The Coyotes concluded the first half of the 2009-10 season last night by beating the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in a shootout. It's the continuation of a wonderful story that is quickly becoming the talk of hockey.
Since the disaster of this summer, the franchise has far exceeded expectations on the ice, been sold to a new investment group and has seen attendance start to grow after a disastrous start. It's the kind of Christmas story that warms the heart. You can almost hear Jimmy Stewart saying “It ranks right up there at the top”.
For starters, the Yotes now have 53 points in 41 games. Only San Jose, Chicago, New Jersey and Washington have more. Unthinkable for a team that most pundits picked to finish 30th this year. And frankly surprising to those of us who thought the team would do well to battle for a playoff spot.
Right now, Dave Tippett is a lock as NHL coach of the year, Don Maloney likewise as GM and Ilya Brzygalov, he of the inconsistent game, a leading contender for both the Jennings and Vezina Trophies. And the team, which badly lacks star power, finds a way to win every night. Young kids have stepped up, different players have contributed every night and no team in the league outworks the Coyotes. In fact, I've been watching hockey for a long, long time and I have to go back years to think of a team that works as hard as the Coyotes.
The current 10 game home winning streak is a franchise record. Not just for the Phoenix franchise, but the entire 30 year Jets-Coyotes NHL history. As we told you earlier this month the Coyotes need to win their home games now to build a cushion when the schedule turns against them in February and March. Since we wrote that piece, the team hasn't lost at home.
Consider this, if the Coyotes play .500 hockey over the last 41 games of the season it would give them 94 points, which would very likely be enough to make the playoffs.
Point totals aside, the Coyotes look like a playoff team. Monday night, they played San Jose even for 65 minutes in the Shark tank before losing the shootout. The next night, they did the same against a red hot Canuck team that had been sitting in Phoenix waiting for them. Both games had a playoff look and feel. And in both cases they were playing elite teams with a distinct advantage.
Better yet, there's still room to improve the product. GMDM has available budget (the Coyotes are still barely above the salary cap floor) and tradeable assets to strengthen the team. The team still needs scoring help and as the trade deadline approaches, many useful players will be available. Maloney has been a shrewd trader with a tight budget and many pressing needs. With fewer needs and some financial room to move, he could be on the prowl for an difference making acquisition at the deadline.
Also reaching the halfway point this week is the time fuse on the letter of intent signed by Ice Edge Holdings to purchase the team.
While news has been sparse since the agreement was signed, there are several important facts that have leaked out.
Ice Edge and The City of Glendale appear to have an agreement in place that will generate additional revenue for the franchise in some way shape or form. Importantly, the lease will not contain any type of out clause that might dampen fan interest. As soon as Ice Edge and the NHL have a sales contract in place, it will be time for Glendale to show their hand.
Negotiations with the league appear to be centered around the group proving their wherewithal to absorb losses over the next few years. With 90% of the purchase price committed in cash, there's reason to believe that additional money is available to cover losses as well as the credit line all franchises are required to have. As I told you earlier this month, I've been told by people within the hockey universe that these guys have money. That's good because they won't be turning a profit on day one, but the recent performance of the team has to be heartening given the size of the project and the scope of the investment. A contract should be signed with the NHL in the next 15 days.
And as for the Saskatoon option, that idea has not been well received by NHL Governors. We suspect a compromise is in order here -- a lighter schedule (say 3 games for a two year test period)at a neutral (still likely Saskatoon) site. Ice Edge can schedule those games in the first half of the year when weekday crowds are light in Phoenix. That move as well as a shift in the home schedule to include more March games (to coincide with spring training and sport oriented tourists) should address much of the schedule concern. It gives Ice Edge additional revenue and helps the NHL move the team off their books.
Perhaps best of all, attendance is growing. Yes the crowds are certainly being bumped by cut rate and free tickets but the building is getting fuller and more enthusiastic every night. Saturday's game against Detroit is almost certain to be the teams first non-promotional sell out crowd in a long time.
The stocking are full for Coyote fans this year. The team is vastly improved, new owners are on the horizon and as anticipated fans are turning out to watch the much improved product. Here's a scoop -- hockey may, may yet work in Phoenix. How great is that?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Coyotes To Open in Europe?
The Coyotes may be headed to Europe to open the 2010-11 season. I've heard that Phoenix is on the short list of teams slated to open in Europe next year. The Euro tour is becoming a staple for the NHL and the Coyotes would play two games overseas. Likely opponents for the home and home far away from home are the San Jose Sharks.
One likely destination for the Coyotes? Prague. With 5 Czechs in their current lineup, Phoenix could be a nice attraction in that historic venue. The New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning played two games in Prague in October 2008 before large, enthusiastic crowds.
One likely destination for the Coyotes? Prague. With 5 Czechs in their current lineup, Phoenix could be a nice attraction in that historic venue. The New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning played two games in Prague in October 2008 before large, enthusiastic crowds.
The Road Ahead Part 2
There's relief in the air in Coyoteland. The NHL and Ice Edge Holdings have signed a letter of intent for the purchase of the troubled franchise. It's far from a done deal, but it's a great sign that the Coyotes will be staying in Arizona, hopefully for many years to come.
For several months the league seemed to be cool on the Ice Edge proposal. We know that Ice Edge kicked the tires on the Florida Panthers prior to developing an interest in the Coyotes. The Saskatoon option (and why isn't it the Winnipeg option?) was a head scratcher when it first was reported and some Canadian media dismissed the group as less than stout financially. The NHL seemed far more interested in promoting the Jerry Reinsdorf solution for the Coyotes. When that option evaporated, the persistent Ice Edge group was able to cut a deal with the NHL.
We're not exactly sure why the NHL was slow to embrace Ice Edge but it may have to do with financing plans that are unorthodox or unusual. And there's sure to be some concern about the Saskatoon deal. We'll find out more as the vetting process goes on.
That process will also tell us about how deep the Ice Edge pockets are. While IE is saying all the right things about not even thinking about losses, it's going to take a while to turn this battleship around. The concern if the league likely centers around how much money the group is prepared to lose to sustain losses through what will be a tough transition.
There are some facts emerging about Ice Edge Holdings that will be great comfort to Arizona hockey fans.
For starters, the letter of intent has a 30 day expiration. That puts pressure on the group, the City of Glendale and the NHL to get a deal done quickly. The NHL desperately wants/needs to get the Coyotes off the books as soon as possible. The City needs to put this ugly story to bed and the sooner a definitive sale agreement is signed, the league can conduct their due diligence and move towards approving the sale.
Ice Edge is apparently putting up 90% of the purchase price of the team in cash. While the team will most certainly have a line of credit and likely will be looking at significant short term losses, they will be spared the crushing debt service that handcuffed the Moyes ownership.
And perhaps most importantly, these guys have apparently have money. Lots of it. It was a question early on but apparently it is in the process of being answered. In fact an official from another NHL team told me this week they are better equipped financially than many other teams in the league. After the early concern about the wherewithal of the group, this comes as a pleasant and welcome surprise.
Ice Edge takes over an organization that a Phoenix sports executive from another team told me was bloated. By ways of comparison, the healthier Suns have a much leaner team and arena organization than the Coyotes. That will likely change under new management.
And that cost savings, along with the elimination of debt service and whatever concessions Glendale brings to the table will put this franchise on the road to financial respectability. No it won't solve all the financial problems but it's a big start.
The whole Saskatoon thing remains a mystery. Apparently the City is willing to let a few games go as part of the Ice Edge plan to ease cash concerns. Whether the league and the players association will agree is another matter. There's some skepticism on both sides that could derail the plan. Our guess? Perhaps a scaled back plan (say 3 games vs. the Western Canada teams) would be tolerable at least as a test. And hopefully in a couple of years, the Arizona franchise will be healthy enough to make this a non-factor.
There's much good to be found here. Introducing a new ownership team will give doubting local fans confidence to begin supporting the team. And they will come back to find a team that is in the thick of playoff contention and vastly improved over previous seasons. There is nothing that will turn this area on to hockey quicker than playoff hockey.
I was in the stands a few years ago when the Anaheim Ducks won their first ever playoff series. It was an extraordinary experience. Fans were crying, because not only had the team made the playoffs come back to Orange County but because the team found a way to win a series. The excitement translated into season ticket sales -- 4,000 new tickets in one season.
It could happen here. It would be an extraordinary conclusion to a bizarre year. And it would be enough to leave more than a few people crying in the stands.
For several months the league seemed to be cool on the Ice Edge proposal. We know that Ice Edge kicked the tires on the Florida Panthers prior to developing an interest in the Coyotes. The Saskatoon option (and why isn't it the Winnipeg option?) was a head scratcher when it first was reported and some Canadian media dismissed the group as less than stout financially. The NHL seemed far more interested in promoting the Jerry Reinsdorf solution for the Coyotes. When that option evaporated, the persistent Ice Edge group was able to cut a deal with the NHL.
We're not exactly sure why the NHL was slow to embrace Ice Edge but it may have to do with financing plans that are unorthodox or unusual. And there's sure to be some concern about the Saskatoon deal. We'll find out more as the vetting process goes on.
That process will also tell us about how deep the Ice Edge pockets are. While IE is saying all the right things about not even thinking about losses, it's going to take a while to turn this battleship around. The concern if the league likely centers around how much money the group is prepared to lose to sustain losses through what will be a tough transition.
There are some facts emerging about Ice Edge Holdings that will be great comfort to Arizona hockey fans.
For starters, the letter of intent has a 30 day expiration. That puts pressure on the group, the City of Glendale and the NHL to get a deal done quickly. The NHL desperately wants/needs to get the Coyotes off the books as soon as possible. The City needs to put this ugly story to bed and the sooner a definitive sale agreement is signed, the league can conduct their due diligence and move towards approving the sale.
Ice Edge is apparently putting up 90% of the purchase price of the team in cash. While the team will most certainly have a line of credit and likely will be looking at significant short term losses, they will be spared the crushing debt service that handcuffed the Moyes ownership.
And perhaps most importantly, these guys have apparently have money. Lots of it. It was a question early on but apparently it is in the process of being answered. In fact an official from another NHL team told me this week they are better equipped financially than many other teams in the league. After the early concern about the wherewithal of the group, this comes as a pleasant and welcome surprise.
Ice Edge takes over an organization that a Phoenix sports executive from another team told me was bloated. By ways of comparison, the healthier Suns have a much leaner team and arena organization than the Coyotes. That will likely change under new management.
And that cost savings, along with the elimination of debt service and whatever concessions Glendale brings to the table will put this franchise on the road to financial respectability. No it won't solve all the financial problems but it's a big start.
The whole Saskatoon thing remains a mystery. Apparently the City is willing to let a few games go as part of the Ice Edge plan to ease cash concerns. Whether the league and the players association will agree is another matter. There's some skepticism on both sides that could derail the plan. Our guess? Perhaps a scaled back plan (say 3 games vs. the Western Canada teams) would be tolerable at least as a test. And hopefully in a couple of years, the Arizona franchise will be healthy enough to make this a non-factor.
There's much good to be found here. Introducing a new ownership team will give doubting local fans confidence to begin supporting the team. And they will come back to find a team that is in the thick of playoff contention and vastly improved over previous seasons. There is nothing that will turn this area on to hockey quicker than playoff hockey.
I was in the stands a few years ago when the Anaheim Ducks won their first ever playoff series. It was an extraordinary experience. Fans were crying, because not only had the team made the playoffs come back to Orange County but because the team found a way to win a series. The excitement translated into season ticket sales -- 4,000 new tickets in one season.
It could happen here. It would be an extraordinary conclusion to a bizarre year. And it would be enough to leave more than a few people crying in the stands.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Road Ahead Part 1
As the Coyotes are battling the Kings tonight in LA, it’s a good time for us to take a look at the season to date and peek ahead at the balance of the year.
The Coyotes are exceeding expectations. The team just completed a three game home stand with three wins, extending their current winning streak to 5 games. At 18-11-1 after 30 games, the Yotes are on pace for 101 points. History would say that's more than enough to make the playoffs and in fact it would be the best season of the 13 the team has had in Arizona.
And the team has demonstrated tremendous resilience this year. Just when you think the team is going to go upside down, they pull off a gutty win over the Philadelphia Flyers and steal a road game at Anaheim.
While improvement was expected (and crucial) this year, a more realistic expectation was that the team would scrap for a playoff spot. Vastly improved coaching and goaltending have been the keys for the rapid improvement of the team.
One cannot underestimate the body of work done by Dave Tippett and his assistant coaches during the first two months of the season. For most of the past four years, the Coyotes looked disorganized and were easily panicked when things weren’t going well. Not anymore. Tippett is everything you would want in a coach. Firm, organized, intelligent and confident. He’s in any conversation about the best bench coaches in the NHL and the unquestioned half-season NHL coach of the year.
And credit is also due to assistant coaches Ulf Samuelsson and Dave King. The teams tight defensive play is the product of great checking, sound defensive play and attention to detail. That takes a lot of work from all of the coaches. It’s paying off this year.
All summer, we mused that the team would rise and fall largely on the play of Ilya Bryzgalov. Well no one could have seen this season coming. The historically inconsistent Bryzgalov has been money all year with a league leading 4 shutouts, a 1.99 goals allowed average and a sparkling .925 save percentage. The Coyotes are third in the NHL in team defense and contenders for both the Vezina (outstanding goaltender) and Jennings (team defense) Trophies.
And the play on defense has been very good. The Coyotes have had a strong defensive core over the last few years and team veterans Ed Jovanoski, Zbynek Michalek and Keith Yandle have all been excellent. Jovanoski is having his best season in years and Yandle has blossomed into one of the best young defensemen in the NHL.
General Manager Don Maloney has made his best acquisitions in supplementing this group. Veteran Adrian Aucoin has added offense as well as a steadying influence on the backline. Jim Vandermeer is slow but brings a nice physical presence. Rookie Sami Lepisto has been a pleasant surprise, and lately, Dave Schlemko has given the team good minutes in relief of injured players. With Kurt Sauer due back soon from concussion symptoms, the Coyotes have a surplus on the backline that could figure into a trade for scoring help.
And there is a definite need for scoring help. The Coyotes are 28th in the NHL with 2.43 goals per game. Somehow, the team needs to find more scoring. When you look at the current roster there is little reason to believe that improvement will come from within and the development of young players in San Antonio doesn’t give much hope that a Kyle Turris or Mikkel Boedker will return to fortify the offense.
There is room for GM Don Maloney to find a scorer. The Coyotes are barely above the NHL salary cap floor and we’re pretty sure they have available budget dollars to make an acquisition. The team also has assets – Calgary’s 1st this year, Philadelphia’s 2nd next year plus their own draft choices and several top end defensemen who are not playing in the NHL. A deal to add scoring is imminent. The only question is where it will come from and what will be the price.
Now for the Coyotes comes the big question – can this success last?
It all starts in Glendale. The Coyotes need to defend home ice and pile up points in December and January. The Coyotes are in the middle of having 9 of 15 games at home in December (6 of 12 remaining) and then 9 of 14 at Jobing.com arena. Overall, of the team's next 25 games, 15 are at home. While that kind of schedule skew is very curious (why only 6 home games in tourist rich March?) it's created a mid season opportunity for the team. With the swagger that comes from winning and a very favorable home schedule, the Coyotes should be around 70 points at the end of January.
And it continues on the ice. Bryzgalov needs to stay on top of his game. A big concern comes after the February Olympics where he will likely start in goal for the Russian Olympic team. A heavy workload in Phoenix and the same in Vancouver could raise fatigue concerns. With wildly inconsistent backup Jason LaBarbera, every game is an adventure. The ability of Bryz to shoulder a heavy workload as well as excel along the way will determine the fate of the team.
No one is looking at Phoenix like they’re a Stanley Cup contender, but this team desperately needs to make the playoffs and show the desert that there is hockey life after April 1st. For the first time, Maloney will be a buyer and not a seller at the trade deadline. It could be an advantageous spot because Phoenix not only has assets to trade but is one of the few teams that has salary cap room available.
And it will be fun because for the first time, Jobing.com Arena can look forward to hosting a playoff game.
Hopefully several.
The Coyotes are exceeding expectations. The team just completed a three game home stand with three wins, extending their current winning streak to 5 games. At 18-11-1 after 30 games, the Yotes are on pace for 101 points. History would say that's more than enough to make the playoffs and in fact it would be the best season of the 13 the team has had in Arizona.
And the team has demonstrated tremendous resilience this year. Just when you think the team is going to go upside down, they pull off a gutty win over the Philadelphia Flyers and steal a road game at Anaheim.
While improvement was expected (and crucial) this year, a more realistic expectation was that the team would scrap for a playoff spot. Vastly improved coaching and goaltending have been the keys for the rapid improvement of the team.
One cannot underestimate the body of work done by Dave Tippett and his assistant coaches during the first two months of the season. For most of the past four years, the Coyotes looked disorganized and were easily panicked when things weren’t going well. Not anymore. Tippett is everything you would want in a coach. Firm, organized, intelligent and confident. He’s in any conversation about the best bench coaches in the NHL and the unquestioned half-season NHL coach of the year.
And credit is also due to assistant coaches Ulf Samuelsson and Dave King. The teams tight defensive play is the product of great checking, sound defensive play and attention to detail. That takes a lot of work from all of the coaches. It’s paying off this year.
All summer, we mused that the team would rise and fall largely on the play of Ilya Bryzgalov. Well no one could have seen this season coming. The historically inconsistent Bryzgalov has been money all year with a league leading 4 shutouts, a 1.99 goals allowed average and a sparkling .925 save percentage. The Coyotes are third in the NHL in team defense and contenders for both the Vezina (outstanding goaltender) and Jennings (team defense) Trophies.
And the play on defense has been very good. The Coyotes have had a strong defensive core over the last few years and team veterans Ed Jovanoski, Zbynek Michalek and Keith Yandle have all been excellent. Jovanoski is having his best season in years and Yandle has blossomed into one of the best young defensemen in the NHL.
General Manager Don Maloney has made his best acquisitions in supplementing this group. Veteran Adrian Aucoin has added offense as well as a steadying influence on the backline. Jim Vandermeer is slow but brings a nice physical presence. Rookie Sami Lepisto has been a pleasant surprise, and lately, Dave Schlemko has given the team good minutes in relief of injured players. With Kurt Sauer due back soon from concussion symptoms, the Coyotes have a surplus on the backline that could figure into a trade for scoring help.
