Spin Doctoring to Hit High Gear in GlendaleMcGuire, a strong supporter of the ROTJ for years now, touched on the topic of Coyote spin doctoring this week and raised some excellent points. "If TNSE...is the (Coyotes) mystery buyer, you won't be seeing them pull the team out Glendale for this year". McGuire further adds, "it is possible that it is TNSE but they will run the team down there for the year any losses OVER 25 mil I believe would be shared between them and the NHL as part of the deal to buy now. But I dont think its them anyway, because I still don't think there are any mystery buyers. It's an attempt to keep tickets getting sold."Hard to argue with you McGuire! Ultimately money talks. So it is fairly clear to surmise that the "fix" is in until about mid April when Coyote ticket sales finally run due course. Any rumours of saviours from now until then are nearly 100% pure fabrications based on the poor business plan that awaits any owner in Arizona. The spin doctors at the NHL and for the COG will be at work to minimize club losses throughout the season because both have a vested interest to prop up any hope to prey upon local fan wallets.However, if truly bad news breaks for keeping the team in Glendale before the end of the regular season then that is closer to the truth. Because in this case, the truth would hurt all current stakeholders of the Coyotes.One would be OFFside to think different!And unless TNSE has agreed to pick up the tab for the club's losses, don't expect even a TNSE purchase announcement before nearing the end of the upcoming 2010-2011 season. As much as Manitobans would love to expect the New Years Eve Party Of The Century, it is doubtful the announcement will occur until a huge majority of Coyote home games are in the rear view mirror, sometime in mid to late March at the earliest. more »

Line in the Sand Crossed in ArizonaWith Gary Bettman recently confirming that NHL headquarters has received that bonafide offer from the Winnipeg ownership group, it may be the words that paint the NHL Commissioner into a very tight corner.By publicly declaring the principals in the Winnipeg ownership group along with the recent "$25 million insurance" deal with the City of Glendale in which the deal testifies that the NHL has received an offer north of $165 million, the NHL now faces a very difficult balancing act.Given the NHL's strong interest to keep intact the Southern Experiment, and their multiple efforts to "sell" the team to Jerry Reinsdorf once even before the team went into bankruptcy, it is clear in this current soap opera that their preferred team locale is the present one.One would be OFFside to think that the NHL wants to lose the first tent peg in the southern strategy. more »