Off the Ice: Time to pump the brakes, Coyotes fans

Holy rumor mill, Batman.

It started late last week with reports of the Greg Jamison group being approved by the NHL as the buyer of the Phoenix Coyotes. There was still a long way to go in the deal, but there was a large amount of progress that fans had been waiting for.

Naturally, the NHL came out and denied the reports, while more and more people began to run with the story. The NHL denied all of those reports and even went to the extent to assuage concerns in Seattle that the team had not been sold, but they were hopeful that Jamison would purchase the team.

Doesn't this sound way too familiar?

We had nearly the same scenario last season with Matthew Hulsizer. The NHL liked him, the fans liked him, the deal was almost done and then KABLOOEY, the whole agreement was blown up by the Goldwater Institute after a lawsuit was threatened.

Reports said that Jamison was offered some sort of rebate and fund that will help cover the team's losses, something the Goldwater Institute is already taking interest in.

It's not the exact same situation, but it's eerily similar. I'm just as excited as the next guy about this possible sale -- and would be more than happy to never write about it again -- but some caution is needed here.

I've spoken with a few people in the know -- no names here, sorry -- and have been told several different things, but they all have the same tone: nothing is imminent.

As fans and a city, we have been put through hell with the rumored deals and sales of the Coyotes. It makes sense that every rumor has us clinging to hope, because there's not much left to cling to. After years of relocation rumors and nervous season ticket renewals, I know my nerves are fried.

Pump those brakes, fans, and let's see what comes out in the wash. The deal looks to be progressing, but we've all seen what happens when too many cooks are in the kitchen when it comes to selling this team.

So when you hear these rumors and "reports," realize that maybe one of the 30 you hear may have a snippet of truth in them. I'm all for this sale being done and being excited about it, but I'm not ready to watch another prospective buyer walk out the door, leaving me in the stands at the last game of the year wondering if this was the last time I'll see NHL hockey played in Arizona.

"Off the Ice" is a portion of ArizonaSports.com where Carter Nacke will be covering and discussing the Phoenix Coyotes throughout the season. Contact him at cnacke@arizonasports.com, tweet him at @carternacke or follow the blog's twitter feed at @OfftheIce620. Thanks for reading.