And there is a definite need for scoring help. The Coyotes are 28th in the NHL with 2.43 goals per game. Somehow, the team needs to find more scoring. When you look at the current roster there is little reason to believe that improvement will come from within and the development of young players in San Antonio doesn’t give much hope that a Kyle Turris or Mikkel Boedker will return to fortify the offense.
There is room for GM Don Maloney to find a scorer. The Coyotes are barely above the NHL salary cap floor and we’re pretty sure they have available budget dollars to make an acquisition. The team also has assets – Calgary’s 1st this year, Philadelphia’s 2nd next year plus their own draft choices and several top end defensemen who are not playing in the NHL. A deal to add scoring is imminent. The only question is where it will come from and what will be the price.
Now for the Coyotes comes the big question – can this success last?
It all starts in Glendale. The Coyotes need to defend home ice and pile up points in December and January. The Coyotes are in the middle of having 9 of 15 games at home in December (6 of 12 remaining) and then 9 of 14 at Jobing.com arena. Overall, of the team's next 25 games, 15 are at home. While that kind of schedule skew is very curious (why only 6 home games in tourist rich March?) it's created a mid season opportunity for the team. With the swagger that comes from winning and a very favorable home schedule, the Coyotes should be around 70 points at the end of January.
And it continues on the ice. Bryzgalov needs to stay on top of his game. A big concern comes after the February Olympics where he will likely start in goal for the Russian Olympic team. A heavy workload in Phoenix and the same in Vancouver could raise fatigue concerns. With wildly inconsistent backup Jason LaBarbera, every game is an adventure. The ability of Bryz to shoulder a heavy workload as well as excel along the way will determine the fate of the team.
No one is looking at Phoenix like they’re a Stanley Cup contender, but this team desperately needs to make the playoffs and show the desert that there is hockey life after April 1st. For the first time, Maloney will be a buyer and not a seller at the trade deadline. It could be an advantageous spot because Phoenix not only has assets to trade but is one of the few teams that has salary cap room available.
And it will be fun because for the first time, Jobing.com Arena can look forward to hosting a playoff game.
Hopefully several.
Friday, November 27, 2009
It's Black Friday...And Everything's On Sale!
Let's Start with the Franchise...
According to Gary Bettman, at least 6 groups have expressed interest in buying the Coyotes. Of course, Canadian media gadfly Davis Shoalts has already suggested that "six" groups exist only in Bettman's imagination.
We know three -- The Ice Edge group that has been working on the purchase for several months, Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon (the owners of the Canadian Football League Toronto Argonauts) and a group of largely local investors headed up by Canadian businessman Steve Stotland. We think the others might include the Jerry Reinsdorf/John Kaites group that bid on the team this summer and Calgary billionaire Brett Wilson, who has kicked the tires on a number of NHL teams.
Stotland is the latest to go high profile and he's made some news along the way. His "group" which is yet to be publicly identified, is said to include a large number of Arizona investors. He also slipped that his group is the only group that has significant Arizona interests. That's good news if he has the wherewithal to pull this off but not the best news for Coyote fans. Apparently this summer's bloodbath has turned off any potential investors as well as fans.
Stotland reportedly bid for the Montreal Canadians both in 2000 and 2009 when they were sold to and by George Gillett. He was a player in the 2000 bidding before Gillett swooped in and bought the team but was not considered a finalist in 2009 when the Habs were sold back to the Molson family.
The Ice Edge group has been deep in discussions with the City of Glendale about a lease but you get the feeling that the league is looking past them for other alternatives. The Saskatoon option as well as questions about the depth of their pockets seem to have slow tracked their offer.
The Kaites/Reinsdorf group has been quiet but there's a sense that John Kaites is still looking to be a part of the solution here. He's well connected with Glendale and could end being a facilitator for any of the groups looking at the team. And current Coyote minority owner John Breslow, who is part of the Ice Edge group, could also end up as a piece of another group.
A new lease is necessary for any group that buys the team. Glendale is going to have to give ground in some way, shape and form. One would assume that whatever lease changes that are being discussed would be made available to all groups. Of course, nothing in this entire episode has gone to script so you can't be so sure.
At the rate the Coyotes are burning through cash. it's incumbent for the NHL to get the team off their books as soon as possible. Gary Bettman had the support of the Governors to make sure the league controlled their own destiny. At a couple of million a month, that support is perishable. If he can't find a viable solution to sell the team soon, the league members could start pressuring him to look elsewhere.
Tickets? We Got Lower Bowl Tickets for $25...
Stack 'em deep and sell 'em cheap. Good marketing move. And perhaps a little overdue.
Get people into the seats to sample the product. Stop treating this as a business as usual situation.
The Coyotes need to do this and much more to bring back fans. We're surprised that the team hasn't hosted an open house this fall with a team practice, autograph sessions and ticket availability. And much more to excite and activate the base.
In this day and age, marketing needn't be an expensive proposition. Social media tools like facebook and twitter allow organizations to communicate offers and incentives quickly. The Coyotes need to pull out all the stops to get butts in seats, even if it's at a severe discount.
And Finally Some Roster Moves In The Works?...
As we get to the quarter pole of the season, the team is easy to grade; Goaltending -- A-. Defense -- B. Offense -- meh.
Nothing has changed. The Coyotes need scoring. It will be very, very hard for them to hang tough in the ultra competitive Western Conference unless scoring deficiencies are addressed. The Coyotes are 24th in the league in goals and on pace to score 197 goals. That's not going to be good enough.
Of course, there are 25 teams in the NHL looking for scoring. The key is finding the right players at the right price.
But the Coyotes have two very valuable assets -- cap space (they are barely above the salary cap floor right now) and future assets including Calgary's 1st round draft pick.
Numerous sources including ESPN's highly regarded hockey blogger Pierre LeBrun have indicated that Coyote Peter Mueller is available in the right deal. There may also be a glut on defense when Kurt Sauer is cleared to return to the ice. Good showings by rookies Sami Lepisto and Dave Schlemko may have given the team the confidence to move a veteran defenseman.
We're not so sure that the time is right to move Mueller but keep in mind he'll be an RFA this summer and in line for a larger second NHL contract. And he's been a shell of his productive 2007-08 player since the end of his rookie year.
Here are two possible targets for GMDM;
Jonathan Cheechoo (Ottawa)has been awful after his off season move in the Dany Heatley trade. He can score, not the 56 goals he got three years ago as Joe Thornton's side car, but he's a skilled 20-30 goal player. The price may be discounted as he struggles to regain his scoring touch.
Niklas Hagman (Toronto) could be an intriguing possibility. He's signed for the next two years at a reasonable $3MM and he's already got 11 goals this year. Hagman is coming off 27 and 22 goal seasons and he's got history (hopefully good history) with Dave Tippett in Dallas. He's available and the rebuilding Leafs would be a good trading partner for the Coyotes. Word from TO is that the Leafs would move Hagman in the right deal, perhaps for a player and a draft pick.
There will be more possibilities as the season progresses. Carolina has pretty much dropped out of sight and veteran scorer Ray Whitney might be available. And if the New York Islanders slide, Doug Weight might be available. The trick for Don Maloney will be moving sooner rather than later because the Coyotes need is not going to be solved by tweaking. There's always hope for internal improvement but reinforcements are still necessary. And soon.
According to Gary Bettman, at least 6 groups have expressed interest in buying the Coyotes. Of course, Canadian media gadfly Davis Shoalts has already suggested that "six" groups exist only in Bettman's imagination.
We know three -- The Ice Edge group that has been working on the purchase for several months, Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon (the owners of the Canadian Football League Toronto Argonauts) and a group of largely local investors headed up by Canadian businessman Steve Stotland. We think the others might include the Jerry Reinsdorf/John Kaites group that bid on the team this summer and Calgary billionaire Brett Wilson, who has kicked the tires on a number of NHL teams.
Stotland is the latest to go high profile and he's made some news along the way. His "group" which is yet to be publicly identified, is said to include a large number of Arizona investors. He also slipped that his group is the only group that has significant Arizona interests. That's good news if he has the wherewithal to pull this off but not the best news for Coyote fans. Apparently this summer's bloodbath has turned off any potential investors as well as fans.
Stotland reportedly bid for the Montreal Canadians both in 2000 and 2009 when they were sold to and by George Gillett. He was a player in the 2000 bidding before Gillett swooped in and bought the team but was not considered a finalist in 2009 when the Habs were sold back to the Molson family.
The Ice Edge group has been deep in discussions with the City of Glendale about a lease but you get the feeling that the league is looking past them for other alternatives. The Saskatoon option as well as questions about the depth of their pockets seem to have slow tracked their offer.
The Kaites/Reinsdorf group has been quiet but there's a sense that John Kaites is still looking to be a part of the solution here. He's well connected with Glendale and could end being a facilitator for any of the groups looking at the team. And current Coyote minority owner John Breslow, who is part of the Ice Edge group, could also end up as a piece of another group.
A new lease is necessary for any group that buys the team. Glendale is going to have to give ground in some way, shape and form. One would assume that whatever lease changes that are being discussed would be made available to all groups. Of course, nothing in this entire episode has gone to script so you can't be so sure.
At the rate the Coyotes are burning through cash. it's incumbent for the NHL to get the team off their books as soon as possible. Gary Bettman had the support of the Governors to make sure the league controlled their own destiny. At a couple of million a month, that support is perishable. If he can't find a viable solution to sell the team soon, the league members could start pressuring him to look elsewhere.
Tickets? We Got Lower Bowl Tickets for $25...
Stack 'em deep and sell 'em cheap. Good marketing move. And perhaps a little overdue.
Get people into the seats to sample the product. Stop treating this as a business as usual situation.
The Coyotes need to do this and much more to bring back fans. We're surprised that the team hasn't hosted an open house this fall with a team practice, autograph sessions and ticket availability. And much more to excite and activate the base.
In this day and age, marketing needn't be an expensive proposition. Social media tools like facebook and twitter allow organizations to communicate offers and incentives quickly. The Coyotes need to pull out all the stops to get butts in seats, even if it's at a severe discount.
And Finally Some Roster Moves In The Works?...
As we get to the quarter pole of the season, the team is easy to grade; Goaltending -- A-. Defense -- B. Offense -- meh.
Nothing has changed. The Coyotes need scoring. It will be very, very hard for them to hang tough in the ultra competitive Western Conference unless scoring deficiencies are addressed. The Coyotes are 24th in the league in goals and on pace to score 197 goals. That's not going to be good enough.
Of course, there are 25 teams in the NHL looking for scoring. The key is finding the right players at the right price.
But the Coyotes have two very valuable assets -- cap space (they are barely above the salary cap floor right now) and future assets including Calgary's 1st round draft pick.
Numerous sources including ESPN's highly regarded hockey blogger Pierre LeBrun have indicated that Coyote Peter Mueller is available in the right deal. There may also be a glut on defense when Kurt Sauer is cleared to return to the ice. Good showings by rookies Sami Lepisto and Dave Schlemko may have given the team the confidence to move a veteran defenseman.
We're not so sure that the time is right to move Mueller but keep in mind he'll be an RFA this summer and in line for a larger second NHL contract. And he's been a shell of his productive 2007-08 player since the end of his rookie year.
Here are two possible targets for GMDM;
Jonathan Cheechoo (Ottawa)has been awful after his off season move in the Dany Heatley trade. He can score, not the 56 goals he got three years ago as Joe Thornton's side car, but he's a skilled 20-30 goal player. The price may be discounted as he struggles to regain his scoring touch.
Niklas Hagman (Toronto) could be an intriguing possibility. He's signed for the next two years at a reasonable $3MM and he's already got 11 goals this year. Hagman is coming off 27 and 22 goal seasons and he's got history (hopefully good history) with Dave Tippett in Dallas. He's available and the rebuilding Leafs would be a good trading partner for the Coyotes. Word from TO is that the Leafs would move Hagman in the right deal, perhaps for a player and a draft pick.
There will be more possibilities as the season progresses. Carolina has pretty much dropped out of sight and veteran scorer Ray Whitney might be available. And if the New York Islanders slide, Doug Weight might be available. The trick for Don Maloney will be moving sooner rather than later because the Coyotes need is not going to be solved by tweaking. There's always hope for internal improvement but reinforcements are still necessary. And soon.
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Coyotes at 10 & 7
After 17 games, the Coyotes are 10-7 and rank seventh in the Western Conference. If they could maintain that pace, it would project out to 96 points and based on history, that would be enough to make the playoffs.
It won't however be that easy.
It's been a better than expected start for the Coyotes that includes impressive wins over a number of power teams. And comes at the same time as two other Western Conference teams have kicked off the year with vastly improved fortunes. Los Angeles and Colorado are much improved. The uptick in Los Angeles was expected. The improvement in Colorado was not. If those two teams continue their improved play, the horse race for Western Conference playoff spots will be intense.
The Coyotes may well be in the best 5 team division in the NHL. San Jose once again looks to be the terror of the regular season. The Stars are solid and the Kings are vastly improved. Anaheim is off to a slow start but they may have the most talented roster outside of San Jose in the West.
Looking at the bigger Western Conference picture, no one expects Detroit to be on the outside looking in, even though they are not the same team they were in the past. An educated case is that the Coyotes will be competing with Dallas, Columbus & St. Louis for the last couple of playoff spots in the West. It will make every game interesting and important. No other professional sports league has such a compelling regular season.
To make the playoffs, it's essential for the Coyotes to win games they are capable of winning. Missed opportunities could well be the difference in making or missing the playoffs. The upcoming stretch of games against the Canadiens, Stars, Lightning, Wild, Blues represent 5 winnable games for the home team. Anything less than 7 points over this stretch would be a disappointment.
The Coyotes come to play every night. The work hard, play a disciplined 1-4 checking system (that's a trap for those of you who don't worship at the house of Jacques Lemaire) and they have generally gotten very good goaltending. And they still suffer from a lack of firepower that is a serious long term concern for the franchise.
So what should we expect?
More of the same. Lots of low scoring tight checking games. A continued emphasis on defensive play. And something novel and interesting -- a trade deadline where the Coyotes will likely be buyers rather than sellers.
As we've discussed here many times, the most crucial element for the team will be the goaltending of Ilya Bryzgalov. Bryz has been awfully good for the first five weeks of the season. The Coyotes are 3rd in the league in goals allowed average. Bryzgalov has been steady almost every night and sensational on several. If you have followed his career, you know that he tends to run hot and cold. So far, mostly hot. That's a good thing.
He's getting a lot of help from a mobile and deep defense. Ed Jovanoski, currently "day to day" with a lower body injury has been the team's best skater. His absence for any length of time could be devastating. The motivation of playing for a spot on the Canadian Olympic team and the Coyotes new management have rejuvenated the 33-year-old defenseman. He's playing like the player that Phoenix expected when former GM Mike Barnett gave him a $32.5MM contract 4 summers ago.
Jovo has had plenty of help. Keith Yandle is having a breakout season. Sami Lepisto has been a nice rookie surprise. Veterans Adrian Aucioin and Jim Vandermeer have come as advertised and Zbynek Michalek has been his usually sturdy self.
In fact the biggest problem the defense has had is staying on the ice. In addition to Jovanoski, Kurt Sauer has been out since the opener with concussion symptoms, Michalek is currently week to week with that dreaded lower body injury. In fact there's enough injury concern that GMDM is kicking the tires on 47 year old Chris Chelios who is currently playing in the American League.
With the back end playing well, the issue for the team was and will continue to be the lack of reliable scoring.
The Coyotes are 21st in the league in goals per game. Considering the roster on hand, that's not bad. Only Shane Doan and Robert Lang have ever had as much a s two 20 goal seasons and several regular forwards have never broken 20.
The Coyotes knew going in that goals would be at a premium this year. They are. Scott Upshall and Matt Lombardi have helped the offense and there's hope that one or more of the young guns sent to San Antonio might show enough promise to be back by the second half of the season.
But don't rule out the possibility of a trade for a goalscorer, should the right one become available. With players like Kyle Turris and Mikkel Boedker in the American League, the Coyotes are less than $300K above the salary cap floor. Unless Don Maloney is working under a burn the furniture budget (and he swears he is not) there is money to add a goalscorer. And there are future assets to deal including several young players who have not yet turned pro and future draft choices including the first acquired from Calgary for Olli Jokinen.
Depending what teams are and are not in playoff consideration will dictate what players are available but you may want to look east where the haves and have nots are quickly being sorted out and some veteran scorers (i.e. Ray Whitney & Jason Blake) may become available. In the past few years, now for later trades were unthinkable for the Coyotes. If the current scenario holds, they will be essential.
And as we complete the first quarter of the season, it's good to keep in mind that teams often over and under achieve in the first few weeks of the season. Part of that can be a carryover (both good and bad) from prior years, new coaching or the relative health of a team. History is littered with teams that don't finish the season the way that they start the year.
For the sake of the future of the Coyotes, let's hope they don't get caught up in that pattern this year.
It won't however be that easy.
It's been a better than expected start for the Coyotes that includes impressive wins over a number of power teams. And comes at the same time as two other Western Conference teams have kicked off the year with vastly improved fortunes. Los Angeles and Colorado are much improved. The uptick in Los Angeles was expected. The improvement in Colorado was not. If those two teams continue their improved play, the horse race for Western Conference playoff spots will be intense.
The Coyotes may well be in the best 5 team division in the NHL. San Jose once again looks to be the terror of the regular season. The Stars are solid and the Kings are vastly improved. Anaheim is off to a slow start but they may have the most talented roster outside of San Jose in the West.
Looking at the bigger Western Conference picture, no one expects Detroit to be on the outside looking in, even though they are not the same team they were in the past. An educated case is that the Coyotes will be competing with Dallas, Columbus & St. Louis for the last couple of playoff spots in the West. It will make every game interesting and important. No other professional sports league has such a compelling regular season.
To make the playoffs, it's essential for the Coyotes to win games they are capable of winning. Missed opportunities could well be the difference in making or missing the playoffs. The upcoming stretch of games against the Canadiens, Stars, Lightning, Wild, Blues represent 5 winnable games for the home team. Anything less than 7 points over this stretch would be a disappointment.
The Coyotes come to play every night. The work hard, play a disciplined 1-4 checking system (that's a trap for those of you who don't worship at the house of Jacques Lemaire) and they have generally gotten very good goaltending. And they still suffer from a lack of firepower that is a serious long term concern for the franchise.
So what should we expect?
More of the same. Lots of low scoring tight checking games. A continued emphasis on defensive play. And something novel and interesting -- a trade deadline where the Coyotes will likely be buyers rather than sellers.
