Puckhead nailed it like a Mike Gartner slap shot. To add some color, there are a few people/things central to the Yotes move from Winnipeg, and how it came unglued.
1. Steven Gluckstern & Richard Burke
2. John Spano & Alan Eagleson
3. Steve Ellman
4. The Goldwater Institute
Prelude:
The Winnipeg Jets were formed in the second expansion round in 1979, following the merger with the WHA. The Jets were always "one and done" in the playoffs, even though amassing a rather impressive corps. By the mid 1990s, and with the plummeting conversion rate of the CAD vs. the USD, The Jets were on the block.
1. Steve & Rich -- Medicare Hockey
Following a failed Winnipeg try at ownership, enter Steve Gluckstern and Richard Burke. Gluck, a CEO of numerous medical device companies, was a lifelong hockey fan from Connecticut. Burke was then the CEO of United Healthcare. Due to the currency exchange rates, they lowballed the locals and planned to move the team to sunny ol' Phoenix.
The two made two crucial f+++ups in moving the team. First, one of these turds made a convincing case to the NHL that the city already had a thriving hockey market. They were thinking of the PCHL (Pachfic Coast Hockey League) Phoenix Roadrunners, who played at the Coliseum. They equated a 5,000 ticket draw on a weekend night to a sellout at AWA. Somehow, Bettman bought it.
Nowhere in any discussion to move the team did I hear about "obstructed seats." But then again, I only went down to AWA for hoops. I've always wondered if Jerry disclosed this fact to the guys, or if he left it to them to break open a high school triginometry book and figure it out for themselves.
2. John Spano -- NHL Huckster
The Yotes did well that first year. I still have a 1997 "White-Out" t-shirt. The league had their own pesky wannabe owner named John Spano, who had made an aborted effort to buy the Dallas Stars. With the Isles in trouble and the NHL looking for someone to be a white knight, Spano burst on to the scene with numerous documents (forged) and financial statements (fantasies) about his ability to finance a team. This was all proven to be completely bogus. Spano was later convicted and spent plenty of time in prison.
Contemporary to this was the revelation that Alan Eaglesson, head of the NHLPA, had bee4n systematically stealing millions of dollars from players. He was disgraced to the point where he was forced to resign from the Hockey Hall of Fame, the only person I can think of in any sport who did that. So the NHL had a credibility problem, big time.
But opportunity was about to strike Gluck. Gluckstern, an east-coast guy, was suddenly given the opportunity of a lifetime to move back east and own the New York Islanders. Of course the only caveat was he'd have to divest his interest in the Yotes. He sold his interest to Burke, who never found an investor group to step in and partner with him. With the losses and obstructed (i.e., non season-ticket) seats, he wanted out.
3. Steve Ellman & Wayne
These times are hazy, as puckhead pointed out. At some time developer-du-jour Steve Ellman wanted to build an arena on the SE corner of McDowell & Scottsdale Rd.. He did in fact raze the old, foundering Los Arcos Mall. But the dotcom bubble had burst, and no one wanted to buy into his project, except The Great One, who bought a 10% interest in the team and later, sadly, named himself as coach. Ellman bailed on the scene leaving plenty of further carnage, until the City of Glendale came calling. Meanwhile, Scottsdale reclaimed the land and built the Skysong research park.
4. The Barry Institute
The ownership dosey-do after Ellman, Jerry Moyes, Gretzky and the lot seems to have revolved around revenue from parking. The ownership group claimed parking revenue was crucial to maintain the team's finances and ergo competitiveness. The City claimed parking was never in the deal--parking was the payoff for the bonds they issued to finance the venue.
Enter a think tank named the Goldwater Institute. Although the Glendale City Council was willing to give up some parking revenue, the GI sued time and time again to block anything of the sort. I have no idea why they cared so much, but they did. The pretty much choked off any attempts to buy the team and arena as a bloc. Factor in the economic problems in 2008 and beyond...and you're off an running.
