Editor’s Note:
Normally, an article like this would have been published sooner. However, I personally wanted to wait and see what the Local Arizona media’s reaction and coverage (as well as Coyote’s Fan’s reaction of this press conference) would be. We’re posting the most important points from yesterday’s press conference that fans should know about or may not know about already.
Yesterday afternoon, the Deputy Commissioner of the NHL Bill Daly held a press conference for local Arizona media at the Alltel Ice Den in Scottsdale, AZ. Mr. Daly first addressed the media by re-iterating that the NHL is committed to the Coyotes staying in Phoenix/Glendale and wanted to thank Coyotes fans for their support.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly talks with Coyotes Fans before his press conference
The main topics in the press conference were the court case with the Coyotes currently going on and the new bid submitted by Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf to the NHL this past Friday.
Here are the key points of the press conference we beleive you should know about:
Overall Success of the Coyotes and Hockey in Arizona
Mr. Daly pretty much re-iterated what every Coyotes fan (but not the local media for whatever reason) knows. From the time that current GM Don Maloney was brought on, he implemented a long term strategy of building a foundation of prospects and draft picks in their farm system. Gone are the days of trying to bring in high mileage Veteran leadership and other ‘past their prime’ or ‘high cost/low reward’ players. Maloney’s strategy has been paying off and the Coyotes are very close to turning the corner to becoming a winning franchise.
As for Hockey in Arizona, many people still don’t know how the Phoenix Coyotes, according to Mr. Daly, have “laid down roots in this community”. These ‘roots’ include High School hockey, all three Major Arizona Colleges offering Hockey (ASU, U of A, and NAU all have hockey teams) and Junior Hockey (PF Chang’s sponsored a youth camp which was taking place during Mr. Daly’s press conference). These are just examples of how Hockey roots are starting to grow deep into the traditions of the Phoenix area. The process of growing hockey roots in the valley is developing ‘great young players’. However, Mr. Daly also adds that even though lots of people are playing hockey in the valley, the “process is gaining momentum” in the Valley.
The Reinsdorf Bid
As you may or may not know, an ownership group led by Jerry Reinsdorf recently submitted an Ownership bid to the NHL for $148 million with the intention of keeping the team in Arizona.
Mr. Daly summarized the time lines for the Renisdorf Bid (some of these aren’t hard dates….just estimates):
- Received Bid from Jerry Reinsdorf’s group – Friday June 26th, 2009
- When Reinsdorf’s group must have a completed Asset purchase agreement in to the NHL by- July 24th, 2009
- Must have NHL Board of Governor’s Approval by July 30th, 2009
- The NHL Executive Committee schedules an interview with Reinsdorf’s group – Date not set
- Board of Governor’s meet to vote on the Application for approval of the sale – by August 5th, 2009. August 5th is also the deadline the court has set for approval of the transaction (the sale of the team to Reinsdorf).
The NHL is hoping they can get this all done in a month or so….on August 5th at the earliest. Mr. Daly is ‘hopeful and confident’ that the Reinsdorf bid is the right one for the Phoenix Coyotes moving forward.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly conducts his press conference while Coyotes fans show their support
How the team will be run next season via the Front Office while the current case is in court?
Right now Coyotes GM Don Maloney will still be making decisions for the club. Mr Maloney will be reporting directly to representatives of Jerry Moyes and representatives from the NHL (until the ownership court case is resolved). Maloney has already submitted an Operations Budget for next season and, according to Mr. Daly, the budget ‘has been approved by both sides’. Mr. Maloney has ‘fairly significant latitude’ to make decisions, in the realm of his job title. In short, ‘it’s business as usual’ for Mr. Maloney.
The 2011 All-Star Game in Phoenix?
Following up on a story we first reported in January of this year:
(Fans may or may not remember but the Coyotes were to host the NHL All-Star Game in 2005 but was canceled due to the Collective Bargaining Agreement Labor Dispute.)
…we asked Mr. Daly if there will be an official announcement of the 2011 All-Star Game coming to Phoenix and if the court case had any effect on said announcement. As of this moment the NHL has not made an official announcement on the 2011 All-Star Game but Mr. Daily wasn’t in the position to make an announcement during this press conference either.
However, he did say this:
‘Phoenix is owed an All-Star game and we have every intention to make good on the promise to the people of Glendale and the City of Phoenix on bringing an All-Star Game here in the near future.’
Mr. Daly continued….
‘Yes, there will be an All-Star Game here.’
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