As we've discussed here many times, the most crucial element for the team will be the goaltending of Ilya Bryzgalov. Bryz has been awfully good for the first five weeks of the season. The Coyotes are 3rd in the league in goals allowed average. Bryzgalov has been steady almost every night and sensational on several. If you have followed his career, you know that he tends to run hot and cold. So far, mostly hot. That's a good thing.
He's getting a lot of help from a mobile and deep defense. Ed Jovanoski, currently "day to day" with a lower body injury has been the team's best skater. His absence for any length of time could be devastating. The motivation of playing for a spot on the Canadian Olympic team and the Coyotes new management have rejuvenated the 33-year-old defenseman. He's playing like the player that Phoenix expected when former GM Mike Barnett gave him a $32.5MM contract 4 summers ago.
Jovo has had plenty of help. Keith Yandle is having a breakout season. Sami Lepisto has been a nice rookie surprise. Veterans Adrian Aucioin and Jim Vandermeer have come as advertised and Zbynek Michalek has been his usually sturdy self.
In fact the biggest problem the defense has had is staying on the ice. In addition to Jovanoski, Kurt Sauer has been out since the opener with concussion symptoms, Michalek is currently week to week with that dreaded lower body injury. In fact there's enough injury concern that GMDM is kicking the tires on 47 year old Chris Chelios who is currently playing in the American League.
With the back end playing well, the issue for the team was and will continue to be the lack of reliable scoring.
The Coyotes are 21st in the league in goals per game. Considering the roster on hand, that's not bad. Only Shane Doan and Robert Lang have ever had as much a s two 20 goal seasons and several regular forwards have never broken 20.
The Coyotes knew going in that goals would be at a premium this year. They are. Scott Upshall and Matt Lombardi have helped the offense and there's hope that one or more of the young guns sent to San Antonio might show enough promise to be back by the second half of the season.
But don't rule out the possibility of a trade for a goalscorer, should the right one become available. With players like Kyle Turris and Mikkel Boedker in the American League, the Coyotes are less than $300K above the salary cap floor. Unless Don Maloney is working under a burn the furniture budget (and he swears he is not) there is money to add a goalscorer. And there are future assets to deal including several young players who have not yet turned pro and future draft choices including the first acquired from Calgary for Olli Jokinen.
Depending what teams are and are not in playoff consideration will dictate what players are available but you may want to look east where the haves and have nots are quickly being sorted out and some veteran scorers (i.e. Ray Whitney & Jason Blake) may become available. In the past few years, now for later trades were unthinkable for the Coyotes. If the current scenario holds, they will be essential.
And as we complete the first quarter of the season, it's good to keep in mind that teams often over and under achieve in the first few weeks of the season. Part of that can be a carryover (both good and bad) from prior years, new coaching or the relative health of a team. History is littered with teams that don't finish the season the way that they start the year.
For the sake of the future of the Coyotes, let's hope they don't get caught up in that pattern this year.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
50 Years Ago Tonight
November 1, 1959 is the date of my first and grandest hockey memory.
I was all of 7 years old and on this Sunday school night I was in bed with my radio tuned to a New York Rangers hockey game. The Rangers were playing the Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Canadians and I had recently discovered hockey on radio. It was my bed time but I’m sure I intended to listen for at least a period. Jim Gordon, who became all-time favorite hockey announcer, was calling the game.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Andy Bathgate, the star of the New York Rangers lifted a backhand shot into the unprotected face of Montreal goaltender Jacques Plante. Plante was badly cut and left the ice for repairs. In this era, National League teams only carried one goaltender. If a netminder was injured, the game was stopped until the player could be stitched up. If the goaltender could not continue, a house goaltender (usually an amateur player) or a team trainer would be pressed into action.
Plante was hockey’s premier goaltender of the 1950s. He was coming off his 4th straight Stanley Cup championship (heading towards his 5th) and his play had revolutionized the game. He was also eccentric and moody. And he was about to change the game in a way he could never imagine.
Plante had been practicing with a mask and had vowed to start wearing it in games. Montreal coach Toe Blake was adamantly opposed to Plante’s mask. On this night though, Plante said he would not return to the game without his protective mask. Blake objected, but eventually relented. Jacques Plante was about to become the first goaltender to wear a full face mask in a National Hockey League game.
Back in my bedroom, I was listening intently as Gordon was talking about the historical significance of what was happening. I didn’t know that much about hockey or masks but I did know enough to realize that the first goaltender ever to wear a mask in a game was a big deal. Big enough to yell to my dad that he need to come upstairs right away.
My father loved hockey. He grew up in Brooklyn and played high school hockey. He was also a short track speed skater and had won a number of medals in Sliver Skates competition at Madison Square Garden. His love of hockey is how I was exposed to the game at such a young age and came to be such a passionate fan.
Dad came up and sat on the end of my bed as we listened to history being made. My father was a big talker and what I remember is that on this night is how quiet he was. Reflecting back, I know that it surely was important.
Plante, repaired with 7 stitches and still wearing his bloody jersey came back and played. And he played well. The Canadians built a 3-0 lead and long after I fell asleep; they gave up a meaningless goal to Camille Henry. Hockey had been changed forever.
Simple flat face protectors soon gave away to oversized masks that protected much more of the head and throat area. Ultimately, the form fitting mask was phased out in favor of today’s helmet mask that covers the goaltenders entire head and allows them excellent vision through a caged eye opening.
Over the next 15 years, every goaltender in the league began to wear a mask. On April 7, 1974, Andy Brown was the last NHL goaltender to appear in a game without a mask. Now the thought of playing goal without a mask is incomprehensible.
At the time, I didn’t know enough about hockey to understand what this all meant or how it would change the game forever. But what I do remember is what I said to my father when Plante came back wearing the mask. “The Rangers (who were a very bad team in the late 1950s) are going to win for sure” or something close to that, I told my father. He replied, “I wouldn’t be so sure”.
I was all of 7 years old and on this Sunday school night I was in bed with my radio tuned to a New York Rangers hockey game. The Rangers were playing the Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Canadians and I had recently discovered hockey on radio. It was my bed time but I’m sure I intended to listen for at least a period. Jim Gordon, who became all-time favorite hockey announcer, was calling the game.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Andy Bathgate, the star of the New York Rangers lifted a backhand shot into the unprotected face of Montreal goaltender Jacques Plante. Plante was badly cut and left the ice for repairs. In this era, National League teams only carried one goaltender. If a netminder was injured, the game was stopped until the player could be stitched up. If the goaltender could not continue, a house goaltender (usually an amateur player) or a team trainer would be pressed into action.
Plante was hockey’s premier goaltender of the 1950s. He was coming off his 4th straight Stanley Cup championship (heading towards his 5th) and his play had revolutionized the game. He was also eccentric and moody. And he was about to change the game in a way he could never imagine.
Plante had been practicing with a mask and had vowed to start wearing it in games. Montreal coach Toe Blake was adamantly opposed to Plante’s mask. On this night though, Plante said he would not return to the game without his protective mask. Blake objected, but eventually relented. Jacques Plante was about to become the first goaltender to wear a full face mask in a National Hockey League game.
Back in my bedroom, I was listening intently as Gordon was talking about the historical significance of what was happening. I didn’t know that much about hockey or masks but I did know enough to realize that the first goaltender ever to wear a mask in a game was a big deal. Big enough to yell to my dad that he need to come upstairs right away.
My father loved hockey. He grew up in Brooklyn and played high school hockey. He was also a short track speed skater and had won a number of medals in Sliver Skates competition at Madison Square Garden. His love of hockey is how I was exposed to the game at such a young age and came to be such a passionate fan.
Dad came up and sat on the end of my bed as we listened to history being made. My father was a big talker and what I remember is that on this night is how quiet he was. Reflecting back, I know that it surely was important.
Plante, repaired with 7 stitches and still wearing his bloody jersey came back and played. And he played well. The Canadians built a 3-0 lead and long after I fell asleep; they gave up a meaningless goal to Camille Henry. Hockey had been changed forever.
Simple flat face protectors soon gave away to oversized masks that protected much more of the head and throat area. Ultimately, the form fitting mask was phased out in favor of today’s helmet mask that covers the goaltenders entire head and allows them excellent vision through a caged eye opening.
Over the next 15 years, every goaltender in the league began to wear a mask. On April 7, 1974, Andy Brown was the last NHL goaltender to appear in a game without a mask. Now the thought of playing goal without a mask is incomprehensible.
At the time, I didn’t know enough about hockey to understand what this all meant or how it would change the game forever. But what I do remember is what I said to my father when Plante came back wearing the mask. “The Rangers (who were a very bad team in the late 1950s) are going to win for sure” or something close to that, I told my father. He replied, “I wouldn’t be so sure”.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Moyes Throws In The Towel
When Judge Tom tossed Jim Balsilie's bid for the Coyotes, the die was cast. If a potential suitor was not going to be allowed to buy and move the Coyotes, then the NHL would end up with the team. No one was about to bid against the league since the NHL would ultimately have to bless the new owners of the team.
So at the end of the day, Moyes cut his substantial losses and went home. If he had good legal counsel and got frank advice, he knew back in May that the bankruptcy and sale to Balsillie was a longshot. When you are looking at a $100MM haircut (on top of $100MM already sunk) and you have a certain Canadian gadfly ready to foot the legal bills, why not give it a shot?
He shot, and he missed. Hey, that's hockey.
There's a very pragmatic part of how the NHL has been funding the franchise. Technically, it's a secured loan to the "estate". The NHL has been fronting the cash but protected their interests by being a secured creditor. Translation? The costs of running the Coyotes until the sale is complete are being absorbed by the "estate". The money the league is spending for the franchise is partly to pay off the secured loans the league has been making to the team to keep the franchise operating. With the dollars available to Moyes dropping with each payroll, he finally decided to cut bait and close the deal.
So now, once a few more legal loose ends are cleaned up, the NHL will be the new owners of the Coyotes. And paying the bills with their money. Then the real sale process will take shape.
The anticipation is that the league wants to flip the franchise quickly. Most observers believe that the team will not have much of a chance of reversing attendance losses until new committed owners are in place.
But there are two issues yet to emerge. One is the asking price for the franchise. $140-150MM was a nice bankruptcy price. It was also the approximate price that Team Reinsdorf was willing to pay for the team in May. It may not be the league's asking price. And that could present a problem locating new owners. There's also a question about what the league's timeline for selling the team will look like.
I'd like to think that Gary Bettman and Bill Daly have been honest and forthright in their declarations that they intend to sell the team to owners who will keep the team in Phoenix. And they know full well that new owners will be looking at a minimum loss of $50MM before they can even think about righting the ship.
The last two warm weather teams to change hands were Nashville for $193MM and Tampa Bay at $200MM. Owners like to keep the price of teams inflated. A rising tide raises all ships, you know. We'll be curious to see if the league expects that kind of money for the troubled Coyotes or will be happy to recoup their $14o investment in the team..
Ice Edge Holdings continues to be a visible and aggressive suitor for the franchise. TV cameras were quick to pick up the ownership group sitting with Gary Bettman at Monday's Coyote-Ranger game. Ice Edge executives have an agreement in principal in place with the City of Glendale and seem to be trying to do things the right way. Unlike you know who.
The concern and caution is a) the asking price and b) the wherewithal of the group. If the NHL is content recouping their $140MM investment and Ice Edge has another $50-100MM ready for operating costs, they will be a strong contender to get the team. They could also be the only contender. It's expected that Jerry Reinsdorf and friends will reappear at some point and get in the bidding but that's not a sure thing. And while there may be others who will appreciate that the team can be purchased directly from the league without legal encumberments, there are no guarantees.
"Ice Edge isn't the only horse in the race," Daly wrote in an email yesterday to Sean Fitz-Gerald of The (Canadian) National Post. But Daly didn't name any other potential buyers.
It's also been reported that Wayne Gretzky isn't pleased that his interests haven't been addressed. That's unfortunate. While money is important, hockey's living legend deserves better treatment. Gretzky's approval is not required for the sale of the team to close but his interests go far beyond the dollars at stake. This is a fence that the league needs to mend and mend quicklky. With all other secured and unsecured creditors on board, his objections may not be enough to stop the deal.
So let the bankruptcy sale be closed and let the bidding begin. Soon.
The quicker something happens, and the sooner committed new owners are in place, the faster the NHL can look for a real turnaround for our home team.
And that can't happen soon enough.
So at the end of the day, Moyes cut his substantial losses and went home. If he had good legal counsel and got frank advice, he knew back in May that the bankruptcy and sale to Balsillie was a longshot. When you are looking at a $100MM haircut (on top of $100MM already sunk) and you have a certain Canadian gadfly ready to foot the legal bills, why not give it a shot?
He shot, and he missed. Hey, that's hockey.
There's a very pragmatic part of how the NHL has been funding the franchise. Technically, it's a secured loan to the "estate". The NHL has been fronting the cash but protected their interests by being a secured creditor. Translation? The costs of running the Coyotes until the sale is complete are being absorbed by the "estate". The money the league is spending for the franchise is partly to pay off the secured loans the league has been making to the team to keep the franchise operating. With the dollars available to Moyes dropping with each payroll, he finally decided to cut bait and close the deal.
So now, once a few more legal loose ends are cleaned up, the NHL will be the new owners of the Coyotes. And paying the bills with their money. Then the real sale process will take shape.
The anticipation is that the league wants to flip the franchise quickly. Most observers believe that the team will not have much of a chance of reversing attendance losses until new committed owners are in place.
But there are two issues yet to emerge. One is the asking price for the franchise. $140-150MM was a nice bankruptcy price. It was also the approximate price that Team Reinsdorf was willing to pay for the team in May. It may not be the league's asking price. And that could present a problem locating new owners. There's also a question about what the league's timeline for selling the team will look like.
I'd like to think that Gary Bettman and Bill Daly have been honest and forthright in their declarations that they intend to sell the team to owners who will keep the team in Phoenix. And they know full well that new owners will be looking at a minimum loss of $50MM before they can even think about righting the ship.
The last two warm weather teams to change hands were Nashville for $193MM and Tampa Bay at $200MM. Owners like to keep the price of teams inflated. A rising tide raises all ships, you know. We'll be curious to see if the league expects that kind of money for the troubled Coyotes or will be happy to recoup their $14o investment in the team..
Ice Edge Holdings continues to be a visible and aggressive suitor for the franchise. TV cameras were quick to pick up the ownership group sitting with Gary Bettman at Monday's Coyote-Ranger game. Ice Edge executives have an agreement in principal in place with the City of Glendale and seem to be trying to do things the right way. Unlike you know who.
The concern and caution is a) the asking price and b) the wherewithal of the group. If the NHL is content recouping their $140MM investment and Ice Edge has another $50-100MM ready for operating costs, they will be a strong contender to get the team. They could also be the only contender. It's expected that Jerry Reinsdorf and friends will reappear at some point and get in the bidding but that's not a sure thing. And while there may be others who will appreciate that the team can be purchased directly from the league without legal encumberments, there are no guarantees.
"Ice Edge isn't the only horse in the race," Daly wrote in an email yesterday to Sean Fitz-Gerald of The (Canadian) National Post. But Daly didn't name any other potential buyers.
It's also been reported that Wayne Gretzky isn't pleased that his interests haven't been addressed. That's unfortunate. While money is important, hockey's living legend deserves better treatment. Gretzky's approval is not required for the sale of the team to close but his interests go far beyond the dollars at stake. This is a fence that the league needs to mend and mend quicklky. With all other secured and unsecured creditors on board, his objections may not be enough to stop the deal.
So let the bankruptcy sale be closed and let the bidding begin. Soon.
The quicker something happens, and the sooner committed new owners are in place, the faster the NHL can look for a real turnaround for our home team.
And that can't happen soon enough.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Big Performances, Small Crowds
Under the best of circumstances, October hockey in Phoenix is a tough sell. The weather is still warmer here than it is in the dead of summer in most places. There's plenty of sports competition from the NFL Cardinals, two state universities and the coming NBA season. Not to mention the State Fair. And there's little hockey coverage or culture to generate incremental interest in the game.
So poor attendance at the Coyotes two home games this week was not surprising. But the crowds of 6,900 and 9,100 this week were lousy even by Arizona standards.
It's already brought out the vultures in the hockey press. Bloggers and journalists in established hockey markets and across Canada are already writing the obituary for the franchise. "A ruined market"..."dead team walking"...and "only a matter of time until the Coyotes move" are some of the headlines I've read in the last few days.
Well, not so fast.
Unless someone lives in Arizona, they cannot understand the damage that was done to the franchise this summer. There was no promotion of the team. There was no corporate sales season. Most of the ticket reps have quit and many professionals have left the organization. Their positions for the most part have gone unfilled.
Since the ownership of the team has not been settled, there has been little in the way of advertising or marketing. And what there has been is off target and not creating a ripple in the market. Publicity for the team has been OK but not extraordinary.
There are still a lot of loose ends here. Some things need to happen in short order for attendance to improve.
Winning can cover a lot of problems and the Coyotes continue to perform well on the ice. Last night they beat down the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins 4-1 in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates. That gives the team wins over San Jose, Pittsburgh and Boston in the first two weeks of the season. Those were three of the four best teams in the NHL last year. Phoenix gets a crack at the 4th, Detroit, on Thursday night. By any measure, a great start to the season and one that has the Coyotes on top of the Pacific Division.
And the Coyotes need to continue winning. It is non negotiable if the franchise's fortunes are going to turn. The team lacks star power. In many respects they are reminiscent of the 1996 Florida Panthers, a team of journeymen who played far better than the individual parts. Coach for a month Dave Tippett and his staff have done an outstanding job putting in a tight checking system and maximizing the assets on hand. Tippett and Don Maloney are the early leaders in any discussion for coach and manager of the year in the NHL.
The next thing that needs to happen is that the ownership situation needs to be settled. There is a perceived uncertainty in the community that is not going to go away until new owners are firmly in place.
The Ice Edge group continues to make their presence known. People inside and outside of the organization are whispering that what once seemed to be long shot bid to buy the team may be closer to reality than anticipated. Much closer than has been reported in the local press. Ice Edge already has a lease agreement in place with the City of Glendale.
There's also chatter that the Jerry Reinsdorf group may resurface once the NHL gains control of the situation. They have been keeping a low profile but that has been their modus operandi since first bidding for the team. They have access to the money and the connections necessary to purchase and manage the team.
