Conflicting reports on Coyotes ownership front
Published: February 21, 2012 @ 3:31pm
A report from Mike Sunnucks in the Phoenix Business Journal indicates that the NHL is close to finalizing a deal to sell the team to former San Jose Sharks executive Greg Jamison that would keep the Coyotes in Glendale.
Sunnucks writes:
The deal still has go through final approvals and due diligence as well as through the city of Glendale which owns Jobing.com Arena. But Jamison, the NHL and Glendale are close to a final deal, according to sources familiar with the hockey team.
The NHL has owned the team after purchasing it for $140 million during bankruptcy proceedings nearly three years ago.
The league, however, is denying the sale of the franchise is imminent.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told a Seattle television station that nothing is close to final.
"We are the owner of the team, and thus should know if and when we have a deal to sell the team," Daly said to KING 5 Tuesday.
Seattle has been rumored as a possible landing spot for the Coyotes if a deal can't be struck to keep them in the Valley. A plan for a brand new arena in Seattle was unveiled last week, although construction couldn't begin until the city could acquire a franchise in both the NBA and the NHL.
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