Opponents of the $324 million Phoenix Coyotes sale to a group led by Greg Jamison have apparently missed a Monday deadline to gather enough signatures to get the measure pushed to the fall ballot.
Phoenix Coyotes Sale Could Advance As Opponents Miss Deadline
City of Glendale, Ariz., officials argue that the deadline came Monday, 30 days after they approved a lease agreement with Jamison, while the opponents of the deal argue that the deadline is July 16, 30 days after they began their campaign to gather signatures. Phoenix Business Journal and The Arizona Republic report that the city likely has election law on its side and that the deadline has indeed passed, but that a court fight could decide.
Should the referendum hit the ballot, it will drag the Coyotes sale process into the 2012-13 hockey season. It’s also expected that voters would turn down the sale, pushing the NHL back to square one. Should the referendum stop in its tracks, however, the sale to Jamison could be finalized rapidly, a source of optimism for Coyotes fans.
Relocation of the team less than 100 days before the scheduled start of the season could be impossible, and should the league decide against owning and operating the team for a third-straight season, there’s been speculation the Coyotes could fold completely should this referendum be approved.
For more on the sale situation in Phoenix, stick with our StoryStream and check in with SB Nation Arizona and Coyotes blog Five For Howling.
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