The NHL is due back in Judge Tom's court next week for a hearing on many of the loose ends still hanging from the bankruptcy. It's expected the league will shortly file an amended bid that meets the court's criteria for purchasing the team. Then it's up to the NHL to flip the team as quickly as possible to new owners. Unless the league has gotten cold feet about the Phoenix market (and wants to take on the City of Glendale in court) a quick sale is anticipated. That will allow new owners to take over and make a strong statement that the team is staying in Arizona. This is a necessary component in rebuilding the fan base. Until the door is closed on potential relocation, questions will remain and business will suffer.
The optimist in me says that both will happen. The coaching staff is using the talent on hand as well as any team in the league. The defense is mobile and active. Adrian Aucoin is living up to his billing as a minutes-eater and is a solid confident player. Keith Yandle is showing big improvement over his rookie season. And Sami Lepisto, acquired from Washington for a 5th round draft choice, has been a pleasant surprise. Combined with tight checking, it's made life relatively easy for Ilya Bryzgalov. And Ilya has been up to the challenge, backstopping the Coyotes to the best goals allowed in the league.
It all seems so simple. Ice a winning team, install new owners and management and a renewed optimism, all in place in time for the Christmas selling season. And enough progress on and off the ice to make the turnstile count a footnote rather than the story. It can happen.
And yet, just a few weeks ago it seemed so far away.
So poor attendance at the Coyotes two home games this week was not surprising. But the crowds of 6,900 and 9,100 this week were lousy even by Arizona standards.
It's already brought out the vultures in the hockey press. Bloggers and journalists in established hockey markets and across Canada are already writing the obituary for the franchise. "A ruined market"..."dead team walking"...and "only a matter of time until the Coyotes move" are some of the headlines I've read in the last few days.
Well, not so fast.
Unless someone lives in Arizona, they cannot understand the damage that was done to the franchise this summer. There was no promotion of the team. There was no corporate sales season. Most of the ticket reps have quit and many professionals have left the organization. Their positions for the most part have gone unfilled.
Since the ownership of the team has not been settled, there has been little in the way of advertising or marketing. And what there has been is off target and not creating a ripple in the market. Publicity for the team has been OK but not extraordinary.
There are still a lot of loose ends here. Some things need to happen in short order for attendance to improve.
Winning can cover a lot of problems and the Coyotes continue to perform well on the ice. Last night they beat down the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins 4-1 in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates. That gives the team wins over San Jose, Pittsburgh and Boston in the first two weeks of the season. Those were three of the four best teams in the NHL last year. Phoenix gets a crack at the 4th, Detroit, on Thursday night. By any measure, a great start to the season and one that has the Coyotes on top of the Pacific Division.
And the Coyotes need to continue winning. It is non negotiable if the franchise's fortunes are going to turn. The team lacks star power. In many respects they are reminiscent of the 1996 Florida Panthers, a team of journeymen who played far better than the individual parts. Coach for a month Dave Tippett and his staff have done an outstanding job putting in a tight checking system and maximizing the assets on hand. Tippett and Don Maloney are the early leaders in any discussion for coach and manager of the year in the NHL.
The next thing that needs to happen is that the ownership situation needs to be settled. There is a perceived uncertainty in the community that is not going to go away until new owners are firmly in place.
The Ice Edge group continues to make their presence known. People inside and outside of the organization are whispering that what once seemed to be long shot bid to buy the team may be closer to reality than anticipated. Much closer than has been reported in the local press. Ice Edge already has a lease agreement in place with the City of Glendale.
There's also chatter that the Jerry Reinsdorf group may resurface once the NHL gains control of the situation. They have been keeping a low profile but that has been their modus operandi since first bidding for the team. They have access to the money and the connections necessary to purchase and manage the team.
The NHL is due back in Judge Tom's court next week for a hearing on many of the loose ends still hanging from the bankruptcy. It's expected the league will shortly file an amended bid that meets the court's criteria for purchasing the team. Then it's up to the NHL to flip the team as quickly as possible to new owners. Unless the league has gotten cold feet about the Phoenix market (and wants to take on the City of Glendale in court) a quick sale is anticipated. That will allow new owners to take over and make a strong statement that the team is staying in Arizona. This is a necessary component in rebuilding the fan base. Until the door is closed on potential relocation, questions will remain and business will suffer.
The optimist in me says that both will happen. The coaching staff is using the talent on hand as well as any team in the league. The defense is mobile and active. Adrian Aucoin is living up to his billing as a minutes-eater and is a solid confident player. Keith Yandle is showing big improvement over his rookie season. And Sami Lepisto, acquired from Washington for a 5th round draft choice, has been a pleasant surprise. Combined with tight checking, it's made life relatively easy for Ilya Bryzgalov. And Ilya has been up to the challenge, backstopping the Coyotes to the best goals allowed in the league.
It all seems so simple. Ice a winning team, install new owners and management and a renewed optimism, all in place in time for the Christmas selling season. And enough progress on and off the ice to make the turnstile count a footnote rather than the story. It can happen.
And yet, just a few weeks ago it seemed so far away.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
0.984
If that's your body temperature, you are feeling perfectly normal.
If it’s your score on the big test, you feel pretty good.
And if it happens to be your goals allowed average, you’re on top of the world. That's just filthy. And right now, that’s Ilya Brzygalov’s goals allowed average
Very glossy stuff. The kind of goaltending that the franchise desperately needs to be successful this year. And make no mistake; Bryz is the most important member of the Phoenix Coyotes. That's due in large part to him being the most variable part of the Coyotes equation.
Ilya is a lot like the little girl with the curl. When he's good, he can be very, very good. And when he's bad, he can be just brutal.
And so far this year he has been very, very good. 4 goals allowed in 4+ games including shutouts at Pittsburgh and San Jose. That is an impressive body of work. Ilya is working behind the tight checking system that Dave Tippett and Ulf Samuelsson have instituted. He also has the benefit of a deep and experienced defense in front of him. But he’s also been on top of his game with smart and consistent positioning complimenting his always great athleticism.
That’s the way it will need to be in Phoenix this year. Fire wagon hockey is a recipe for failure for this team. While there is much hope that young players will improve as the year goes on, there’s not much chance the Coyotes will score a lot of goals this year. 8-4 games are not in the best interests of the franchise.
When Bryz first arrived in Phoenix in 2007, he went on a tear that propelled the Coyotes into playoff contention. His first two months in the desert was some of the best goaltending this franchise has seen. It was enough to earn him a 3 year $12MM contract. And it gave the franchise a backbone it had lacked since Nik Khabibulin had walked three years earlier.
It was a streak reminiscent of the 2006 playoffs, when he carried the Mighty Ducks through a couple of rounds after replacing JS Giguere in the nets.
Much like the clock striking midnight in 2006, Bryz faltered down the stretch in 2008. And last year he had a real up and down season. More down than up. He was so bad that hockey's nicest man, Wayne Gretzky, pulled him from one game after just two shots (and two goals) and several times called him out in public. On a team with a small margin for error, Bryzgalov did not look like a franchise goaltender on way too many nights.
Long before I started the WHX, I was talking about the team's goaltending situation on talk radio and other message boards. I've never been comfortable with Bryz. Some nights he looks like a million bucks. Other nights, you were lucky to get change for your dollar. That kind of goaltending usually means the only action you will be seeing in April is a tee time.
Don Maloney also wavered in his faith. Last year at the trade deadline, a deal that would have sent Bryz to Philadelphia was seriously discussed. In fact, one NHL team official told me that the only thing that kept it from happening was the Flyers perennial salary cap problems. That may or may not be true but the fact is that the Coyotes surely had second thoughts about their franchise goaltender.
So for better or worse, Bryz is back in Phoenix this year. And so far, it’s for the better. Way better. No one expects his goals allowed average to stay so low. Or his save percentage so high. But what would be reasonable to expect is that he keep the Coyotes in the majority of the 65 or so games he will play this year. That’s what a $4MM goaltender should be able to deliver.
And if he does, he’ll keep the Coyotes in a playoff race that they desperately need to be a part of.
If it’s your score on the big test, you feel pretty good.
And if it happens to be your goals allowed average, you’re on top of the world. That's just filthy. And right now, that’s Ilya Brzygalov’s goals allowed average
Very glossy stuff. The kind of goaltending that the franchise desperately needs to be successful this year. And make no mistake; Bryz is the most important member of the Phoenix Coyotes. That's due in large part to him being the most variable part of the Coyotes equation.
Ilya is a lot like the little girl with the curl. When he's good, he can be very, very good. And when he's bad, he can be just brutal.
And so far this year he has been very, very good. 4 goals allowed in 4+ games including shutouts at Pittsburgh and San Jose. That is an impressive body of work. Ilya is working behind the tight checking system that Dave Tippett and Ulf Samuelsson have instituted. He also has the benefit of a deep and experienced defense in front of him. But he’s also been on top of his game with smart and consistent positioning complimenting his always great athleticism.
That’s the way it will need to be in Phoenix this year. Fire wagon hockey is a recipe for failure for this team. While there is much hope that young players will improve as the year goes on, there’s not much chance the Coyotes will score a lot of goals this year. 8-4 games are not in the best interests of the franchise.
When Bryz first arrived in Phoenix in 2007, he went on a tear that propelled the Coyotes into playoff contention. His first two months in the desert was some of the best goaltending this franchise has seen. It was enough to earn him a 3 year $12MM contract. And it gave the franchise a backbone it had lacked since Nik Khabibulin had walked three years earlier.
It was a streak reminiscent of the 2006 playoffs, when he carried the Mighty Ducks through a couple of rounds after replacing JS Giguere in the nets.
Much like the clock striking midnight in 2006, Bryz faltered down the stretch in 2008. And last year he had a real up and down season. More down than up. He was so bad that hockey's nicest man, Wayne Gretzky, pulled him from one game after just two shots (and two goals) and several times called him out in public. On a team with a small margin for error, Bryzgalov did not look like a franchise goaltender on way too many nights.
Long before I started the WHX, I was talking about the team's goaltending situation on talk radio and other message boards. I've never been comfortable with Bryz. Some nights he looks like a million bucks. Other nights, you were lucky to get change for your dollar. That kind of goaltending usually means the only action you will be seeing in April is a tee time.
Don Maloney also wavered in his faith. Last year at the trade deadline, a deal that would have sent Bryz to Philadelphia was seriously discussed. In fact, one NHL team official told me that the only thing that kept it from happening was the Flyers perennial salary cap problems. That may or may not be true but the fact is that the Coyotes surely had second thoughts about their franchise goaltender.
So for better or worse, Bryz is back in Phoenix this year. And so far, it’s for the better. Way better. No one expects his goals allowed average to stay so low. Or his save percentage so high. But what would be reasonable to expect is that he keep the Coyotes in the majority of the 65 or so games he will play this year. That’s what a $4MM goaltender should be able to deliver.
And if he does, he’ll keep the Coyotes in a playoff race that they desperately need to be a part of.
Number 5 With A Bullett!
TSN, The Canadian ESPN, has the Coyotes ranked as 5th in the NHL in their current power rankings. Wow!
(OK, a little high but reflective of the good press the Coyotres are getting around hockey)
Click on the headline above for a direct link to the story.
(OK, a little high but reflective of the good press the Coyotres are getting around hockey)
Click on the headline above for a direct link to the story.
Monday, October 12, 2009
After the Whiteout
Give credit to the organization. Somehow, some way, the Coyotes figured out not only a way to fill the building on Saturday but they also created a compelling story that grabbed a great deal of fan and media attention. For one night, the Job was an exciting and electric place.
Unfortunately, there was no happy ending.
The Coyotes outshot the BJs 36-19 but the volume of shots is a little misleading. The Yotes' didn't have that many good scoring opportunities and Columbus goaltender Mattheu Garon only had to make a handful of quality saves.
A far more telling number was the team's 0-7 on the power play, including two failed 5 on 3s. The home team simply could not break through against a very good Columbus team. Ed Jovanoski was indecisive all night and the Blue Jackets defense did a good job clearing the front of the net.I know the words "very good team" and Columbus are relatively new when used together but the BJs are well coached, very responsible defensively and a very formidable opponent. In some ways, they are what the Coyotes will have to become this year to be successful.
And Columbus has Rick Nash, he of the game winning goal and a commensurate offensive star. Something the Coyotes desperately lack.
To paraphrase Dennis Green, the Coyotes are what we thought they are. Goals will be tough to come by. The team will rely on tight checking and defense and hope that the goaltending continues to come up big. So far so good in the nets.
Now comes the hard part.
Thursday night games in October haven't been very good draws. St. Louis is a good young team but doesn't have the cache of the next two home opponents; Boston and Detroit. It will be quiet at the arena on Thursday.
And the schedule doesn't get any easier. San Jose tonight, St. Louis Thursday, the big, bad Bruins on Saturday and Detroit next Thursday. It's a tough stretch. But it also gives the Coyotes a chance to catch some teams on their first long trip of the season.
The Coyotes need to stay true to Coach Dave Tippett's game plan. The team has allowed 7 goals in 4 games (and are pitching a shutout tonight vs. the Sharks as we write this piece) That kind of defense will win a lot of games. As much as we enjoyed the opening game in Los Angeles (and the Coyotes are the only team to beat the Kings so far this year) the hard truth is that there aren't going to be a lot of 6-3 games involving Phoenix this year.
Get used to low scoring games with tight checking, lots of discipline and (one hopes) outstanding goaltending. That's this year's formula for success. And there is no other options available.
Stupid Newspaper Tricks
According to today's Repulsive, defenseman Kurt Sauer (upper body) remains day to day.
Of course, the same paper reported last week that he was undergoing tests on Friday for headaches.
I guess that's an upper body injury but it certainly was disclosed. The Coyotes reporters would do well to read the paper. Their own.
Unfortunately, there was no happy ending.
The Coyotes outshot the BJs 36-19 but the volume of shots is a little misleading. The Yotes' didn't have that many good scoring opportunities and Columbus goaltender Mattheu Garon only had to make a handful of quality saves.
A far more telling number was the team's 0-7 on the power play, including two failed 5 on 3s. The home team simply could not break through against a very good Columbus team. Ed Jovanoski was indecisive all night and the Blue Jackets defense did a good job clearing the front of the net.I know the words "very good team" and Columbus are relatively new when used together but the BJs are well coached, very responsible defensively and a very formidable opponent. In some ways, they are what the Coyotes will have to become this year to be successful.
And Columbus has Rick Nash, he of the game winning goal and a commensurate offensive star. Something the Coyotes desperately lack.
To paraphrase Dennis Green, the Coyotes are what we thought they are. Goals will be tough to come by. The team will rely on tight checking and defense and hope that the goaltending continues to come up big. So far so good in the nets.
Now comes the hard part.
Thursday night games in October haven't been very good draws. St. Louis is a good young team but doesn't have the cache of the next two home opponents; Boston and Detroit. It will be quiet at the arena on Thursday.
And the schedule doesn't get any easier. San Jose tonight, St. Louis Thursday, the big, bad Bruins on Saturday and Detroit next Thursday. It's a tough stretch. But it also gives the Coyotes a chance to catch some teams on their first long trip of the season.
The Coyotes need to stay true to Coach Dave Tippett's game plan. The team has allowed 7 goals in 4 games (and are pitching a shutout tonight vs. the Sharks as we write this piece) That kind of defense will win a lot of games. As much as we enjoyed the opening game in Los Angeles (and the Coyotes are the only team to beat the Kings so far this year) the hard truth is that there aren't going to be a lot of 6-3 games involving Phoenix this year.
Get used to low scoring games with tight checking, lots of discipline and (one hopes) outstanding goaltending. That's this year's formula for success. And there is no other options available.
Stupid Newspaper Tricks
According to today's Repulsive, defenseman Kurt Sauer (upper body) remains day to day.
Of course, the same paper reported last week that he was undergoing tests on Friday for headaches.
I guess that's an upper body injury but it certainly was disclosed. The Coyotes reporters would do well to read the paper. Their own.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Hockey In The Desert?
As the rinkside reporter for Fox Sports Arizona, Todd Walsh brings great imagination and thoughtfulness to his work. On opening night, he filed a great piece about hockey in Phoenix. If you haven't seen it, you should watch. If you have friends, bloggers or other contacts around who doubt whether the Coyotes can succeed and thrive in the desert, be sure to forward this link to them.
If you haven't seen "Hockey In The Desert", click on the headline above and go to the Coyotes TV page. On the right hand column, look for 10/06/09 - The Coyotes A Look Back. It's a well done piece that speaks volumes about the viability of hockey in Phoenix.
If you haven't seen "Hockey In The Desert", click on the headline above and go to the Coyotes TV page. On the right hand column, look for 10/06/09 - The Coyotes A Look Back. It's a well done piece that speaks volumes about the viability of hockey in Phoenix.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
"There's Something Happening Here..."
"...what it is ain't exactly clear."
One of the anthems of my youth. And so appropriate for the undefeated, untied Phoenix Coyotes.
Who just shut out the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins tonight.
Not bad for dead men walking.
The 3-0 score is not indicative of how one-sided the game was. Ilya Bryzgalov will never have an easier shutout. The Coyotes defense completely shut down the Penguins and the offense converted two power plays and hit an empty net for all the goals necessary. The novice fan looking at tonight's game would wonder exactly who the Stanley Cup champions were. And on top of everything else, Petr Prucha's goal will be a highlight reel staple for this hockey season.
Well, let's not get too carried away. The Coyotes are off to a great start. A few weeks ago we suggested the homecoming would really be enhanced if the team could get 3 or 4 points in the three season opening road games. Well as of tonight, they have 4 in the bank and a chance to grab two more tomorrow night in Buffalo.
No matter what happens tomorrow, Saturday night is shaping up as an electric event. A win in Buffalo? It would be an incredible start to the season. And no matter what, the Job will be rocking on Saturday
"Stop children, what's that sound, everybody look what's going down".
It will be so cool for the entire hockey world to be looking squarely at Phoenix. Not for the "shenanigans" in court. But for the excitement on the ice. I can see (hear) it now...
"A thousand people in the street, singing songs and carrying signs, mostly say, hooray for our side..."
See you at the rink.
One of the anthems of my youth. And so appropriate for the undefeated, untied Phoenix Coyotes.
Who just shut out the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins tonight.
Not bad for dead men walking.
The 3-0 score is not indicative of how one-sided the game was. Ilya Bryzgalov will never have an easier shutout. The Coyotes defense completely shut down the Penguins and the offense converted two power plays and hit an empty net for all the goals necessary. The novice fan looking at tonight's game would wonder exactly who the Stanley Cup champions were. And on top of everything else, Petr Prucha's goal will be a highlight reel staple for this hockey season.
