Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes Sold..........Again
June 13, 2017, 11:17 AM ET [64 Comments]
James Tanner
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Once again, the Coyotes have been sold.

According to multiple sources, the Coyotes majority owner, Andrew Barroway has bought out minority owner Anthony Leblanc and his Ice Arizona group.

If you're having trouble keeping this all straight, don't worry. It all gets a bit confusing because there are so many sales and ownership / off-ice squabbles regarding this organization.

A couple of years ago it was a big deal when Leblanc and his Ice Arizona team bought the team, with the intention of keeping it in Arizona. But that was immediately undercut by the group selling off a majority share to Barroway, even though for the most part, Leblanc seemed to be the face of the franchise and the one making decisions.



In the interim, someone has tazed the mayor of Glendale, 35 different arena schemes have been floated/announced/proposed and Gary Bettman pops up twice a year when he's not denying the existence of concussions to say everything is A.O.K.

Also, during this time, the Coyotes signed a 27 year old GM but only gave him fleeting control and for some reason made outdated dump-and-chase master Dave Tippett into his boss.

Who controls the Coyotes? Who has final say? Will they ever move on from Tippett and his 2011-12 Conference Finals Crew?

What exactly is the team's plan and who will execute it?

Hopefully with Barroway now 100% in charge, all these questions will be sorted out.

Here's Craig Morgan with some details:


The buyout means all the members of the IceArizona ownership group that purchased the team from the NHL in August 2013 will no longer be with the organization. That list includes co-owner and alternate governor George Gosbee, co-owner, alternate governor and president of hockey operations, Gary Drummond, president and CEO Anthony LeBlanc, co-owners David Duckett, Bill Dutton, Craig Stewart, Scott Saxberg, Robert Gwin and others.


So the team President and the President of Hockey Operations are out.

To my knowledge - and this is unconfirmed - it was Barroway who wanted Long Don Maloney out of Arizona and who hired Chayka. It was Leblanc/ Drummond who wanted to keep Tippett and thus the stupidest management set up in NHL history was born.



Is this true? I don't know for sure. I suspect so. I mean how else to explain the absolute ridiculousness of asking a guy to build a team while answering to his coach?

Leblanc was also a big Doan booster, so hopefully means that charade is over too. The Coyotes already have one mascot, his name is Howler and thus they don't need a Doan. (Personally I feel the Coyotes should bring Mr. Met aboard if he's out in NY).

Assuming this is approved by the NHL Board, this could be very good news for the the Coyotes and their fan.

As to who the new President should be, I have an idea. If being a game-show host qualifies someone for President of America, then I think being a hockey blogger qualifies someone to run a hockey team. I am 35 and thus the perfect age to hang with fellow kid John Chayka and use slang that no other GM and President in the NHL would even understand.

Anyways, just an idea.