Arizona Republic: Glendale struggles to pay city debt. The COG has suggested that if the Jobing.com arena went dark, then the economic situation will be even more dire.
TSN: Which team is most likely to end up in the Peg‘? I think it’s a safe bet that most people in Winnipeg just want to see NHL hockey here next season. Of course my guess is 75% would want Coyotes to come back and have the process go full circle. If you had your choice of Thrashers or Coyotes, which would you choose? Sound off in comments section.
Toronto Sun: Coyotes forward Belanger says Quebec over Winnipeg. Not a big surprise that someone born in Quebec would choose QC over Winnipeg. If that question was posed to Hawks captain Jonathan Toews I would expect him to answer in a similar fashion. When Belanger says “There are reasons why hockey wasn’t working in Winnipeg at the end, I don’t see how that would have changed” you begin to understand Coach Tippet’s gag order. At the end of the day I think I will trust in Mark Chipman/David Thomson’s analysis of the market vs. Eric Belanger.
Globe & Mail: Is Reinsdorf back in the Coyotes picture? Speculation is Matthew Hulsizer might be on the receiving end of a little NHL style leveraging.
Lifestyle Publications: Leafs GM Brian Burke talks hockey, adds cautionary note about possible Return of the Jets. Problem with his warning, is that nobody in Winnipeg would expect this market to duplicate Toronto. Note to Brian Burke; no market in North America is Toronto. Second Note: MTS Centre has 46 private suites & 2 double sized party suites, not 20.
Slam Sports: Steve Nash not following Coyotes soap opera. Not surprisingly he takes the safe route. As both a Canadian and as someone who has made his career in Phoenix, he skillfully answers the questions without offending either side.
Winnipeg Free Press: Will NHL be back? Definitely maybe. If you guys are thinking that you are experiencing deja-vu for the 3rd or 4th time in this saga, don’t pinch yourself as apparently Chicago White Sox & Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf is being courted (begged) by the NHL to get involved in some capacity. I’m not sure what has changed in 2011, that was different in 2009 and 2010, both years he took a look at the Coyotes and walked away. Perhaps he smells the desperation in the air.