Well, let's not get too carried away. The Coyotes are off to a great start. A few weeks ago we suggested the homecoming would really be enhanced if the team could get 3 or 4 points in the three season opening road games. Well as of tonight, they have 4 in the bank and a chance to grab two more tomorrow night in Buffalo.
No matter what happens tomorrow, Saturday night is shaping up as an electric event. A win in Buffalo? It would be an incredible start to the season. And no matter what, the Job will be rocking on Saturday
"Stop children, what's that sound, everybody look what's going down".
It will be so cool for the entire hockey world to be looking squarely at Phoenix. Not for the "shenanigans" in court. But for the excitement on the ice. I can see (hear) it now...
"A thousand people in the street, singing songs and carrying signs, mostly say, hooray for our side..."
See you at the rink.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Coyotes Crown Kings 6-3 (I always wanted to write that headline)
In many ways, Saturday night's 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings was a statement game for the Coyotes.
For starters, it was a statement that the focus of the franchise is now back where it belongs, on the ice.
It was also a statement that there has been a lot of changes on this team, from a revamped coaching staff to a reworked lineup.
Perhaps most importantly, it turned into a statement that we've got a pretty good hockey team here. Hopefully, that will get some people to sit up and take notice.
A graphic flashed up at the start of the game reminded how much the team had changed (and improved) since the end of last season. 7 skaters gone (Rupprecht, Lisin, Dawes, Hale, Fedoruk, Prust, Kalinin) and 6 new additions (Aucoin, Vandermeer, Lang, Fiddler, Korpikoski, Vrbata) not to mention the players who joined the team at the trade deadline last year. Think about it, would you make this 7 for 6 if it was a trade? I sure would. Anyone in hockey would.
You can't watch without looking behind the Coyotes bench and seeing the steady, composed hand of Dave Tippett already influencing the team. He's been here for all of 11 days and already it's starting to look like a Dave Tippett team. That's a good thing. And a very positive change.
As for the game, the Coyotes played clean, well organized and highly competitive hockey. They won battles for the puck. The power play produced one goal and could easily have had a couple of more. The Yotes won 59% of their faceoffs led by a glossy 8 of 13 for Matthew Lombardi. The only blemish was tepid penalty killing that allowed the Kings to score 3 times on 4 power play opportunities.
The Kings, on the other hand, did not. Jonathan Quick let in a couple of soft goals. The Kings defensive zone coverage was poor for much of the game and their compete level at equal strength was mediocre. Scott Upshall scored the 5th goal after an egregious giveaway by Drew Doughty. For all the hype over Doughty's play (and he is a gifted offensive player), he made at last a half dozen glaring errors and constantly put his team in a defensive hole.
Last year Radim Vrbata scored three goals in 18 games for Tampa Bay after leaving the Coyotes and signing a big free agent contract. He's already two thirds of the way to matching that with a nice two goal effort. Newcomer Robert Lang chipped in with a goal and was strong on the puck all night. The Vandermeer-Aucoin backline duo each ended up the night +3. Nice work all around.
Starting on the road may turn out to be a huge blessing for the team. The next two games -- Pittsburgh and Buffalo -- promise to be stiff tests but if the Coyotes can grab a point or two back east it will set up a nice homecoming next Saturday night. It will also give the team a chance to get away, bond and continue to absorb Tippet's
system. It will also give the team's fans reason to get worked up in anticipation of next Saturday's soon to be sold out game.
Let's also tip our hat to Todd Walsh for an emotional and factual feature about the history of hockey in Phoenix. It would be smart marketing for the Coyotes management to post the feature on their website and YouTube and make sure that every blogger in sight gets the link to this outstanding piece of work. It answered many of the arguments and pseudo-arguments that have been lodged against hockey in the desert. It was eloquent and accurate, typical of the high quality work that Walsh contributes to every broadcast.
While the off-ice "shenanigans" (thanks Dave Strater for putting it all into perspective) will continue for the next several weeks, the better the team does on the ice and the more buzz that hockey, not business, creates, the better off this franchise will be.
You know what, this could turn out to be a lot of fun this year.
For starters, it was a statement that the focus of the franchise is now back where it belongs, on the ice.
It was also a statement that there has been a lot of changes on this team, from a revamped coaching staff to a reworked lineup.
Perhaps most importantly, it turned into a statement that we've got a pretty good hockey team here. Hopefully, that will get some people to sit up and take notice.
A graphic flashed up at the start of the game reminded how much the team had changed (and improved) since the end of last season. 7 skaters gone (Rupprecht, Lisin, Dawes, Hale, Fedoruk, Prust, Kalinin) and 6 new additions (Aucoin, Vandermeer, Lang, Fiddler, Korpikoski, Vrbata) not to mention the players who joined the team at the trade deadline last year. Think about it, would you make this 7 for 6 if it was a trade? I sure would. Anyone in hockey would.
You can't watch without looking behind the Coyotes bench and seeing the steady, composed hand of Dave Tippett already influencing the team. He's been here for all of 11 days and already it's starting to look like a Dave Tippett team. That's a good thing. And a very positive change.
As for the game, the Coyotes played clean, well organized and highly competitive hockey. They won battles for the puck. The power play produced one goal and could easily have had a couple of more. The Yotes won 59% of their faceoffs led by a glossy 8 of 13 for Matthew Lombardi. The only blemish was tepid penalty killing that allowed the Kings to score 3 times on 4 power play opportunities.
The Kings, on the other hand, did not. Jonathan Quick let in a couple of soft goals. The Kings defensive zone coverage was poor for much of the game and their compete level at equal strength was mediocre. Scott Upshall scored the 5th goal after an egregious giveaway by Drew Doughty. For all the hype over Doughty's play (and he is a gifted offensive player), he made at last a half dozen glaring errors and constantly put his team in a defensive hole.
Last year Radim Vrbata scored three goals in 18 games for Tampa Bay after leaving the Coyotes and signing a big free agent contract. He's already two thirds of the way to matching that with a nice two goal effort. Newcomer Robert Lang chipped in with a goal and was strong on the puck all night. The Vandermeer-Aucoin backline duo each ended up the night +3. Nice work all around.
Starting on the road may turn out to be a huge blessing for the team. The next two games -- Pittsburgh and Buffalo -- promise to be stiff tests but if the Coyotes can grab a point or two back east it will set up a nice homecoming next Saturday night. It will also give the team a chance to get away, bond and continue to absorb Tippet's
system. It will also give the team's fans reason to get worked up in anticipation of next Saturday's soon to be sold out game.
Let's also tip our hat to Todd Walsh for an emotional and factual feature about the history of hockey in Phoenix. It would be smart marketing for the Coyotes management to post the feature on their website and YouTube and make sure that every blogger in sight gets the link to this outstanding piece of work. It answered many of the arguments and pseudo-arguments that have been lodged against hockey in the desert. It was eloquent and accurate, typical of the high quality work that Walsh contributes to every broadcast.
While the off-ice "shenanigans" (thanks Dave Strater for putting it all into perspective) will continue for the next several weeks, the better the team does on the ice and the more buzz that hockey, not business, creates, the better off this franchise will be.
You know what, this could turn out to be a lot of fun this year.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Our Long National Nightmare Is Over (Sort of...)
Well, at least one big issue is off the table.
Adios Mr. Balsillie. Seems like we hardly knew yee. Of course, we really had no desire to know yee. Please pack your moneybags and go back to Canada. (But you are welcome to visit anytime, our tourism industry needs your help)
Perhaps the best part of this decision is that we will no longer be treated to Jimberry's smiling picture framed by the Canadian flag every time we open a north of the border website reporting on the Coyotes. That had just gotten bleeping painful.
I won't rehash the entire judgement here but one simple sentence from page 25 pretty much summed it up..."This conclusion effectively is the end of the efforts of PSE, Balsillie, Moyes and The Coyotes to force a sale and relocation of the hockey team."
Thank you Judge Tom.
OK, so now the Balsillie option is off the table. What next?
We know that the Coyotes will play this year in Glendale, the NHL is in charge of revising their bid or finding a new owner and that if a favorable financial deal can be cut, hockey will be assured in Arizona for years to come.
Balsillie has already said he will not appeal. And through his lawyers, Moyes said they are considering next steps but trying to wage an appeal on bankruptcy and franchise law seems to be a longshot. There is no expedient path for an appeal. If Mr. Moyes decides to appeal, he will get on the end of the line and wait his turn in court. It will be a very long time before he will get a hearing, much less any satisfaction.
Of course, if he had competent legal counsel they would tell him that any appeal is a longshot. As I assume they told him when he first tried this whole bankruptcy/side door gambit.
But after watching his efforts as a team owner, I don't know if he would listen to sound legal advice if he got it.
So now the NHL has a clear shot at taking undisputed ownership of the Coyotes. They could continue as debtors in possession, revise their bid (as directed by Judge Baum) and become the interim owners or line up an alternate bidder (did someone say Jerry Reinsdorf?) to complete the purchase through bankruptcy.
And despite what you might have read, the NHL or other owners need not sweeten the pot by adding money to their bid. They could actually lower their offer. The only reason their bid was not accepted was that they tried to exclude claims by Moyes and Wayne Gretzky so that all other unsecured creditors would be paid. That won't happen without another hearing...before Judge Baum. Of course this could mean that some unsecured creditors don't get paid. That won't be good for the credibility of the team around town.
How the NHL chooses to handle this is probably under heavy discussion. The owners of the other teams would certainly prefer to minimize their losses. Lawyers are getting rich and the team continues to bleed cash. No one ever imagined that the league would have to fight to maintain their rights and constitution. That wasn't in the budget this year.
One would also theorize that new owners would prefer to get the team sooner rather than later to start rebuilding the fan base. If the Reinsdorf-Kaites-Tavares-Reinsdorf Jr. group or our friends from Ice Edge are still interested in the team, they now have a window to act.
One can also conclude that The City of Glendale would like to get this mess put away as soon as possible. Of course, that will come with a price for the City. The new owners, whoever they are, will require a new revised lease and the city either needs to pony up now or face more lawsuits and a possible departure of the team.
It would seem like all the elements are in place for quick action. Legal barriers have been removed. The NHL is back in charge, where they should have been all along. And its' in everyone's best interests to get a deal done as soon as possible.
Which would be a refreshing change from the tedious pace we've moved at over the last 5 months.
Adios Mr. Balsillie. Seems like we hardly knew yee. Of course, we really had no desire to know yee. Please pack your moneybags and go back to Canada. (But you are welcome to visit anytime, our tourism industry needs your help)
Perhaps the best part of this decision is that we will no longer be treated to Jimberry's smiling picture framed by the Canadian flag every time we open a north of the border website reporting on the Coyotes. That had just gotten bleeping painful.
I won't rehash the entire judgement here but one simple sentence from page 25 pretty much summed it up..."This conclusion effectively is the end of the efforts of PSE, Balsillie, Moyes and The Coyotes to force a sale and relocation of the hockey team."
Thank you Judge Tom.
OK, so now the Balsillie option is off the table. What next?
We know that the Coyotes will play this year in Glendale, the NHL is in charge of revising their bid or finding a new owner and that if a favorable financial deal can be cut, hockey will be assured in Arizona for years to come.
Balsillie has already said he will not appeal. And through his lawyers, Moyes said they are considering next steps but trying to wage an appeal on bankruptcy and franchise law seems to be a longshot. There is no expedient path for an appeal. If Mr. Moyes decides to appeal, he will get on the end of the line and wait his turn in court. It will be a very long time before he will get a hearing, much less any satisfaction.
Of course, if he had competent legal counsel they would tell him that any appeal is a longshot. As I assume they told him when he first tried this whole bankruptcy/side door gambit.
But after watching his efforts as a team owner, I don't know if he would listen to sound legal advice if he got it.
So now the NHL has a clear shot at taking undisputed ownership of the Coyotes. They could continue as debtors in possession, revise their bid (as directed by Judge Baum) and become the interim owners or line up an alternate bidder (did someone say Jerry Reinsdorf?) to complete the purchase through bankruptcy.
And despite what you might have read, the NHL or other owners need not sweeten the pot by adding money to their bid. They could actually lower their offer. The only reason their bid was not accepted was that they tried to exclude claims by Moyes and Wayne Gretzky so that all other unsecured creditors would be paid. That won't happen without another hearing...before Judge Baum. Of course this could mean that some unsecured creditors don't get paid. That won't be good for the credibility of the team around town.
How the NHL chooses to handle this is probably under heavy discussion. The owners of the other teams would certainly prefer to minimize their losses. Lawyers are getting rich and the team continues to bleed cash. No one ever imagined that the league would have to fight to maintain their rights and constitution. That wasn't in the budget this year.
One would also theorize that new owners would prefer to get the team sooner rather than later to start rebuilding the fan base. If the Reinsdorf-Kaites-Tavares-Reinsdorf Jr. group or our friends from Ice Edge are still interested in the team, they now have a window to act.
One can also conclude that The City of Glendale would like to get this mess put away as soon as possible. Of course, that will come with a price for the City. The new owners, whoever they are, will require a new revised lease and the city either needs to pony up now or face more lawsuits and a possible departure of the team.
It would seem like all the elements are in place for quick action. Legal barriers have been removed. The NHL is back in charge, where they should have been all along. And its' in everyone's best interests to get a deal done as soon as possible.
Which would be a refreshing change from the tedious pace we've moved at over the last 5 months.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Breaking News -- CBC Reporting Both Bids For The Coyotes Rejected
Updated 1:146 PM
Read more here -- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/judge-rejects-both-bids-for-coyotes/article1307436/
And here -- http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/703440
From page 25 of the ruling -- This conclusion effectively is the end of the efforts of PSE, Balsillie, Moyes and The Coyotes to force a sale and relocation of the hockey team.
The good news? NHL is in control of what happens next and Balsillie bid is for all intents and pruposes dead.
The bad news? More indecision.
Read more here -- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/judge-rejects-both-bids-for-coyotes/article1307436/
And here -- http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/703440
From page 25 of the ruling -- This conclusion effectively is the end of the efforts of PSE, Balsillie, Moyes and The Coyotes to force a sale and relocation of the hockey team.
The good news? NHL is in control of what happens next and Balsillie bid is for all intents and pruposes dead.
The bad news? More indecision.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
The Team, The Team -- A 2009-10 Coyotes Preview
While much of the news surrounding the Coyotes has been about off-ice happenings this year, there is still a roster to assemble and a season to play.
GMDM has worked under extraordinary circumstances this summer. Give Maloney much credit for getting ANYONE to agree to come to Phoenix with all the uncertainty surrounding the team. In fact, he's managed to bring in some nice pieces.
And the Coyotes need all the nice pieces they can get. A playoff contending team is a necessity to get the town thinking about hockey again. It's tough to be a win-now team with a (close to) minimum budget.
The Coyotes success this season will start (and hopefully not stop) with their goaltending. Specifically Ilya Bryzgalov, the team's top goaltender must, must have a good season for the Coyotes to compete for a playoff spot. It's an imperative -- there's really no viable fallback position.
Last year, Ilya's play was wildly inconsistent. Catch him on a good night and the team had a chance to win. But on what turned out to be way too many bad nights, he was just awful. So awful that hockey's nicest man, Wayne Gretzky, publicly called out his goaltender. The Coyotes simply can't afford awful this year; their margin for error is too small.
I've never been sold on Bryz and in fact suggested last spring that the Coyotes might consider moving him and looking for a replacement. So far, his career has been built on two very good hot streaks -- through the end of the regular season and the playoffs for the 2006 Almighty Ducks (why did they ever drop that great name?) and a great run when he first joined the Coyotes in 2007. One of those streaks would be nice right now. What would be even nicer is a consistent season that delivers very good play over the long haul.
The alternatives in goal are not compelling. Jason LaBarbera was a curious free agent signing who has had a checkered career. Al Montoya's regular season in San Antonio was spotty last year but he was impressive in a late-season call up and training camp. His reward was a trip to San Antonio but if he plays well and others falter, he could be back in Phoenix quickly.
What will help is a more mobile and talented defense. Arguably, the team's two best off season acquisitions were backliners Adrian Aucoin and Jim Vandermeer. Aucoin is a minutes eater who will give the team excellent puck movement and an offensive threat to go with Ed Jovanoski. Vandemeer is oh, so slow but he plays with an edge and makes the backliner tougher. Sami Lepisto, a draft day acquisition from Washington, is another mobile player. Combined with returnees Jovanoski, Zbynek Michalek, Keith Yandle and Kurt Sauer, it's a deep and talented group.
It will need to be because the Coyotes will having trouble scoring goals. Shane Doan, who has scored 20+ goals 9 straight years, will continue to be the linchpin of the offense. But other than Doaner, no player has sever scored 20 or more twice in their carrer and only 4 (Vrbata, Lombardi, Mueller, Prucha) have even done it once.
Much of the hope for improved scoring will come from a return to rookie season form by Mueller and rapid improvement from last years first draft pick, Mikkel Boedker. The Coyotes also hope that late season acquisitions Matthew Lombardi and Scottie Upshall continue to benefit from increased ice time and raise their offensive production. They are also hoping that Radim Vrbata can repeat his lighting in a bottle season from 2007-08. About the only thing that is certain is that there's a lot of hope going on here.
Update 11:45 AM -- The Coyotes have helped their offense today. Pending a physical, the Coyotes have signed veteran NHL center (and 7 time 20 goal scorer) Robert Lang. Details forthcoming. Interesting move. Lang, 38, was 18-21-39 in 50 games for Montreal last year before suffering a torn Achilles tendon. Assuming he's healthy, it will be interesting to see what he has left in the tank. Could be an excellent signing.
Dave Tippett has a good group of accomplished checkers and defensive players available to form quality checking and penalty killing units. Newcomers Vernon Fiddler and Lauri Korpikoski are accomplished penalty killers and both have some offensive upside. They will join Marty Hanzal to give the team good defensive options. Tippett's work is cut out for him, the Coyotes were 29th in the league in penalty killing last year. Improvement here and on the power play are absolutely necessary for the team to be more competitive this year.
Perhaps what's as important are players who are no longer here. Derek Morris was listless and disinterested in his last Phoenix season. Olli Jokinen was disappointing on the ice and an apparent problem in the locker room. And David Hale and Todd Fedoruk were little more than bottom of the roster players. None will be missed.
