Phoenix Situation: JUST THE MEDIA LINKS - NO DISCUSSION THREAD

[RAgIn]

TV market could prevent Coyotes’ move to Winnipeg

Shoalts:

The title is a little misleading considering the report states that the Coyotes will likely be relocating.

It's not that they don't want to go back to Winnipeg, it's that they want to keep the Phoenix market,” said one governor, who believes Winnipeg will be the next city to get an NHL franchise even if the Coyotes stay in Arizona. “All our broadcast partners want to keep that market.”

One former governor said the new NBC contract probably calls for “a credit back and forth” depending on what happens in Phoenix.

At this point, it looks like the Coyotes will return to Winnipeg, from whence they came in 1996. None of the governors interviewed were optimistic the municipal bond deal that is supposed to pay for Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer's purchase of the Coyotes from the NHL can be saved.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...vent-coyotes-move-to-winnipeg/article1991965/

 

[RAgIn]

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/westsideinsider/125790

Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs and City Attorney Craig Tindall will meet with the Goldwater Institute to discuss the city's Phoenix Coyotes deal this week. The meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday.

Thursday's meeting will be on the record, said institute President Darcy Olsen. But Scruggs and Tindall will choose whether they want to invite one reporter, all reporters or tape the meeting and provide a transcript to reporters. City spokeswoman Jennifer Stein said that decision should be made by Wednesday.

 

[RAgIn]

Bettman: League Still Working On Phoenix

From Sporsnet Radio interview with Bettman:

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league continues to work at keeping a team in Phoenix. There has been speculation that the Coyotes' days are numbered.``We are still focused on trying to make it work in Phoenix,'' Bettman told HockeyCentral @ Noon.

``I hope we're successful ... Do we have an infinite amount of time? The answer is obviously not. But we haven't been holding an announcement waiting to see when the Coyotes are done playing, I can assure you of that.''

That settles it then. I guess we'll have to wait till after the Stanley Cup Final. GREAT.

Report: http://www.fan590.com/more.jsp?content=20110420_124728_11412

Audio: http://www.fan590.com/media.jsp?content=20110420_124514_15016

 

[RAgIn]

Prospective owner needs to show his face

Strong words from the Sports Editor at AzCentral

Matthew Hulsizer needs to show up at Jobing.com Arena tonight for Game 4 of this rapidly deteriorating Stanley Cup playoff series against Detroit.

He won't be here, we're told, and that's troubling. Another absence by the would-be owner of the Coyotes would send an unmistakable message to fans and players: He can't save the team, the move to Winnipeg is imminent, and all that's left is for the NHL to blow the whistle.

Not the case? Then prove it. Show up at Westgate. Walk around the arena concourse. Mingle with the Coyotes faithful who are begging you - someone, anyone - to prove that their faith in your earnestness (and money) and the NHL's supposed commitment to keeping the team in Arizona isn't a misdirection play during the playoff push and these lucrative postseason games.

His people insist that all is well, that he is as committed as ever, and there's really nothing more to be said until the monetary chasm that's vexing Goldwater is solved.

IMO, it would be in the best interest of the Coyotes and to the deal if the prospective owner would show up to at least one home playoff game. Hope is key.

You can get a headache trying to read the tea leaves in this soap opera, but it doesn't take much of a cynic to piece together the timing of ramped-up rumors of an impending move north, the collapse of the team on the ice, the mute Hulsizer, and conclude the worst.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coy...hoenix-coyotes-owner-needs-show-his-face.html

 

[billy blaze]

audio of meeting now being loaded onto GWI website- link not working as of right now

http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/coyotes

 

[davemac1313]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Goldwater-raises-concerns-with-Glendale-120428094.html

Some printed matter

 

[davemac1313]

http://www.azcentral.com/community/...oenix-coyotes-glendale-goldwater-meeting.html

az central

"The meeting was disappointing from our perspective," said Clint Bolick, Goldwater's litigation director. "The mayor asked for our concerns and our ideas and we provided a number of concerns and ideas. The city did not seem to be open to the ideas we suggested and the city attorney repeatedly told us he would see us in court."

A lengthy meeting Thursday between Glendale and the Goldwater Institute to resolve differences over a new ownership deal for the Phoenix Coyotes ended without a resolution.

