Glendale mayor optimistic about keeping Coyotes

February 01, 2013

Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers says the city has a good opportunity to keep the Coyotes in town, even though Thursday night’s deadline passed without a prospective owner coming up with the money to buy the team. KJZZ’s Mark Brodie reports.

MARK BRODIE: Weiers says two groups contacted him yesterday, expressing interest in buying the team from the NHL. He says it’s also still possible that former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison could buy the Coyotes. But, Weiers says any new owner would have a new deal to manage Jobbing.com Arena. He says the city has a great opportunity to reach a better deal than the one that would have paid Jamison about  $15 million a year over 20 years to manage the arena. Weiers says he wants to keep the Coyotes in Glendale.

JERRY WEIERS: Obviously, it’s extremely important, if we can do it in a way that doesn’t cost our taxpayers more money than what we get out of it. I mean, that is the bottom line. We have to work out a situation where it doesn’t cost you more than what you get out of it.

BRODIE: Weiers wouldn’t name either of the groups that have come forward with an interest in buying the Coyotes, but he believes both are more than likely credible.