The Coyotes should be sturdier on defense, better on special teams and faster than last years edition. They also have a well stocked farm team in San Antonio with numerous players motivated to get back to Phoenix. It should help keep roster players motivated knowing that reinforcements are only a phone call away.
For the 2009-10 Coyotes, it's all going to come down to goaltending and the ability to score goals. There are going to be a lot of tight games this year. There's not a lot of margin for error.
Oh, and some off ice clarity wouldn't hurt. It would allow the team to keep their focus where it most definitely needs to be -- on the ice.
GMDM has worked under extraordinary circumstances this summer. Give Maloney much credit for getting ANYONE to agree to come to Phoenix with all the uncertainty surrounding the team. In fact, he's managed to bring in some nice pieces.
And the Coyotes need all the nice pieces they can get. A playoff contending team is a necessity to get the town thinking about hockey again. It's tough to be a win-now team with a (close to) minimum budget.
The Coyotes success this season will start (and hopefully not stop) with their goaltending. Specifically Ilya Bryzgalov, the team's top goaltender must, must have a good season for the Coyotes to compete for a playoff spot. It's an imperative -- there's really no viable fallback position.
Last year, Ilya's play was wildly inconsistent. Catch him on a good night and the team had a chance to win. But on what turned out to be way too many bad nights, he was just awful. So awful that hockey's nicest man, Wayne Gretzky, publicly called out his goaltender. The Coyotes simply can't afford awful this year; their margin for error is too small.
I've never been sold on Bryz and in fact suggested last spring that the Coyotes might consider moving him and looking for a replacement. So far, his career has been built on two very good hot streaks -- through the end of the regular season and the playoffs for the 2006 Almighty Ducks (why did they ever drop that great name?) and a great run when he first joined the Coyotes in 2007. One of those streaks would be nice right now. What would be even nicer is a consistent season that delivers very good play over the long haul.
The alternatives in goal are not compelling. Jason LaBarbera was a curious free agent signing who has had a checkered career. Al Montoya's regular season in San Antonio was spotty last year but he was impressive in a late-season call up and training camp. His reward was a trip to San Antonio but if he plays well and others falter, he could be back in Phoenix quickly.
What will help is a more mobile and talented defense. Arguably, the team's two best off season acquisitions were backliners Adrian Aucoin and Jim Vandermeer. Aucoin is a minutes eater who will give the team excellent puck movement and an offensive threat to go with Ed Jovanoski. Vandemeer is oh, so slow but he plays with an edge and makes the backliner tougher. Sami Lepisto, a draft day acquisition from Washington, is another mobile player. Combined with returnees Jovanoski, Zbynek Michalek, Keith Yandle and Kurt Sauer, it's a deep and talented group.
It will need to be because the Coyotes will having trouble scoring goals. Shane Doan, who has scored 20+ goals 9 straight years, will continue to be the linchpin of the offense. But other than Doaner, no player has sever scored 20 or more twice in their carrer and only 4 (Vrbata, Lombardi, Mueller, Prucha) have even done it once.
Much of the hope for improved scoring will come from a return to rookie season form by Mueller and rapid improvement from last years first draft pick, Mikkel Boedker. The Coyotes also hope that late season acquisitions Matthew Lombardi and Scottie Upshall continue to benefit from increased ice time and raise their offensive production. They are also hoping that Radim Vrbata can repeat his lighting in a bottle season from 2007-08. About the only thing that is certain is that there's a lot of hope going on here.
Update 11:45 AM -- The Coyotes have helped their offense today. Pending a physical, the Coyotes have signed veteran NHL center (and 7 time 20 goal scorer) Robert Lang. Details forthcoming. Interesting move. Lang, 38, was 18-21-39 in 50 games for Montreal last year before suffering a torn Achilles tendon. Assuming he's healthy, it will be interesting to see what he has left in the tank. Could be an excellent signing.
Dave Tippett has a good group of accomplished checkers and defensive players available to form quality checking and penalty killing units. Newcomers Vernon Fiddler and Lauri Korpikoski are accomplished penalty killers and both have some offensive upside. They will join Marty Hanzal to give the team good defensive options. Tippett's work is cut out for him, the Coyotes were 29th in the league in penalty killing last year. Improvement here and on the power play are absolutely necessary for the team to be more competitive this year.
Perhaps what's as important are players who are no longer here. Derek Morris was listless and disinterested in his last Phoenix season. Olli Jokinen was disappointing on the ice and an apparent problem in the locker room. And David Hale and Todd Fedoruk were little more than bottom of the roster players. None will be missed.
The Coyotes should be sturdier on defense, better on special teams and faster than last years edition. They also have a well stocked farm team in San Antonio with numerous players motivated to get back to Phoenix. It should help keep roster players motivated knowing that reinforcements are only a phone call away.
For the 2009-10 Coyotes, it's all going to come down to goaltending and the ability to score goals. There are going to be a lot of tight games this year. There's not a lot of margin for error.
Oh, and some off ice clarity wouldn't hurt. It would allow the team to keep their focus where it most definitely needs to be -- on the ice.
Monday, September 28, 2009
While (Judge) Tom Slept...
It's been 17 days since bids were tendered in the Coyotes bankruptcy and 5 days since an "emergency" hearing was held to hear the Moyes/Balsillie plea for mediation. A lot has happened in those 17 days.
The Coyotes have cut their training camp to 23 skaters. Surprises? Turris, MacLean, Tikhonov all head to San Antonio while Porter, Lepisto and Winnik make the big club. Management was sending out signals all summer that Turris needed AHL seasoning but it was surprising seeing Tikhonov go down. Turris doesn't have an NHL body right now and there's got to be concern within the organization that he may never become the impact player the team envisioned with the third overall pick. While Tikhonov was clearly rushed last year, his responsible defensive play and NHL size made this reassignment a surprise.
On the plus side, Porter has been noticeable at almost every practice and game I've seen. His play has clearly improved from a year ago. Lepisto is a mobile option on defense who has a nice feel for the game. He also is benefiting from 2 years of AHL seasoning (not a bad idea, eh?)in the Washington system. Vandemeer is oh so slow but he adds grit and experience and Vernon Fiddler is a carbon copy of the player he replaced, Steven Rupprecht.
The downside? Goals are going to be at a premium. It's hard to see this team scoring much more than last year. Unless the offense finds new life, this team will need every ounce of Dave Tippett's coaching skill to keep the goals allowed down and keep the team in games.
Tippett is the Coyotes new head coach. If you haven't heard already, this is the best news the franchise has had all year. Tippett is an accomplished coach who knows how to mold a responsible team. In 6 seasons in Dallas, his teams made the playoffs 5times and the 6th season was wrecked by injuries. His special teams are typically among the best in the league and his attention to team defense is exemplary. And he'll need every ounce of that coaching acumen to bring this team into the playoffs.
The Coyotes also came up with an inventive way of filling the arena on opening night by slashing ticket prices and calling for a the first white-out ever at Jobing.com arena. It appears to be working -- late word from Glendale is that under 2,000 tickets remain for the opener.
While much has happened over the last 17 days, what has not happened is any movement in the team's bankruptcy case.
While The Judge mulls over the case, much still remains unresolved. Opening night notwithstanding, ticket sales still have much ground to make up. A quick check of the dasher boards at an exhibition game showed at least 8 primary sponsor slots still available. Understandably but unfortunately, front office staffers have been jumping ship at an alarming rate.
If Judge Tom was truly committed to enhancing the value of the asset, he would have made the call on this case long ago. Every day that passes is a ticket that goes unsold, a marketing opportunity lost and a further degradation of the value of the asset. While the law needs to be adjudicated properly, this delay isn't helping the asset survive.
The Judge must understand by now that the two sides are not going to work this out. Meditation isn't going to solve the problem. You need two parties that want to settle for mediation to work. The NHL won't settle this case without anything less than a total and complete victory. They not only want to beat Jim Balsillie, they want to crush him. He's cost the league millions of dollars, plenty of bad publicity and much time and energy that could have been better spent elsewhere. Those transgressions will not be dismissed lightly. Or mediated away.
Judge Baum's decision will be appealed by either the NHL or Moyes or Glendale (or all three depending on what he comes back with) so it makes sense that it needs to be legally sound. That said, much of what he decides and writes will come directly out of his June 15th decision. So we'll wait, not very patiently, for the Judge to come in.
But we'll continue to caution him as well as anyone else who is listening that each day lost works directly against what he is supposed to prevent from happening.
The Coyotes have cut their training camp to 23 skaters. Surprises? Turris, MacLean, Tikhonov all head to San Antonio while Porter, Lepisto and Winnik make the big club. Management was sending out signals all summer that Turris needed AHL seasoning but it was surprising seeing Tikhonov go down. Turris doesn't have an NHL body right now and there's got to be concern within the organization that he may never become the impact player the team envisioned with the third overall pick. While Tikhonov was clearly rushed last year, his responsible defensive play and NHL size made this reassignment a surprise.
On the plus side, Porter has been noticeable at almost every practice and game I've seen. His play has clearly improved from a year ago. Lepisto is a mobile option on defense who has a nice feel for the game. He also is benefiting from 2 years of AHL seasoning (not a bad idea, eh?)in the Washington system. Vandemeer is oh so slow but he adds grit and experience and Vernon Fiddler is a carbon copy of the player he replaced, Steven Rupprecht.
The downside? Goals are going to be at a premium. It's hard to see this team scoring much more than last year. Unless the offense finds new life, this team will need every ounce of Dave Tippett's coaching skill to keep the goals allowed down and keep the team in games.
Tippett is the Coyotes new head coach. If you haven't heard already, this is the best news the franchise has had all year. Tippett is an accomplished coach who knows how to mold a responsible team. In 6 seasons in Dallas, his teams made the playoffs 5times and the 6th season was wrecked by injuries. His special teams are typically among the best in the league and his attention to team defense is exemplary. And he'll need every ounce of that coaching acumen to bring this team into the playoffs.
The Coyotes also came up with an inventive way of filling the arena on opening night by slashing ticket prices and calling for a the first white-out ever at Jobing.com arena. It appears to be working -- late word from Glendale is that under 2,000 tickets remain for the opener.
While much has happened over the last 17 days, what has not happened is any movement in the team's bankruptcy case.
While The Judge mulls over the case, much still remains unresolved. Opening night notwithstanding, ticket sales still have much ground to make up. A quick check of the dasher boards at an exhibition game showed at least 8 primary sponsor slots still available. Understandably but unfortunately, front office staffers have been jumping ship at an alarming rate.
If Judge Tom was truly committed to enhancing the value of the asset, he would have made the call on this case long ago. Every day that passes is a ticket that goes unsold, a marketing opportunity lost and a further degradation of the value of the asset. While the law needs to be adjudicated properly, this delay isn't helping the asset survive.
The Judge must understand by now that the two sides are not going to work this out. Meditation isn't going to solve the problem. You need two parties that want to settle for mediation to work. The NHL won't settle this case without anything less than a total and complete victory. They not only want to beat Jim Balsillie, they want to crush him. He's cost the league millions of dollars, plenty of bad publicity and much time and energy that could have been better spent elsewhere. Those transgressions will not be dismissed lightly. Or mediated away.
Judge Baum's decision will be appealed by either the NHL or Moyes or Glendale (or all three depending on what he comes back with) so it makes sense that it needs to be legally sound. That said, much of what he decides and writes will come directly out of his June 15th decision. So we'll wait, not very patiently, for the Judge to come in.
But we'll continue to caution him as well as anyone else who is listening that each day lost works directly against what he is supposed to prevent from happening.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Wayne's World Officially Closes
The announcement was not unexpected when it came today. Wayne Gretzky has resigned as the coach of the Phoenix Coyotes.
While it was inevitable and in the eyes of most fans, a desired outcome, it's a terrible tragedy that the game's living legend gets hauled out to the curb like yesterday's trash. The shabby treatment that Gretzky has received throughout this bankruptcy procedure is simply inappropriate given his contributions to the game and standing in the sport. It will take some time for these scars to heal. Living legends deserve better.
And today Dave Tippett was named as the Coyotes new coach.
That's amazing news. Amazing good in that Tippett is a highly qualified and respected bench boss. One of the best in the NHL. A coach who can positively impact the fortunes of this team. Once Tom Renney was off the board, Tippett was my first and only choice for the job. Amazing in another way -- hard to believe that Tippett is taking the Phoenix job when other plum positions in the NHL (did someone say Philadelphia?) may be open in the next few weeks. Will be very interesting to see what kind of contract length he gets.
Let's not sell short our good fortune here. This is a great move for the Coyotes. Tippett's presence should make this team a playoff contender. He's that good.
Tippett also played with Ulf Samuelsson, Doug Sulliman and Don Maloney in Hartford. That familiarity will certainly help bring the staff together and probably went a long way towards bringing him here.
And given the swiftness in how today's news is developing it's obvious that this move has been under discussion for several weeks.
Ulf Samuelsson has been the acting coach of the Coyotes. By most accounts he's done a good job preparing the team for the season. He has a future as an NHL coach, just not right now.
Earlier this week, the Coyotes made a couple of other very positive coaching moves. In light of today's news, one can assume these changes were all coordinated by GMDM.
Sean Burke takes over as the goaltender coach for the NHL club. Incumbent Grant Fuhr has been kicked upstairs and will work with the team's prospects as well as scout goaltenders for the franchise. We speculated earlier that Burke would and should join the coaching staff if Samuelsson took over as head coach. Didn't quite work out that way but we're sure Burke will add a lot to the team. It's a good and necessary move.
Improved goaltending is the number one priority for the Coyotes this year., Ilya Bryzgalov has been horribly inconsistent since he joined the team two years ago. In 2007-08 he came to Phoenix mid-season and authored a tremendous hot streak before tailing off at the end of the year. Last year he was good some nights and awful on others. While the Coyotes have a lot of holes to address on their roster, it all starts with goaltending. If Bryz doesn't play consistently well this year, nothing else will really matter.
Fuhr, a Hall of Fame goaltender and by most accounts a great guy, didn't seem to be impacting Bryzgalov's play either mentally or otherwise. Burke is a strong personality and is physically similar to Bryzgalov.
And Dave King has joined the team as an assistant coach. King is an experienced NHL bench boss (at Calgary and Columbus) and has a long reputation as one of the great teaching coaches in hockey. He was in charge of the Canadian national program for many years and has coached at all levels of hockey. While King is not a big name or high profile coach, he is deeply respected within the hockey world and admired as a coach and leader. He's seasoned, a renowned technician and has a great reputation for developing young players. He may turn out to be the biggest addition to the team this off-season.
With all that has gone on this summer, the Coyotes have been at the lowest point this or any franchise can experience. Making a smart and impactful move like this is the first step on what could be a very nice climb back to respectability.
While it was inevitable and in the eyes of most fans, a desired outcome, it's a terrible tragedy that the game's living legend gets hauled out to the curb like yesterday's trash. The shabby treatment that Gretzky has received throughout this bankruptcy procedure is simply inappropriate given his contributions to the game and standing in the sport. It will take some time for these scars to heal. Living legends deserve better.
And today Dave Tippett was named as the Coyotes new coach.
That's amazing news. Amazing good in that Tippett is a highly qualified and respected bench boss. One of the best in the NHL. A coach who can positively impact the fortunes of this team. Once Tom Renney was off the board, Tippett was my first and only choice for the job. Amazing in another way -- hard to believe that Tippett is taking the Phoenix job when other plum positions in the NHL (did someone say Philadelphia?) may be open in the next few weeks. Will be very interesting to see what kind of contract length he gets.
Let's not sell short our good fortune here. This is a great move for the Coyotes. Tippett's presence should make this team a playoff contender. He's that good.
Tippett also played with Ulf Samuelsson, Doug Sulliman and Don Maloney in Hartford. That familiarity will certainly help bring the staff together and probably went a long way towards bringing him here.
And given the swiftness in how today's news is developing it's obvious that this move has been under discussion for several weeks.
Ulf Samuelsson has been the acting coach of the Coyotes. By most accounts he's done a good job preparing the team for the season. He has a future as an NHL coach, just not right now.
Earlier this week, the Coyotes made a couple of other very positive coaching moves. In light of today's news, one can assume these changes were all coordinated by GMDM.
Sean Burke takes over as the goaltender coach for the NHL club. Incumbent Grant Fuhr has been kicked upstairs and will work with the team's prospects as well as scout goaltenders for the franchise. We speculated earlier that Burke would and should join the coaching staff if Samuelsson took over as head coach. Didn't quite work out that way but we're sure Burke will add a lot to the team. It's a good and necessary move.
Improved goaltending is the number one priority for the Coyotes this year., Ilya Bryzgalov has been horribly inconsistent since he joined the team two years ago. In 2007-08 he came to Phoenix mid-season and authored a tremendous hot streak before tailing off at the end of the year. Last year he was good some nights and awful on others. While the Coyotes have a lot of holes to address on their roster, it all starts with goaltending. If Bryz doesn't play consistently well this year, nothing else will really matter.
Fuhr, a Hall of Fame goaltender and by most accounts a great guy, didn't seem to be impacting Bryzgalov's play either mentally or otherwise. Burke is a strong personality and is physically similar to Bryzgalov.
And Dave King has joined the team as an assistant coach. King is an experienced NHL bench boss (at Calgary and Columbus) and has a long reputation as one of the great teaching coaches in hockey. He was in charge of the Canadian national program for many years and has coached at all levels of hockey. While King is not a big name or high profile coach, he is deeply respected within the hockey world and admired as a coach and leader. He's seasoned, a renowned technician and has a great reputation for developing young players. He may turn out to be the biggest addition to the team this off-season.
With all that has gone on this summer, the Coyotes have been at the lowest point this or any franchise can experience. Making a smart and impactful move like this is the first step on what could be a very nice climb back to respectability.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tick, Tick, Tick
The clock is ticking on the Phoenix Coyotes.
23 days until opening night and we still need to learn much about this team.
For starters, who will own the team and where will they play this season?
I am still certain opening night will be in Glendale, the team will play here all season and the NHL will control the franchise either as the (congratulations, it's a mess!) new owner, debtors in possession or interim managers while any award to Jim Balsillie is appealed.
The first two scenarios will give a measure of stability to the team. It will also give fans reason to start investing emotionally in the team. Right now both are absent and both are necessary. The third option? Don't ask.
I can't imagine a bankruptcy court handing over the team to Balsillie knowing that the ensuing legal turmoil will run the asset into the ground. It would also create significant new legal precedent and start years of continuing court cases. Just doesn't seem like Judge Tom's (yawn) style. But as I have been warned by my legal experts, surprises do happen in court. Until the ruling is published, we'll just have to be patient.
