These rollercoaster ownership negotiations involving the Arizona Coyotes are back in familiar territory.
Just when it appeared Coyotes owner Andrew Barroway was inching closer to selling the franchise and talks had, as I was told at the time, sped up, it seems they’ve hit a wall, once again.
A sale involving the Coyotes is not considered imminent, as of today, and while the wheels are definitely in motion, progress has slowed.
One bright side in all of this: I can confirm there are at least two separate groups/parties with legitimate interest in purchasing the Coyotes and keeping them in Arizona (providing they can secure a new building after the fact).
It’s clear Barroway will be out as majority owner of the club when all is said and done, but it’s unclear as to when a sale will actually happen.
There are concerns over how much debt Barroway and the Coyotes have taken on – a figure now around $300 million – and how much of that/the returns will/won’t be paid back to its lenders.
By all accounts, what I was told in early-December may be most accurate and that is the “hope” around the NHL is a deal gets done by the end of the regular-season.