The never-ending saga of the Phoenix Coyotes might be finally coming to an end. The National Hockey League and the City of Glendale are looking into renewing their existing agreement. If the vote passes, the Phoenix Coyotes will be staying in Glendale for at least one more season. The agreement would call for the City of Glendale to pay the National Hockey League $25 million in potential losses. The City of Glendale just last week paid the NHL $25 million for potential losses for this past season. The City Council will vote on the proposal this week and it is suspected to pass unanimously.

The National Hockey League and the City of Glendale feel this is a good arrangement because it gives the city time to find a potential owner or to fix the deal with Matthew Hulsizer. From the beginning of this two-year saga, the National Hockey League has worked closely with the City of Glendale to keep the Coyotes in the city. If the deal passes, many councilors feel that with this temporary solution in place, they could find a long-term solution. Deputy Commissioner Billy Daly was quoted as saying, “We remain confident that a long-term ownership solution exists, and we intend to pursue it.” The league is committed to keep trying to back a losing effort in many people’s eyes. This agreement would put a potential move to Winnipeg on hold. The people of Winnipeg have been through a roller coaster ride with their beloved Jets and all parties involved just want this process to end. The commissioner seems to be trying to keep teams from moving to a Canadian city. Canada is the home of hockey, and there is a fan base to support a team. Some people may question whether Commissioner Bettman has some alternative motive to keep the teams out of Canadian cities since he is fighting so hard to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix.

However, the Goldwater Institute is still looming. They intend to look into this deal as well. They want to identify the source of the $25 million committed by Glendale before they can determine whether to sue the city over this proposal. Is it really legal to have taxpayer dollars pay for losses? If the deal were to pass, the Phoenix Coyotes would be in the same situation next year as they are in now, barring any new ownership sale. That means over two seasons the City of Glendale would have paid $50 million to the National Hockey League to cover losses. That does not seem really fair to the taxpayers. It would seem the city of Glendale must have a motive to keep the team. It needs to justify paying the National Hockey League that kind of money. The team’s existence must provide sufficient jobs, revenue source and create economic viability to sustain these payments. The people need to know the motive and figures from the city council. Ultimately, they should be the ones to ultimately vote yes or no in support of the team.

Glendale City Councilor Phil Lieberman feels that a deal with Matthew Hulsizer may not work out. The reports are that Hulsizer is getting frustrated, and he is calling other teams that are in financial trouble, mainly the St. Louis Blues. Aides to Hulsizer deny those reports; Hulsizer is getting frustrated with the whole process thinking a deal would have been worked out by now. Lieberman during an interview brought Jim Balsille’s name back in the mix. He feels personally that a deal with Balsille could be worked out if he was brought back into the mix. Wouldn’t it be funny if Balsille was approved as the Coyotes’ new owner? While that is Lieberman’s personal taste, the NHL and Jim Balsille would have to compromise on several differences before a deal could be reached and approved by the owners. We all know Balsille’s personal preference is to move the Coyotes to Canada.

The Phoenix Coyotes ownership situation is in limbo, fans of the Coyotes might see hockey one more season in the desert. But what happens next year with this franchise? Stay tuned for the continuing saga as the “Coyotes World Turns.”