And then there is the question of who will coach the team.
Wayne Gretzky is still (officially) the coach of the Coyotes. At least in name. Once Judge Tom wakes up from his nap and makes his ruling, the NHL will control the franchise either by outright purchase through bankruptcy, no sale (debtor in possession) or staying any award of the team to Jim Balsillie. If the NHL wants to make a deal with Gretzky, they need to do so within 24 hours. No more time to ponder. Its now or never.
And if The Great One is not going to coach the team, Ulf Samuelsson immediately needs to be named head coach. He's running the team right now. He's the voice of authority players have been listening to through camp. And frankly, there's little available in the way of alternatives given the time and the tenuous state of the franchise. Let's hope that Ulf doesn't get the dreaded "interim" label. Everything with the Coyotes is day to day right now. There's no need for further reinforcement. Ulf is competent and the best choice under very difficult circumstances.
Who will be on the team?
Mostly the usual suspects. Very few roster spots are up for grabs. We'll have more on this after Friday's game.
And finally will anyone come to the games?
An opening week road trip to Los Angeles, Buffalo and Pittsburgh is not exactly the recipe to get the season off to a fast start. This year, it is fortunate for the Coyotes. A nice trip (3 points?) some exposure (at a minimum, the Penguin game will be on NHL Network)could help take the focus off this summer of turmoil and put it back where it needs to be, on the ice. It is far preferable to a first game at home with no build up in advance of the game.
So how can this mess be fixed?
Fixing will take time. Short and long term decisions need to be made that look at the situation frankly and decisively.
I've lived in Phoenix for almost two years now and followed the Coyotes for the last four. As a hockey fan, I've never been excited by the promotion of the team. As a career marketing executive, I've been appalled by the lack of imagination and clarity in the team's message. Some of the team's marketing messages are just not appropriate for an emerging hockey market. How we got to "Pierre the Fanatical Snowman" and "Be Coyotes Cool" (running concurrently) is beyond me.
No single marketing campaign or program is going to fix the Coyotes. Good marketing can create awareness and interest. Winning teams create desire and action.
But let's be frank here -- there is not a lot of interest after what has happened this summer. There's a lot of work to do.
Here are a couple of random ideas. In coming days I'll have a few more suggestions.
There's an exhibition game on Saturday September 26th vs. San Jose. Unless Judge Tom has passed away and I missed it, his decision will have come down by then. And as such, we'll begin to have some clarity for the teams and fans. I'd suggest that whoever is in charge throw the doors open for $5 a head to get some people in the building, expose the players to the fans and generate some energy. Pre-season games aren't going to draw big crowds under the best of circumstances. This isn't the best of circumstances. Sacrifice the gate (ahem) and get some people in the building.
Something similar, albeit not as dramatic might be in order for opening night. Buy everyone a hot dog and a beer to thank them for bearing with what went on this summer.
The Coyotes need to build a message that speaks directly to what has happened this summer. "We Play For You", the contemplated 2009-10 advertising theme is cliched and uninspiring. A slogan like this might work in an established market but it does not communicate what needs to be said here.
Hockey fans in Arizona, casual or hard core, need a pointed message that builds on what happened this summer. The Coyotes got more publicity than ever this summer, although most of it was not positive. Nevertheless, publicity of any kind can be good. I'm not the first person to say that, P.T. Barnum was.
When the NHL sent a lettered to the fans this summer, it was pointed. We know the NHL can succeed in Arizona, but we need your support now. There are ways to tie the urgency of the situation into the promotion of the hockey team without belaboring the points. If done in a clever and imaginative way, it can set up the market for success. Of course, a winning team is a necessary ingredient in this equation but you got to start somewhere. The key is developing a message and a theme that incorporates the issues with the team but builds on them rather than belaboring them.
And finally, the Coyotes need to ask for help. The advertising business sucks right now. Radio and TV stations have more time than ever available to do cross promotions. In fact, this is pretty close to a once in a lifetime opportunity in the Phoenix market. Why not ask each media outlet in town to take one night, make it their own and build a promotion to create publicity and enthusiasm? The Coyotes have plenty of inventory they can offer for now. So do TV and radio stations. There's a deal to be made here. Misery does love comnpany, you know.
More on the team, promotion and Gretzky coming this weekend.
Tomorrow, I'll get my first look at the 2009-10 Yotes. Stop by and say Hi. I'll be the guy wearing the New York Don Maloney jersey. I'm afraid I'll be easy to find.
23 days until opening night and we still need to learn much about this team.
For starters, who will own the team and where will they play this season?
I am still certain opening night will be in Glendale, the team will play here all season and the NHL will control the franchise either as the (congratulations, it's a mess!) new owner, debtors in possession or interim managers while any award to Jim Balsillie is appealed.
The first two scenarios will give a measure of stability to the team. It will also give fans reason to start investing emotionally in the team. Right now both are absent and both are necessary. The third option? Don't ask.
I can't imagine a bankruptcy court handing over the team to Balsillie knowing that the ensuing legal turmoil will run the asset into the ground. It would also create significant new legal precedent and start years of continuing court cases. Just doesn't seem like Judge Tom's (yawn) style. But as I have been warned by my legal experts, surprises do happen in court. Until the ruling is published, we'll just have to be patient.
And then there is the question of who will coach the team.
Wayne Gretzky is still (officially) the coach of the Coyotes. At least in name. Once Judge Tom wakes up from his nap and makes his ruling, the NHL will control the franchise either by outright purchase through bankruptcy, no sale (debtor in possession) or staying any award of the team to Jim Balsillie. If the NHL wants to make a deal with Gretzky, they need to do so within 24 hours. No more time to ponder. Its now or never.
And if The Great One is not going to coach the team, Ulf Samuelsson immediately needs to be named head coach. He's running the team right now. He's the voice of authority players have been listening to through camp. And frankly, there's little available in the way of alternatives given the time and the tenuous state of the franchise. Let's hope that Ulf doesn't get the dreaded "interim" label. Everything with the Coyotes is day to day right now. There's no need for further reinforcement. Ulf is competent and the best choice under very difficult circumstances.
Who will be on the team?
Mostly the usual suspects. Very few roster spots are up for grabs. We'll have more on this after Friday's game.
And finally will anyone come to the games?
An opening week road trip to Los Angeles, Buffalo and Pittsburgh is not exactly the recipe to get the season off to a fast start. This year, it is fortunate for the Coyotes. A nice trip (3 points?) some exposure (at a minimum, the Penguin game will be on NHL Network)could help take the focus off this summer of turmoil and put it back where it needs to be, on the ice. It is far preferable to a first game at home with no build up in advance of the game.
So how can this mess be fixed?
Fixing will take time. Short and long term decisions need to be made that look at the situation frankly and decisively.
I've lived in Phoenix for almost two years now and followed the Coyotes for the last four. As a hockey fan, I've never been excited by the promotion of the team. As a career marketing executive, I've been appalled by the lack of imagination and clarity in the team's message. Some of the team's marketing messages are just not appropriate for an emerging hockey market. How we got to "Pierre the Fanatical Snowman" and "Be Coyotes Cool" (running concurrently) is beyond me.
No single marketing campaign or program is going to fix the Coyotes. Good marketing can create awareness and interest. Winning teams create desire and action.
But let's be frank here -- there is not a lot of interest after what has happened this summer. There's a lot of work to do.
Here are a couple of random ideas. In coming days I'll have a few more suggestions.
There's an exhibition game on Saturday September 26th vs. San Jose. Unless Judge Tom has passed away and I missed it, his decision will have come down by then. And as such, we'll begin to have some clarity for the teams and fans. I'd suggest that whoever is in charge throw the doors open for $5 a head to get some people in the building, expose the players to the fans and generate some energy. Pre-season games aren't going to draw big crowds under the best of circumstances. This isn't the best of circumstances. Sacrifice the gate (ahem) and get some people in the building.
Something similar, albeit not as dramatic might be in order for opening night. Buy everyone a hot dog and a beer to thank them for bearing with what went on this summer.
The Coyotes need to build a message that speaks directly to what has happened this summer. "We Play For You", the contemplated 2009-10 advertising theme is cliched and uninspiring. A slogan like this might work in an established market but it does not communicate what needs to be said here.
Hockey fans in Arizona, casual or hard core, need a pointed message that builds on what happened this summer. The Coyotes got more publicity than ever this summer, although most of it was not positive. Nevertheless, publicity of any kind can be good. I'm not the first person to say that, P.T. Barnum was.
When the NHL sent a lettered to the fans this summer, it was pointed. We know the NHL can succeed in Arizona, but we need your support now. There are ways to tie the urgency of the situation into the promotion of the hockey team without belaboring the points. If done in a clever and imaginative way, it can set up the market for success. Of course, a winning team is a necessary ingredient in this equation but you got to start somewhere. The key is developing a message and a theme that incorporates the issues with the team but builds on them rather than belaboring them.
And finally, the Coyotes need to ask for help. The advertising business sucks right now. Radio and TV stations have more time than ever available to do cross promotions. In fact, this is pretty close to a once in a lifetime opportunity in the Phoenix market. Why not ask each media outlet in town to take one night, make it their own and build a promotion to create publicity and enthusiasm? The Coyotes have plenty of inventory they can offer for now. So do TV and radio stations. There's a deal to be made here. Misery does love comnpany, you know.
More on the team, promotion and Gretzky coming this weekend.
Tomorrow, I'll get my first look at the 2009-10 Yotes. Stop by and say Hi. I'll be the guy wearing the New York Don Maloney jersey. I'm afraid I'll be easy to find.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Second Hand Coyote Chatter
Jim Cerny is the NHL.com reporter for the New York Rangers and also has a fine blog named "Rink Rap". Jim recently published this piece about the Coyotes, through Ranger broadcaster Dave Maloney (brother of GMDM)
While I don't agree with Jim's conclusion, I do agree with all of the other points. we can only imagine how hard it has been on Maloney this summer.
In a posting here on Rink Rap a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the difficult position Don Maloney is in as GM of the Phoenix Coyotes. Of course, things only got worse on the hockey front when training camp started and head coach Wayne Gretzky was a no-show.
I saw Don's brother Dave---the Rangers former captain and current radio analyst---at Rangers camp the other day and asked him how his younger brother is holding up. Dave told me that that Don is doing his best, but that the situation "is just brutal".
And that is just on the hockey operations side of the business. As for selling tickets, forget about it. Not shockingly, it has been nearly impossible to sell any form of season tickets this season in Phoenix, since the fans have no confidence in the future viability of their team.
No matter the outcome of the bankruptcy court ruling, the business is dead in Phoenix. It was dying already---hence the bankruptcy in the first place. But this whole dance between the league and Jim Balsillie, and perhaps the club moving to Hamilton during the season, or being sold and moved next year, has driven a final stake into the Coyotes' survival in Phoenix---er, Glendale.
While I don't agree with Jim's conclusion, I do agree with all of the other points. we can only imagine how hard it has been on Maloney this summer.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
So I Guess I've Got To Write Something
The court hearings are over. Mercifully. We now wait for Judge Tom to return his decision.
I am sorry but I am past the point of being worked up about this process. It sucks. It sucks for the fans, it sucks for the players, it sucks for the Coyotes staff members that have not yet bailed out and it sucks for anyone remotely connected with the Coyotes.
As I remember it, only one person (Jerry Moyes) had any interest in having Jim Balsillie stick his ample nose and bald head into our mess. Nothing would make me happier than to see Mr. Balsillie get run out of town by Judge Tom, followed closely by the moving van carrying Jerry Moyes' furniture. And nothing will make me happier than not seeing one more stock photo of Balsillie wrapped up in a Canadian flag.
Most of the people who attended the hearing this week have reported that Judge Baum has dropped several hints that he sees no precedent in bankruptcy law anything close to what Jim Balsillie is proposing.
As I pointed out earlier this week, reading his June 15th decision make it clear he understands and respects legal precedent. His prior judgement quoted a number of legal decisions relating not only to bankruptcy code but also to franchise law. The Judge, if not quick to pull the trigger, does seem to be thorough before making any call.
Let me expound a little on the bankruptcy code. Bankruptcy laws were overhauled in 1978 and the bankruptcy code is the same across the country. There is no different treatment from one state to another. Accordingly, there is a 31 year history of bankruptcy rulings that form the precedent that Judge Tom will lean on to make his decision. Something you may not know is that the legal community that handles bankruptcies is relatively small. It is a legal specialty. While even ambulance chasers like Lerner and Rowe will do a bankruptcy filing for you, most people who go this route rely on the lawyers who practice bankruptcy law extensively. And with a relatively small number of judges and attorneys, it is a close knit community that knows what is and is not good bankruptcy law.
There's also another large body of law at work here called franchise law. While franchise law does vary from state to state, there is much common ground in the franchisee/franchisor relationship and the legal covenants and commitments that come with this process. Having spent much of my professional career in franchising, I saw very clear indications from Baum's June 15th ruling that he understands franchise law and how that works to protects all franchisees of a company or association. He understands that you just can pull up the McDonald's in El Dorado and move it to Times Square.
There are 5MM people in the Toronto metropolitan area. For the uneducated, Hamilton is part of that market. This is not Phoenix and Tucson. If a business considers an area to be under served, their first step is to talk to the existing franchisee about expanding their service or modifying their agreements to allow additional franchisees. There is no law or precedent that allows another franchisee to buy a bankrupt business and drop it into a protected territory.
As a Phoenix hockey fan, I really could care less whether Southern Ontario is over or under served by the NHL. That is not my problem. What I do care about is that if the Coyotes moved to Hamilton, Kansas City or anywhere else, Phoenix and the surrounding area would become the second largest television market in the United States without professional hockey. Oh and did I mention that Phoenix, even during tough times, is still the fastest growing major market in the US and projected to be the 4th largest metropolitan area int he country in the next 25 years.
So given all of the precedent, hundreds of pages of filings and what seems like weeks of testimony and posturing, where do we end up?
There seem to be three possible scenarios;
First is the award of the team to Balsillie, direction to the NHL to approve Jimberry as an owner and the move to Hamilton and an all purpose screwing of the City of Glendale, hockey fans in Arizona and the National Hockey League. Chances of happening? Highly unlikely. My bankruptcy expert tells me that there is simply not enough precedent nor latitude within existing laws for this to happen. That also seems to be the consensus of many who have covered the recent hearings.
The backside of this ruling would be that Glendale and the NHL will both be in the 9th District Court immediately to get stays. Then the long drawn lawsuits will commence. How long could this drag on? I know of one complicated bankruptcy that is in its' 6th year of court action. No kidding. And once a decision gets stayed, payments to creditors get frozen. That's another complication that Judge Tom wants to avoid.
The second option is to send Balsillie on his way and award the team to the NHL. Certainly the cleanest outcome for the franchise and Phoenix hockey fans. If there is any hope of hockey pulling a dramatic revival in Arizona, a clear path to new ownership is necessary as quickly as possible. NHL control, which by no means makes everything perfect, will help move the focus back on the ice and give the league the latitude to make the necessary deals with new owners the City of Glendale and other creditors. All of which need to happen quickly.
And finally, there a chance that Judge Tom will rule no sale to any party. That of course leaves the NHL in control of the franchise as debtor in possession and likely sets off another legal battle as the league officially repossesses the franchise from Moyes. Not sure of all the ramifications here but it is essentially NHL ownership without clarity. That doesn't sound too promising to me.
No matter what happens, grievous damage has been done to the short term prospects of the Coyotes. We don't know who the coach is, players face uncertainty over what is really important -- their families -- and ticket sales are so far behind, there's no telling when they may catch up. One can only pray that the team has a good road trip before the home opener. A lousy start by the Suns (who by the way have season ticket renewal problems of their own) wouldn't hurt either.
Oh, I can add one additional thing. If Jim Balsillie doesn't win this legal battle, he is dead forever as a potential NHL owner. After the costs the NHL has incurred over this mess and the resulting damage to the Coyotes franchise, he'll never get into the league. Ever.
Of course, that may prove to be a pyhrric victory for those of us following this mess.
I am sorry but I am past the point of being worked up about this process. It sucks. It sucks for the fans, it sucks for the players, it sucks for the Coyotes staff members that have not yet bailed out and it sucks for anyone remotely connected with the Coyotes.
As I remember it, only one person (Jerry Moyes) had any interest in having Jim Balsillie stick his ample nose and bald head into our mess. Nothing would make me happier than to see Mr. Balsillie get run out of town by Judge Tom, followed closely by the moving van carrying Jerry Moyes' furniture. And nothing will make me happier than not seeing one more stock photo of Balsillie wrapped up in a Canadian flag.
Most of the people who attended the hearing this week have reported that Judge Baum has dropped several hints that he sees no precedent in bankruptcy law anything close to what Jim Balsillie is proposing.
As I pointed out earlier this week, reading his June 15th decision make it clear he understands and respects legal precedent. His prior judgement quoted a number of legal decisions relating not only to bankruptcy code but also to franchise law. The Judge, if not quick to pull the trigger, does seem to be thorough before making any call.
Let me expound a little on the bankruptcy code. Bankruptcy laws were overhauled in 1978 and the bankruptcy code is the same across the country. There is no different treatment from one state to another. Accordingly, there is a 31 year history of bankruptcy rulings that form the precedent that Judge Tom will lean on to make his decision. Something you may not know is that the legal community that handles bankruptcies is relatively small. It is a legal specialty. While even ambulance chasers like Lerner and Rowe will do a bankruptcy filing for you, most people who go this route rely on the lawyers who practice bankruptcy law extensively. And with a relatively small number of judges and attorneys, it is a close knit community that knows what is and is not good bankruptcy law.
There's also another large body of law at work here called franchise law. While franchise law does vary from state to state, there is much common ground in the franchisee/franchisor relationship and the legal covenants and commitments that come with this process. Having spent much of my professional career in franchising, I saw very clear indications from Baum's June 15th ruling that he understands franchise law and how that works to protects all franchisees of a company or association. He understands that you just can pull up the McDonald's in El Dorado and move it to Times Square.
There are 5MM people in the Toronto metropolitan area. For the uneducated, Hamilton is part of that market. This is not Phoenix and Tucson. If a business considers an area to be under served, their first step is to talk to the existing franchisee about expanding their service or modifying their agreements to allow additional franchisees. There is no law or precedent that allows another franchisee to buy a bankrupt business and drop it into a protected territory.
