Jerry Reinsdorf back in the Coyotes ownership picture?

jerryEverybody loves a winner. Apparently even Jerry Reinsdorf.

According to ESPN.com, the Chicago Whitesox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is back in the hunt to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes.

Pierre LeBrun reported late Saturday night that Ice Edge Holdings is no longer the front runner to buy the club from the NHL and that Reinsdorf has emerged as the favorite and that relocation is still a possibility. (Although I’d take the relocation line with a grain of salt. LeBrun was the national hockey columnist for the Canadian Press)

A source told my “Hockey Night in Canada” colleague Elliotte Friedman that Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf was back in the picture. Still, Ice Edge remains in the mix and hopes to try to complete the purchase.

If there is no local owner lined up by May, relocation could possibly enter the picture. The city of Glendale is working hard right now to try to avoid that. [ESPN]

The national media isn’t the only ones claiming that Reinsdorf still has interest. According to AzCentral’s Brahm Resnik, sources he’s been working with for over a year have been hearing similar things over the last few days.

Ice Edge Holdings seemed to feel that Reinsdorf wasn’t interested based on public comments but if he was, it just proves their theory about the Coyotes being viable.

According to reports, Reinsdorf is the favorite of Glendale and the two had reached a tentative lease agreement back in May of 2009.

While the Coyotes continue to move up in the standings and inch closer to the playoffs, the sale of the team remains at a stand still and, if reports are to be believed, Jerry Reinsdorf is inching ahead of Ice Edge as the favorite to purchase them.

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  • Hugefan

    Don't care who gets it as long as they stay in Glendale and no games in Saskatoon, not now or ever. Just listen to Larry the Cable Guy “getr done”. Boggles the mind that they can't just sit down, open their checkbook and do it. I can believe that the CoG is stupid enough to just let the Coyotes walk and they end up with nothing but rock concerts

  • outofPhoenix

    Didn't Reinsdorf want concessions ( I don't care what U want to call it, and handout by any name is still a handout) of $30million per year when Ice Edge is only asking for $10 million per year?

    I do agree with the statement of relocation if nothing is done by May. The NHL does not want to run this team for another year and the logistics of moving the team somewhere else demands a solution by mid-May. That gives whatever city gets the team 4 months to prepare for next season.

  • Joe T

    Did you guys see this? A great explanation as to why the Coyotes are doing so well this year. A must-read:
    http://www.thestevenetwork.ca/2010/03/22/anothe…