Goldwater, a conservative think-tank, opposes the city's deal with Chicago investor Matthew Hulsizer to buy the hockey team and has threatened legal action to block it, claiming the deal puts taxpayers at risk and is an illegal government subsidy to a private business.

audio Meeting audio: Part 1
audio Meeting audio: Part 2
audio Meeting audio: Part 3
audio Meeting audio: Part 4
audio Meeting audio: Part 5
audio Meeting audio: Part 6
document Transcript of Goldwater-Glendale meeting

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/...glendale-goldwater-meeting.html#ixzz1KY0WYe39

 

[LadyStanley]

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coy...index-phoenix-coyotes-bleak-off-ice-saga.html

Arizona Republic: pessimistic outlook

 

[Fugu]

These two weeks deadlines are figments of some reporters imagination. I wouldn't get wound up in them if I were you. I believe the real deadline is about July 1st, maybe late June. It's when the schedule is released. Until then, the NHL can develop multiple schedules with a number of eventualities like Phoenix, Winnipeg,and probably Kansas City, maybe Houston.

Eric Duhatschek may have backed into a deadline by talking to Maloney:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/coyotes-and-maloney-need-answers-soon/article1996222/

Maloney was especially candid and emotional in his address and set a tentative timeline in his discussion with reporters. Asked what would happens if the relocation issue dragged into June or beyond, Maloney was blunt: “This won't drag into June,†he said. “You know it and I know it. Well ... maybe you don't know it, but I do. This has to be resolved in the weeks ahead or in a month – and they're working very hard to find alternatives to make this work.â€

It left the players collectively scratching their heads, trying to decipher the tea leaves about may come next. The team has 13 free agents – eight unrestricted, five restricted – and most can afford to wait for the relocation issue to resolve itself before making a commitment one way or the other.


Maloney can't. He needs answers soon. As he and Tippett conducted exit interviews with the players, both reiterated that things were in a holding pattern until the league, Hulsizer, Goldwater and the city either hashes out a deal, or gives the green light for the move to Winnipeg.

I don't think there's much question of where they'd go IF this process fails.

 

[Fugu]

These two weeks deadlines are figments of some reporters imagination. I wouldn't get wound up in them if I were you. I believe the real deadline is about July 1st, maybe late June. It's when the schedule is released. Until then, the NHL can develop multiple schedules with a number of eventualities like Phoenix, Winnipeg,and probably Kansas City, maybe Houston.

Eric Duhatschek may have backed into a deadline by talking to Maloney:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/coyotes-and-maloney-need-answers-soon/article1996222/

Maloney was especially candid and emotional in his address and set a tentative timeline in his discussion with reporters. Asked what would happens if the relocation issue dragged into June or beyond, Maloney was blunt: “This won't drag into June,†he said. “You know it and I know it. Well ... maybe you don't know it, but I do. This has to be resolved in the weeks ahead or in a month – and they're working very hard to find alternatives to make this work.â€

It left the players collectively scratching their heads, trying to decipher the tea leaves about may come next. The team has 13 free agents – eight unrestricted, five restricted – and most can afford to wait for the relocation issue to resolve itself before making a commitment one way or the other.


Maloney can't. He needs answers soon. As he and Tippett conducted exit interviews with the players, both reiterated that things were in a holding pattern until the league, Hulsizer, Goldwater and the city either hashes out a deal, or gives the green light for the move to Winnipeg.

I don't think there's much question of where they'd go IF this process fails.

 

[billy blaze]

media dispatches for today- take them for what their worth, form your own opinions, line up on your prospective sides, see if they fit your agendas etc... etc...

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/glendale-considers-alternate-strategy-120534179.html

There is palpable animosity between Goldwater and Glendale. Even Hulsizer, who is working with Glendale to purchase the hockey team, has grown tired of the city's antics and lack of transparency. Gary Bettman blew the meeting off entirely, offering up the excuse that he "wasn't invited." Neither was Hulsizer, but he crashed the party all the same.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2011-04-22-1168619751_x.htm

"Nobody knows what's going on," Yandle said. "None of the players, even the management knows what's going on. It's a tough day. Even if you know you're coming back, it's still a tough day. Hopefully, things will work out and we'll be in this same locker room next year."

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2011/04/23/katz-to-bryzgalov-see-city-for-yourself

“I will extend an invitation to him, and will personally pay for the airline ticket for him to come here and really get an understanding of Winnipeg, what it’s all about and what it has to offer. When he sees the variety of culture, arts and sports, and all the activities in our wonderful city, he might have a completely different opinion,†Katz told the Sun.

