cobra427
Registered User
- May 6, 2012
- 9,342
- 3,379
Well, it's certain that they've maneuvered themselves into a situation of plausible deniability; they now have the perfect excuse if they are going to relocate or flip the franchise. To wit:
- They are "kicked out" of Glendale. Although the only actual thing that has happened is that Glendale voided the original lease and have partnered with AEG to manage Gila River Arena, IceArizona has warped this story into one that alleges that Glendale actively does not want the hockey team to remain (which has been publicly and repeatedly rebutted by the city). To hear IceArizona tell it, there is no possible way the team can stay in Glendale after the deal runs out next summer, notwithstanding the fact that they have not even attempted to speak with the city about conflict resolution or mending fences.
- They spent months trying to work out a new deal with another Phoenix city. IceArizona has a paper trail that they can point to that indicates they have tried hard to find a new deal with a new city and arena in the Phoenix metro area, thanks to the many news stories and releases they have issued. The fact that these "negotiations" have turned out to be rather egregiously one-sided or overstated in progression seems not to matter, so long as it appears that IA has plenty of irons in the fire.
- After much angst and effort, a deal could not be struck. IA continues to say publicly that they have had good negotiations and talks with Phoenix and Tempe (although the tribe in Scottsdale has rather noticeably fallen off the map as of late). Similar sentiments from the other parties are not forthcoming. In fact, at one point one of the cities (I believe it was Phoenix but I can't remember for sure) said that IA refused to show them their financials, which contraindicates the level of dialogue IA claims to be having with them. Trial balloons for special taxing districts have been shot down by a metro area feeling burnt over by public monies for sports properties. It seems clear that a deal favorable to the Coyotes is a long shot.
- The only remaining option is to leave. "We tried our best, and we can prove it!" That's the message that will be left fluttering in the wind when the moving vans roll out of town.
Now, is this a bit tinfoil-hat? Of course it is. It points to a conspiracy that logistically would be at the very least arcane and resource-consuming, a Rube Goldberg approach to a problem that could be solved by simply pulling up stakes and leaving abruptly. It would have to presuppose that IA care enough about their image as businessmen to need to have that plausible deniability in their pocket so they can say they expended every effort to keep the team in Arizona.
It also doesn't account for the investments in grassroots hockey and the rapidity and ease with which they have established the Roadrunners in Tucson this spring. Those efforts seem clearly at odds with the idea that the owners are heavily-leveraged puppets for the NHL, or that Andy Barroway is playing the long con to flip the team as an investment move as was rumored when he first bought in. The scenario described above would be far more plausible had Gary Drummond not taken an unexpected commanding interest in the ownership group - he seems to have single-handedly turned all of the standard narratives about IceArizona on their ear.
The long and short of it is that this is a story with a lot of moving parts, many of which defy easy generalization on one side or the other. Everything about the ownership group is shrouded in some sort of impenetrable gauze that is difficult to see through. There isn't enough stability for the skeptical to be satisfied, but there isn't enough instability to shake the faithful into believing they're finally going to lose the team.
One thing is for sure - it's not just at HF where these questions are being raised. I spent a lot of time last season talking about these issues with other STH and the uncertainty remains a very heavy weight, no matter what platitudes Anthony Leblanc issues through a reporter's microphone. Everything is still up in the air and we don't yet know where it will land.
Even if the Coyotes announce an agreement in principle with ASU/Phoenix/Tribe, nobody will believe it. Once they get the project financed and start digging, people will believe it then. That is another 6-12 months. Until they start digging, any announcements will carry doubt, so the uncertainty is not going away any time soon.
