Well, So Much For That Idea: Coyotes Back Up In The Air And Whither Seattle...???

((HT: Arizona Republic/Bickley))

The number that Renaissance Sports and Entertainment says they need to run jobing.com arena has always been in the neighborhood of $15-million. But the city of Glendale is looking for something in the $6.5-million range.

There was talk that the two sides had figured out a way to bridge that $8.5-million gap through things like parking, naming rights, ticket surcharges, and all that other stuff they could dream up...

But... and this is Bickley's big but...

But word is, the city of Glendale wants that number guaranteed. RSE won’t go down that road. And some fear that snag could be a potential deal-killer.

RSE’s Anthony LeBlanc wouldn’t comment on negotiations, but wanted to address his group’s intentions and loyalty to the Phoenix market.

“We’re not doing this to relocate the team,” LeBlanc said. “If we end up exercising an out clause, it’s going to mean that we lost a whole lot of money. And the way things are trending, we really believe this franchise will be in the middle of the pack in the NHL in terms of revenue generated.”

There is a closed-door meeting set for tomorrow to figure out some things for the city council's Tuesday meeting. And the NHL, really, wanted an answer by the Board of Governors meeting on the 27th. But they may not even get that now. It's looking more and more like July 2.

The league needs to put a schedule together fairly soon...

But that brings the next question...

The Seattle Times Percy Allen dives into Bartoszek and Lanza, the prospective buyers of the Coyotes, who want to move the team to Seattle.

And the larger question will be whether or not the two can tweak the MOU that the city has with Chris Hansen and his new arena- contingent on an NBA client first.

From Allen:

"Still, (Councilman Tim) Burgess said the mayor’s office and the potential hockey owners “have a framework, an understanding as to what the lease agreement would look like and how they could use KeyArena for two, three or four seasons if a team were awarded here.” Burgess said Bartoszek and Lanza agreed to assume financial responsibility for improvements to KeyArena if the NHL team began playing in Seattle next season.

The New York investors also asked about the Memorandum of Understanding between Hansen, the city and Metropolitan King County Council on a $490 million downtown arena. The agreement demands Hansen acquire an NBA franchise before construction begins.

Burgess said changing the MOU and starting the project early for hockey “would present some significant questions and challenges.”

The larger question is: Who are these guys who seem to have used an initial introduction from Hansen's people, really don't have a lot of sports ownership cache, and claim they want to bring hockey to Seattle...??? They say they'll eat initial losses at Key Arena, but it sounds like they want a new barn.

Hansen's barn...

But will Hansen want a barn that has only hockey and not an NBA team...??? And can he wait long enough with hockey before the next round of NBA expansion can put a team in his barn...???

And they will...

Here was your early week update from Seattle and Chris Daniels...
((HT: KING-TV))

And, much like what happened when the Atlanta Thrashers left HQ's territory, there has been one group that hasn't said word one in all of this- Quebecor Media, the bunch that wants a team in Quebec City.

Remember, True North said less than nothing before swooping in to buy the team- with the NHL's approval...

Food for thought...