As a Phoenix hockey fan, I really could care less whether Southern Ontario is over or under served by the NHL. That is not my problem. What I do care about is that if the Coyotes moved to Hamilton, Kansas City or anywhere else, Phoenix and the surrounding area would become the second largest television market in the United States without professional hockey. Oh and did I mention that Phoenix, even during tough times, is still the fastest growing major market in the US and projected to be the 4th largest metropolitan area int he country in the next 25 years.
So given all of the precedent, hundreds of pages of filings and what seems like weeks of testimony and posturing, where do we end up?
There seem to be three possible scenarios;
First is the award of the team to Balsillie, direction to the NHL to approve Jimberry as an owner and the move to Hamilton and an all purpose screwing of the City of Glendale, hockey fans in Arizona and the National Hockey League. Chances of happening? Highly unlikely. My bankruptcy expert tells me that there is simply not enough precedent nor latitude within existing laws for this to happen. That also seems to be the consensus of many who have covered the recent hearings.
The backside of this ruling would be that Glendale and the NHL will both be in the 9th District Court immediately to get stays. Then the long drawn lawsuits will commence. How long could this drag on? I know of one complicated bankruptcy that is in its' 6th year of court action. No kidding. And once a decision gets stayed, payments to creditors get frozen. That's another complication that Judge Tom wants to avoid.
The second option is to send Balsillie on his way and award the team to the NHL. Certainly the cleanest outcome for the franchise and Phoenix hockey fans. If there is any hope of hockey pulling a dramatic revival in Arizona, a clear path to new ownership is necessary as quickly as possible. NHL control, which by no means makes everything perfect, will help move the focus back on the ice and give the league the latitude to make the necessary deals with new owners the City of Glendale and other creditors. All of which need to happen quickly.
And finally, there a chance that Judge Tom will rule no sale to any party. That of course leaves the NHL in control of the franchise as debtor in possession and likely sets off another legal battle as the league officially repossesses the franchise from Moyes. Not sure of all the ramifications here but it is essentially NHL ownership without clarity. That doesn't sound too promising to me.
No matter what happens, grievous damage has been done to the short term prospects of the Coyotes. We don't know who the coach is, players face uncertainty over what is really important -- their families -- and ticket sales are so far behind, there's no telling when they may catch up. One can only pray that the team has a good road trip before the home opener. A lousy start by the Suns (who by the way have season ticket renewal problems of their own) wouldn't hurt either.
Oh, I can add one additional thing. If Jim Balsillie doesn't win this legal battle, he is dead forever as a potential NHL owner. After the costs the NHL has incurred over this mess and the resulting damage to the Coyotes franchise, he'll never get into the league. Ever.
Of course, that may prove to be a pyhrric victory for those of us following this mess.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
No Sale???
I couldn't add much to everything that has been written about the hearings and eventual auction that is going on today in Federal Court. I am sure that many of you are following the tweets from brahmresnick, TheYotesDiva, HKYFN, cbctom, kmcgran and others.
The biggest news this morning came from Judge Tom, who raised the possibility that he may not accept any of the bids. I spoke to my bankruptcy expert and he told me that he is not exactly sure what the Judge is trying to accomplish. He suggested that Baum likely wouldn't kick the case out of bankruptcy completely or force a Chapter 7 dissolution of the franchise. Perhaps this is consistent with Baum's strategy of forcing more negotiation and a possible compromise. Of course, Judge Tom hasn't gotten to know Gary Bettman very well.
I'll speculate that if the Judge does not accept any of the bids, it effectively takes Balsillie out of the game. The NHL will then begin legal manuevering to reposess the franchise, operate it as debtor in possession and find a new owner.
Or so we hope.
The biggest news this morning came from Judge Tom, who raised the possibility that he may not accept any of the bids. I spoke to my bankruptcy expert and he told me that he is not exactly sure what the Judge is trying to accomplish. He suggested that Baum likely wouldn't kick the case out of bankruptcy completely or force a Chapter 7 dissolution of the franchise. Perhaps this is consistent with Baum's strategy of forcing more negotiation and a possible compromise. Of course, Judge Tom hasn't gotten to know Gary Bettman very well.
I'll speculate that if the Judge does not accept any of the bids, it effectively takes Balsillie out of the game. The NHL will then begin legal manuevering to reposess the franchise, operate it as debtor in possession and find a new owner.
Or so we hope.
Monday, September 7, 2009
The Coyote Saga Drags On
As much as things change in Coyotes Ugly, they really stay remarkably the same. Here are my takes on the last few days developments...
What are we to make of Judge Tom's court?
Not a lot new here.
When a bankruptcy is contentious, a judge will often send the competing interests a signal that they should negotiate among themselves by dragging his/her feet. This one is a mess. And Judge Tom is making it uncomfortable for everyone by reserving judgement, reading and researching and generally taking his sweet old time before issuing any judgements in the Coyotes case.
This type of behavior is common by judges in major bankruptcy proceedings. The Judge wants the sides to work things out. By keeping all options on the table, he increases pressure on all sides to make a deal.
Sooner or later, the Judge is going to have to make a decision. Someone will lose leverage and all hell is going to break loose. If Judge Tom allows Balsillie to bid in the auction, the NHL will immediately ask for a stay in the 9th District Court of Appeals to stop the auction. I spoke with a bankruptcy attorney yesterday who told me there is no mechanism for an accelerated hearing under these circumstances so any stay could delay the auction for a long time. And if Balsillie is booted from the auction, he doesn't have much of a legal leg to stand on but Moyes does. How aggressive and quickly he would act is certainly something to watch. Keep in mind he has lost a lot of money and stands to lose a lot more.
Brahm Resnick reported that Gary Bettman and Earl Scudder (Moyes Attorney) had a hallway conversation outside of Judge Tom's court. It would also make sense that there have been other back channel conversations. The prolonged bankruptcy action has sucked an awful lot of air out of the franchise and it is in everyone's best interests to end this circus soon.
Looking back on Judge Tom's ruling from June, it's clear to me he has a healthy respect for franchise law. I just can't imagine he is going to throw the rules of franchising and all professional sports leagues out on their collective ear. And I think that judgement is probably being waived in Earl Scudder's face by the NHL right now as an incentive to negotiate with the league.
The NHL is standing on principle. The Moyes/Balsillie bid is based on money. In these cases money is often more easily compromised than principle.
Meanwhile Balsillie sweetens the pot.
Late yesterday we learned that Balsillie is trying to negotiate a release with the City of Glendale that would give the COG (up to) a $50MM payment to release the Coyotes from any lease obligations. Breaking the offer down, it's an increase of $30MM to his base $212.5MM offer -- with the additional $20MM coming directly out of and money that would be paid to Jerry Moyes. And $10MM of the offer is contingent on the NHL relocation fee (if we ever got that far)being below $15MM -- something that is never going to happen.
So the real offer is $232.5MM with the likelihood of $40MM going to COG.
This was inevitable. Balsillie wants to negotiate everything. By putting a price on the offer, he is trying to goad Glendale into a negotiation. Let's say that they come back to him and say, "OK, we'll release you from the lease for $120MM". His next step? Offer a compromise at $95MM.
This is how the guy operates.
The real risk with Balsillie is that once you agree to put a price on something, he will pay it. He has (close to) unlimited funds. That is why the NHL has been so slow to talk about a relocation or indemnification fee. Give him a firm price and it is game over.
Unless the Glendale City Council wants to take the money and fold their hand, this dog won't hunt.
So?
Consider this. Under Balsillie's new offer, Moyes is down to a possible $60MM recovery. Perhaps the NHL will strengthen their offer by $5-10MM. See the gap narrowing?
See the negotiation ongoing.
How About Some Hockey Stuff? The Coyotes Sign Taylor Pyatt.
Nice role player who has never played to his size or potential. Another GMDM value signing. Given the Coyotes internal budget, probably the last addition to the team unless there's a trade that sends salary back the other way.
Pyatt suffered a horrific personal tragedy last spring when his fiance was killed in an automobile accident. He came back and played for the 'Nucks in the playoffs but was not signed to a new contract.
He'll give the team experience and stability on the left side.
Oh, and by the way, who is going to coach the Coyotes this year?
This question hasn't changed since I left town. It's either Wayne of Ulf.
One of my spies told me that the team website briefly posted a story that announced Ulf Samuelsson as the team's new coach. It was quickly pulled.
Now this could have been a web site party crasher at work or a just in case story (sort of like an obituary) that is prepared in anticipation of an event happening. On the other hand, it may be fact.
If it ain't Wayne, it's almost certainly going to be Ulf. Be prepared. The Coyotes PR team certainly is. And if Samuelsson is named as the team's coach, the biggest intrigue will be whether it is an interim or permanent appointment.
What are we to make of Judge Tom's court?
Not a lot new here.
When a bankruptcy is contentious, a judge will often send the competing interests a signal that they should negotiate among themselves by dragging his/her feet. This one is a mess. And Judge Tom is making it uncomfortable for everyone by reserving judgement, reading and researching and generally taking his sweet old time before issuing any judgements in the Coyotes case.
This type of behavior is common by judges in major bankruptcy proceedings. The Judge wants the sides to work things out. By keeping all options on the table, he increases pressure on all sides to make a deal.
Sooner or later, the Judge is going to have to make a decision. Someone will lose leverage and all hell is going to break loose. If Judge Tom allows Balsillie to bid in the auction, the NHL will immediately ask for a stay in the 9th District Court of Appeals to stop the auction. I spoke with a bankruptcy attorney yesterday who told me there is no mechanism for an accelerated hearing under these circumstances so any stay could delay the auction for a long time. And if Balsillie is booted from the auction, he doesn't have much of a legal leg to stand on but Moyes does. How aggressive and quickly he would act is certainly something to watch. Keep in mind he has lost a lot of money and stands to lose a lot more.
Brahm Resnick reported that Gary Bettman and Earl Scudder (Moyes Attorney) had a hallway conversation outside of Judge Tom's court. It would also make sense that there have been other back channel conversations. The prolonged bankruptcy action has sucked an awful lot of air out of the franchise and it is in everyone's best interests to end this circus soon.
Looking back on Judge Tom's ruling from June, it's clear to me he has a healthy respect for franchise law. I just can't imagine he is going to throw the rules of franchising and all professional sports leagues out on their collective ear. And I think that judgement is probably being waived in Earl Scudder's face by the NHL right now as an incentive to negotiate with the league.
The NHL is standing on principle. The Moyes/Balsillie bid is based on money. In these cases money is often more easily compromised than principle.
Meanwhile Balsillie sweetens the pot.
Late yesterday we learned that Balsillie is trying to negotiate a release with the City of Glendale that would give the COG (up to) a $50MM payment to release the Coyotes from any lease obligations. Breaking the offer down, it's an increase of $30MM to his base $212.5MM offer -- with the additional $20MM coming directly out of and money that would be paid to Jerry Moyes. And $10MM of the offer is contingent on the NHL relocation fee (if we ever got that far)being below $15MM -- something that is never going to happen.
So the real offer is $232.5MM with the likelihood of $40MM going to COG.
This was inevitable. Balsillie wants to negotiate everything. By putting a price on the offer, he is trying to goad Glendale into a negotiation. Let's say that they come back to him and say, "OK, we'll release you from the lease for $120MM". His next step? Offer a compromise at $95MM.
This is how the guy operates.
The real risk with Balsillie is that once you agree to put a price on something, he will pay it. He has (close to) unlimited funds. That is why the NHL has been so slow to talk about a relocation or indemnification fee. Give him a firm price and it is game over.
Unless the Glendale City Council wants to take the money and fold their hand, this dog won't hunt.
So?
Consider this. Under Balsillie's new offer, Moyes is down to a possible $60MM recovery. Perhaps the NHL will strengthen their offer by $5-10MM. See the gap narrowing?
See the negotiation ongoing.
How About Some Hockey Stuff? The Coyotes Sign Taylor Pyatt.
Nice role player who has never played to his size or potential. Another GMDM value signing. Given the Coyotes internal budget, probably the last addition to the team unless there's a trade that sends salary back the other way.
Pyatt suffered a horrific personal tragedy last spring when his fiance was killed in an automobile accident. He came back and played for the 'Nucks in the playoffs but was not signed to a new contract.
He'll give the team experience and stability on the left side.
Oh, and by the way, who is going to coach the Coyotes this year?
This question hasn't changed since I left town. It's either Wayne of Ulf.
One of my spies told me that the team website briefly posted a story that announced Ulf Samuelsson as the team's new coach. It was quickly pulled.
Now this could have been a web site party crasher at work or a just in case story (sort of like an obituary) that is prepared in anticipation of an event happening. On the other hand, it may be fact.
If it ain't Wayne, it's almost certainly going to be Ulf. Be prepared. The Coyotes PR team certainly is. And if Samuelsson is named as the team's coach, the biggest intrigue will be whether it is an interim or permanent appointment.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Some Random Notes Before A Short Vacation
Time for me to disappear for a few days. Need to recharge the batteries before training camp starts. So here's some of the things I am going to miss this week...
The cage match in Judge Tom's court tomorrow
Lots of juicy items to be decided but the big one is whether Jim Balsillie will be allowed to bid in the bankruptcy auction on September 10th. The NHL says "no", he's already been rejected as a potential owner. Jerry Moyes will counter that Balsillie's bid is his best (and only) chance to recover any money on this deal.
Prediction? I think the court will not disqualify Balsillie at this time. Money talks in bankruptcy court. Balsillie has money. I think the Judge is perfectly willing to let other courts sort out this mess. I believe he will follow the money trail and keep the auction open to Balsillie.
And then what? I expect the NHL will immediately appeal his decision to the 9th District Court of Appeals and seek injunctive relief to stop the September 10th auction. This is a strike issue for the NHL. They will not stand by idly and tolerate any process that could deliver the team to Balsillie. This will almost certainly push the auction back past Balsillie's September 14th deadline to complete the purchase. He won't be going away but it will then take the court battle in a new, different and very expensive direction.
And if I'm wrong? And Balsillie gets thrown out on his ear? Then it will be Moyes suing the NHL. Unfortunately he has far less legal grounds than the league does to pull off an appeal and without Balsillie's checkbook and bank of lawyers it may be time for him to fold his hand.
Don Maloney's (rescheduled) press availability
Maloney is almost always available, by e-mail, phone or other means to answer questions. He's been quiet lately and with the pot boiling on so many fronts, it makes sense for him to be keeping a low media profile.
Suspicion? The league told him it would be better to keep his mouth shut rather than deal with tough questions. Like how is this mess affecting the team and who exactly is going to be the coach when training camp opens.
Which leads to another question...
Who is going to coach the Coyotes this year
Rookie camp opens on Saturday. Veterans are due in next Thursday. Sooner or later someone has got to take the reins of the Coyotes.
Prediction? Wayne Gretzky.
Really? Yes. Gretzky has been in an awful position this summer. His contract has been outed and there's no way he will be working for the $8.5MM this year.
But...The NHL doesn't kick icons to the curb. Ice Edge is still a player in the auction process and they want Wayne's World to stay open. I don't see any way Balsillie could ever get control of the team before this season so I anticipate the Coyotes will stay and Wayne will work on a one year contract at a greatly reduced rate. No matter what you think of Wayne as a coach, he's got a lot of sweat invested in this team and he desperately wants to finish the rebuilding job here. This may not be the most popular move with the hard core fan base but it's likely to be perceived positively by the casual hockey fan.
And if I'm wrong? No highly credentialed coach is going to take over this team without some job security. Forget Dave Tippett or Peter Laviolette coming here. If it isn't Wayne, I expect that Ulf Samuelsson (or perhaps someone else within the organization) will be promoted and Sean Burke will slide in as an assistant to help behind the bench.
Have a good week. We'll check in when we can and we'll be actively staying in touch to see how things start to shake out.
The cage match in Judge Tom's court tomorrow
Lots of juicy items to be decided but the big one is whether Jim Balsillie will be allowed to bid in the bankruptcy auction on September 10th. The NHL says "no", he's already been rejected as a potential owner. Jerry Moyes will counter that Balsillie's bid is his best (and only) chance to recover any money on this deal.
Prediction? I think the court will not disqualify Balsillie at this time. Money talks in bankruptcy court. Balsillie has money. I think the Judge is perfectly willing to let other courts sort out this mess. I believe he will follow the money trail and keep the auction open to Balsillie.
And then what? I expect the NHL will immediately appeal his decision to the 9th District Court of Appeals and seek injunctive relief to stop the September 10th auction. This is a strike issue for the NHL. They will not stand by idly and tolerate any process that could deliver the team to Balsillie. This will almost certainly push the auction back past Balsillie's September 14th deadline to complete the purchase. He won't be going away but it will then take the court battle in a new, different and very expensive direction.
And if I'm wrong? And Balsillie gets thrown out on his ear? Then it will be Moyes suing the NHL. Unfortunately he has far less legal grounds than the league does to pull off an appeal and without Balsillie's checkbook and bank of lawyers it may be time for him to fold his hand.
Don Maloney's (rescheduled) press availability
Maloney is almost always available, by e-mail, phone or other means to answer questions. He's been quiet lately and with the pot boiling on so many fronts, it makes sense for him to be keeping a low media profile.
Suspicion? The league told him it would be better to keep his mouth shut rather than deal with tough questions. Like how is this mess affecting the team and who exactly is going to be the coach when training camp opens.
Which leads to another question...
Who is going to coach the Coyotes this year
Rookie camp opens on Saturday. Veterans are due in next Thursday. Sooner or later someone has got to take the reins of the Coyotes.
Prediction? Wayne Gretzky.
Really? Yes. Gretzky has been in an awful position this summer. His contract has been outed and there's no way he will be working for the $8.5MM this year.
But...The NHL doesn't kick icons to the curb. Ice Edge is still a player in the auction process and they want Wayne's World to stay open. I don't see any way Balsillie could ever get control of the team before this season so I anticipate the Coyotes will stay and Wayne will work on a one year contract at a greatly reduced rate. No matter what you think of Wayne as a coach, he's got a lot of sweat invested in this team and he desperately wants to finish the rebuilding job here. This may not be the most popular move with the hard core fan base but it's likely to be perceived positively by the casual hockey fan.
And if I'm wrong? No highly credentialed coach is going to take over this team without some job security. Forget Dave Tippett or Peter Laviolette coming here. If it isn't Wayne, I expect that Ulf Samuelsson (or perhaps someone else within the organization) will be promoted and Sean Burke will slide in as an assistant to help behind the bench.
Have a good week. We'll check in when we can and we'll be actively staying in touch to see how things start to shake out.
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