Canadian group looking to buy Coyotes, keep them in Glendale
Mar 28, 2013, 4:13 PM | Updated: 5:21 pm
In case you didn’t realize, the Phoenix Coyotes are still without an owner.
Matthew Hulsizer didn’t work out a couple years ago, and Greg Jamison no longer seems to be a viable option, either.
The NHL is still looking for someone to take the team off its hands, and according to according to ESPN.com, it appears a Canadian group is interested.
But fear not, ‘Yotes fans, supposedly George Gosbee and his pals are hoping to keep the team in Glendale.
Canadian investment banker and financier Gosbee represents a small group of investors to join forces with another Canadian businessman, Anthony LeBlanc. LeBlanc and his partners have been trying to take control of the Coyotes for three years in an effort to bring to a close the team’s long ownership saga, a source told ESPN.com.
The group hopes to close the deal as early as next week, after which they would work with the City of Glendale to hammer out a new lease agreement at Jobing.com Arena where the Coyotes play.
According to the report, optimism surrounds Gosbee’s bid because it’s believed if an agreement to buy the team can be reached, a deal with the city of Glendale with regards to the arena won’t be too difficult to come to.
But if things don’t work out in Glendale, there will be no shortage of options outside of Arizona.
According to Yahoo! Sports, Quebec City, Seattle and Kansas City are all on the table should the NHL decide the Valley is not going to work.
According to TSN analyst Darren Dreger, the NHL may be running out of patience in Phoenix. After years of doing their best to keep the team in Glendale, the league could make a decision on relocating the franchise in advance of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“It’s clear time [is] running out and relocation must be considered,” Dreger tweeted.
