Glendale officials say the NHL now controls the Phoenix Coyotes after infusing the team’s bank accounts with millions and millions of dollars, but team officials say they still control the franchise.
Glendale officials say the NHL now controls the Phoenix Coyotes after infusing the team’s bank accounts with millions and millions of dollars, but team officials say they still control the franchise.
Glendale City Manager Ed Beasley was pretty blunt about the current situation with the team and its troubled relationship with paying Jobing.com Arena rent:
"The NHL is in charge of the team right now," Beasley told the Arizona Republic. "We have assurances from the NHL the money will be paid. . . . We are sitting down with the NHL and working confidentially with them, and the city expects to be paid in full."
Coyotes President Doug Moss downplays the NHL involvement and says team owner Jerry Noyes is still in charge:
"We are not reporting to the league — we report to Jerry Moyes. I’m dealing with things in my area, the business side, and Donnie (General Manager Don Maloney) is dealing with the hockey side.
"It’s business as usual. He’s preparing for the draft. I’m preparing for next year on marketing and sales."
Of course, both sides could be right: Beasley may be overstating the role of the NHL in day-to-day operations, while Moss may be avoiding the central issue of who is controlling what Moyes is doing. With the season ended, an NHL team focuses on sales and player prep for the next season — and those are two areas where the NHL wouldn’t necessarily be micromanaging.
RELATED STORIES: Coyotes still millions in arrears on arena payments; Could Phoenix Coyotes end up in Toronto?; Financial woes continue for Coyotes; Coyotes now current on arena lease payments
Sign up for the free weekly Arena Digest newsletter and keep up with the latest happenings! You can sign up here.