 

[Fugu]

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/morning_call/2011/04/nhl-presses-on-for-coyotes-financing.html

"Bettman also met with former Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo this week, according to sources familiar with the situation. It was not clear whether that meeting was meant to gauge Colangelo's interest in the team or to solicit his input about the sale."

Also from that article so we can reference it (and I'll move these posts to the new thread):

Bettman and the NHL aggressively are putting together a new financing deal to allow Chicago investment executive Matthew Hulsizer to purchase the Coyotes and keep the team in Glendale.
The NHL push for a new money plan comes with Hulsizer standing pat on his offer to buy the team and Glendale’s existing bond plan hamstrung by the Goldwater Institute’s opposition.
A new financing plan likely will replace the $197 million bond and arena management deal the city of Glendale put together to help Hulsizer buy the Coyotes.

Read more: NHL presses on for Coyotes financing | Phoenix Business Journal

 

[Whileee]

I thought that this claim reportedly made by the GWI's lawyer (Dranias) was rather significant, if true:

Dranias said the sale of the parking rights has to be taken completely out of the Coyotes deal, especially since the Goldwater Institute obtained a copy of an agreement dated Jan. 25, 2011, between Glendale and three companies controlled by Steve Ellman, the former owner of the Coyotes whose Westgate City Center development surrounds Jobing.com Arena. The agreement gives the parking rights, which include the 5,500 parking spots in the Coyotes deal, back to the city from Ellman. It also notes Ellman’s creditors gave their consent.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/nhl-hulsizer-tweak-deal-to-purchase-coyotes/article2000136/

 

[RR]

I thought that this claim reportedly made by the GWI's lawyer (Dranias) was rather significant, if true:



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/nhl-hulsizer-tweak-deal-to-purchase-coyotes/article2000136/

The link to the Jan. 25, 2011 agreement is in this AZCentral story.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/2011/01/28/20110128glendale-westgate-phoenix-coyotes-deal.html

I've read it, and admit I may have nodded off at times, but I see nothing that claims the City owns the rights to charge for parking. I see plenty of references to the City owning the land, but I also see that immediately after that statement in this agreement reference is made back to the prior MUDA, parking and easement agreements.

Read it. There will be a test.

 

[Whileee]

beyond significant....is this the real reason we have been in a state of suspended animation for so long?

If there is real doubt about ownership of parking rights, or worse, evidence suggesting that the parking rights are already owned by the City of Glendale as the GWI lawyer suggests is contained in documents that they have uncovered, then the actual dollar value of the parking rights is a moot point. Glendale would be paying for something that they already own. I would think that if this analysis is incorrect, or the statements in Shoalts' article are false, then it behooves the City of Glendale to quickly and clearly demonstrate that they do not already own all or a substantial portion of the parking rights.

There was a rather heated discussion about this document in the chin-wag between the GWI and the COG. Here is an excerpt from the transcript:

MR. DRANIAS: This is for the benefit of
7 everyone to understand what we're talking about. We're
8 talking about January 25th, 2011, First Amendment to
9 the mixed-use development agreement between the City of
10 Glendale and the developers of Westgate, and what's
11 especially significant about this document is how at
12 page 10, paragraph 9, it specifically says, quote,
13 "The City shall be entitled to impose parking charges
14 for the use of all parking spaces for Arena events,"
15 and it goes on to say that it can retain all such
16 revenue.
17 Now, this is in January of 2011. The
18 City is acquiring all of the parking rights relating to
19 the Arena, and this document wasn't produced to us.
20 Why is that?

21 MR. TINDALL: Take it up with the judge.
22 We have litigation. We're in the midst of litigation.
23 Take it up with the judge.

http://goldwaterinstitute.org/file/5961/download/5963

 

[MAROONSRoad]

Some officials and sources familiar with the Coyotes saga peg late May or June as the deadline for the National Hockey League to make up its mind on whether it can forge a deal to keep the team in Glendale or sell the team to a Canadian group who would move the franchise to Winnipeg for next season.

They expect the fate of the Coyotes to be announced after the Stanley Cup Finals and before the NHL schedule is announced for next season. That usually happens in June.

But another official with inside knowledge of the Coyotes sale said the NHL may make up its mind privately as early as May 6 on whether it can get a deal with done with Matthew Hulsizer...

The source citing the earlier May deadline said the NHL wants to have a private decision sooner than June so Coyotes players, staff and coaches know whether they will be moving. Marketing, sponsorships and ticket sales plans can be formulated either in Phoenix or Winnipeg. And, the American Hockey League will know the fate of the Manitoba Moose who now play in Winnipeg and would have to be moved if the Coyotes relocate.

