seattle as a potential NHL market in general, Bettman spoke highly.
“The research I’ve seen tells me that it would be a very strong hockey market,” Bettman said. “I haven’t looked at it in detail, but it’s all anecdotal and third hand. Obviously if there were a team in Seattle, it might foster a pretty decent rivalry with the northern neighbor, namely Vancouver.”
There was a pause and awkward silence after that. Bettman seemed to realize how that might come across, not only because of the Coyotes, but because of a new realignment of the league that seems destined for 32 teams.
“But that doesn’t mean that anybody should take from that comment that we’re necessarily focused on Seattle or we’re planning on expanding there,” Bettman added quickly. “You asked the question about Seattle. I wouldn’t have raised it. But it’s obviously an interesting market.
Canadian businessmen George Gosbee and Anthony LeBlanc submitted a purchase bid last week, and a group led by Buffalo, N.Y. businessman Darin Pastor also put in a proposal.
Jamison is still working on a deal, and former suitor Matthew Hulsizer is reportedly interested.
Bettman said the league would select an ownership bid before talking with Glendale about a lease agreement for Jobing.com Arena. The city recently hired a company to find a manager to run the arena and handle negotiations with prospective owners.
While there is a sense among those with knowledge of the situation there is a lot of talking between the NHL and Gosbee's group, and there could be an announcement soon about a memorandum of understanding, one thing will not change. Unless Glendale pays the new Coyotes owners a substantial amount of money to manage Jobing.com Arena, at least $12-million to $15-million per year over a multi-year lease, the team cannot be sold to anyone who plans to keep it in the Phoenix area. Any new owner is also likely to demand an escape clause, which would allow the team to be moved if the losses continue.
According to the agenda for Glendale council's Tuesday workshop, which is what it calls meetings that are not open to the public, the politicians will talk to Glendale's "attorneys and designated representatives to consider its position and provide instruction regarding Glendale's position in connection with agreements related to the management of the arena, which are the subject of negotiations."
I have to believe that if the bid was anywhere close to the asking price - anywhere near a viable deal, Bettman would be doing another 'Meet the New Coyotes Ownership Group' press conference again. Instead, he is talking about 'interest'.
Until the NHL hands the keys over to a new owner, I just won't go for another tall tale. The NHL will never, ever admit defeat. They'll be talking about purchase bids and interest right up to the day they back a moving van to the arena.
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^Exactly. They did that with Atlanta too and they had ZERO real buyers even lined up.
What I was pointing out, Bouw, is when you say "Gosbee is the real deal", he's as much of the "real deal" as all the other suitors that have all gone by the wayside - it means nothing yet. Hulsizer and Jamison were further along in the process than this newcomer. You get way too excited over what amounts to no real development in the situation.
Fox Sports Arizona has reported that Gosbee and Ice Edge Holdings LLC have already put in an offer to buy the team.
FSAZ’s also reports that Pastor’s potential bid is expected soon to the league office.
The process for keeping the Coyotes in Glendale this time may also be different than past efforts. Those endeavors saw bids hinge on arena management payments or other financial mechanisms from the city of Glendale to subsidize or enable the financing for the purchase.
This time the NHL will likely have to strike a deal with an ownership group and then come to the Glendale City Council for an arena deal.
This whole thing is becoming insane. To say the very least.
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Originally Posted by puckluck2
Well, deal with it. I wasn't cheering for Canada either way. Nothing worse than arrogant Canadian fans. They'd be lucky to finish 4th. Quote me on that. They have a bad team and that is why I won't be cheering for them.
