Who's to blame for the Phoenix Coyotes?

It's a simple question really, unfortunately, it's a question that most hockey fans don't know the answer to. Who is really to blame for the Phoenix Coyotes financial fiasco?

Yes, the team is doing much better on the ice, but that has nothing to do with the rest of the issue. When former Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes put the team into banckruptcy and attempted to sell to Canadian businessman Jim Balsille, the entire world seemed to implode on the Phoenix Coyotes organization.

Here in no particular order (well actually in a particular order), are your three suspects. Who is really to blame for ruining the Phoenix Coyotes? Let's look at the evidence against our three suspects, Jim Balsille, Jerry Moyes, and Gary Bettman:

1. Jim Balsille: The owner and CEO of Blackberry, Jim Balsille has made it no secret that he badly wants an NHL franchise that he can operate in Canada. Sure, Balsille should have waited in line like everybody else, but his bid was extremely attractive. He has money, he has business sense, and he had a market that desperately wanted NHL hockey. Whether he moved the team to Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, or Winnepeg, Balsille knew the NHL market would succeed. Evidence against: Balsille tried to use money to buy his way through the process. Did it hurt the Phoenix Coyotes? Yes, but only because he didn't successfully buy the team. Verdict: Not Guilty.

2. Jerry Moyes: The former owner of the Phoenix Coyotes obviously couldn't hack it. Can you blame the man though? His team was seeing less than 10,000 fans in the seats on a nighly basis, half of those being free tickets, and he was losing money faster than he could write checks. Evidence against: The NHL is claiming Jerry Moyes violated several league agreements by putting the team into bankruptcy. The NHL is sueing and seeking money for their lawyers, $20 million for the money they expect to lose from running the team this year. and $8 million the for the money the team owes to Wayne Gretzky. Verdict: Moyes should be ordered to pay the $8 million to Gretzky. On the rest of the claims...Not Guilty. If the NHL didn't want to lose $20 million, they should have sold the team to Balsille.

3. Gary Bettman: It's a known fact Bettman doesn't like Jim Balsille. Bettman was also to blame for both NHL lockouts. He was also the brain behind the NHL's expansion to the South. Team's including Florida, Tampa Bay, Nashville, and Atlanta have all been flops in the financial and fan department. Jerry Moyes and Jim Balsille are businessmen. How can you blame businessmen for trying to run a business, and make (or at least not lose) money. Bettman has stopped any possible relocation to Canada even after giving NHL clubs back to American markets that previously failed. The next time Gary Bettman and the NHL point fingers for the Phoenix Coyotes mess, they had best be looking in a mirror. Evidence Against: Gary Bettman's actions since 1993. Verdict: Guilty. Bettman is to blame. The NHL would be better off with a new commissioner. Someone who understands hockey, someone who cares about the real fans of the game, someone who doesn't allow emotion into business transactions, and someone who won't put their own agenda before the best interest of the league.

The NHL and Phoenix Coyotes need someone completely unlike Gary Bettman.

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