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/...private-decisions-loom-over-coyotes-fate.html

So, there you have it. Mark May 6th on your calendar! But only a few select will know the decision at that time, such as the players and their families. And there would be no leaks, right?

GHOST

 

[cbcwpg]

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/04/26/nhls-daly-calls-goldwater-irrelevant-to-coyotes-sale

Daly also lashed out at the Phoenix media, which reported NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recently met with former Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo, to try to get him involved in saving the Coyotes.

“Gary hasn’t met with Colangelo on the Coyotes,†Daly said. “The irresponsibility of the speculation being engaged in on this is mind boggling.â€

SEE.... It's not just the bad 'ol Canadian media stirring the pot.

 

[LadyStanley]

DarrenDreger 12:05pm via Twitter for BlackBerry® Ongoing negotiations to keep the NHL in Glendale. Atlanta is quickly becoming a real option for Wpg next season. More on TSN.ca soon.

 

[MAROONSRoad]

Glendale has until Monday to pay $25 million to the National Hockey League to cover this season's Phoenix Coyotes losses, according to a bill sent to the city Tuesday.

The documents, sent a week after the team finished its season in the playoffs, show that actual losses for eight months ending in March totaled $36.6 million.

Glendale promised the NHL last year that it would set aside $25 million from a utilities-repair account to pay team losses in exchange for more time to land a team owner. For months, the money sat untouched.

Glendale officials promised taxpayers at the time that the city would not have to pay the money if it found a buyer. Later, officials said the buyer would cover the expense.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarep...-coyotes-bill-for-glendale.html#ixzz1KnW3aXwd

GHOST

 

[Howler Scores]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Hulsizer quoted recently as well saying that losses would be in the $40M range?

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarep...6coyotes-sale-price-rises-make-up-losses.html

From the article, he expected to pay $170 million plus the $40 million is losses for a total of $210 million. The CofG was expecting this $25 million back so to me the only interesting part of this story is that the NHL wants the money now (They probably have bills/kids to pay/feed themselves).

In theory since Matt was expecting the cost to be higher and the losses are perhaps $4 million below the original $40 million projection, then his total price went down. (That is assuming that Matt would give the $25 million back to Glendale but that also assumes the team is sold. If not, then it adds to the total loss for Glendale)

 

[Howler Scores]

Here is the original article explaining the intent of the $25 million back in the day:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/09/22/20100922glendale-phoenix-coyotes-25-million.html

 

[Fugu]

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2011/04/28/nhl-bill-to-glendale-could-pump-25m.html

The city has said it has commitments from investors to buy $50 million worth of bonds that will then be forwarded to Hulsizer’s ownership group.
If those bonds are sold and Glendale covers $25 million in losses, that could leave the NHL and Hulsizer to find other financing, other cash or other ways to come up the remaining $25 million to make the deal work, according to sources with intimate knowledge of the deal.
The only drawback to the $25 million revelation is that the NHL also disclosed the team lost $37 million this season. Glendale will audit that number, but the amount of those losses coupled with past Coyotes losses in the $25 million to $35 million range could be a further deterrent to investors and financing.
Glendale spokeswoman Julie Frisoni said the big invoice is not a total shock.
“The city of Glendale anticipated that this request might come at some point,†she said. “We understand that the NHL has the right to request it, pursuant to our agreement. The city is currently in the process of working with the NHL to audit the figures. It is important to note that the partners remain in active negotiations and hope to have a deal done soon,†Frisoni said.
Glendale is also allocating $97 million over five years for Hulsizer to manage and run city-owned Jobing.com Arena.

​

 

[Go Yotes 97]

Banner day for Glendale. Ugh.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/...e-phoenix-coyotes-bankruptcy-anniversary.html

http://www.azcentral.com/community/...dale-casino-ruling-in-favor-of-tribe-brk.html

 

[WpgJets]

Another plan to save Coyotes?
http://www.winnipegsun.com/2011/05/04/another-plan-to-save-coyotes-report

 

[Puckschmuck*]

So, Goldwater found a document signed by COG on Jan.25, 2011 that states THEY OWN The Parking Rights. They then lied to possible Bond Investors saying Hulsizer would owe them just to sell bonds. Now; Bonds have been pulled from the table ( over 2 weeks ago ) and there hasn't been any progress since. Sure sounds like things are dead down there....... Unless you think Glendale paying $25 Million in losses while leaving the NHL with the rest is progress!

http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/article/5997