It will be business as usual for the Portland Pirates no matter who owns the Phoenix Coyotes, their NHL parent.
Brian Petrovek, the Pirates’ CEO/managing owner, said the failure of a group headed by former San Jose Sharks General Manager Greg Jamison to close on the purchase of the Coyotes will have no effect on the operations of the Pirates.
“It’s not our business, quite frankly, to weigh in on. It doesn’t affect us in any way,” Petrovek said. “It never affected us in the decision we made, choosing among four affiliates when Buffalo was in the process of moving on to buy Rochester.”
The Pirates are in the second year of a five-year affiliation agreement with the Coyotes, who are being operated by the NHL for a fourth season.
“Really, to me, it continues to be a non-issue.” Petrovek said. “There’s no negative side or exposure here, it’s a deal that would move seamlessly from NHL-owned to the new ownership group.”
Jamison’s bid to purchase the Coyotes hit a snag when he was unable to pull together the funds he needed to complete the purchase prior to the expiration of a lease agreement deal with the city of Glendale, Ariz. The agreement for a lease at Jobing.com Arena expired at midnight Thursday.
But Jamison’s bid to buy the Coyotes from the NHL may not be done.
“We remain hopeful the Coyotes sale process will be resolved successfully and we will continue to work with the city of Glendale to move the process forward,” said the NHL deputy commissioner, Bill Daly, in a statement.
Mike Nealy, the Coyotes’ president and COO, also seemed optimistic in a statement issued by the team.
“Mr. Jamison will continue to work with the NHL and the city of Glendale to close a deal that will keep the Coyotes in the Valley,” he said. “Although there is no set timetable, hopefully it will be soon. The Coyotes will continue to be owned by the NHL and nothing changes for our organization.”
Jamison was unable to complete the purchase of the Coyotes before a deadline set on the 20-year, $308 million lease agreement he reached with Glendale for Jobing.com Arena last year. It called for his group to receive $15 million per year over the next two decades to manage the facility.
Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:
pbetit@pressherald.com
Twitter: PaulBetitPPH
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