It looks like all the action in the hockey world isn’t limited to the N.H.L. playoffs or the I.I.H.F. world hockey championships as today the Pheonix Coyotes hockey club filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy which would usually mean a restructuring at the head office level and the moving of key personnel.

  But hold on  a second!

  Billionaire Jim Balsillie (BlackBerry Smart Phone) has made an offer on the troubled franchise for a reported 212.5 million dollars (USD). That’s estimated to be nearly double the next highest offer. Now here’s where things get complicated. The deal has a conditional clause that would see the team relocate to a ‘unserved market in Southern Ontario’ with all signs pointing to Hamilton (a city which Balsillie has already twice attempted to relocate N.H.L. teams to).

And things just keep getting better…

  N.H.L. commissioner Gary Bettman was in Pheonix today, supposedly meeting with Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf over the terms of a deal to purchase the Coyotes and keep them in Pheonix. So you can imagine his reaction when he got word of the deal being hatched between Jim Balsillie and Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes. The N.H.L’s top brass was quick to relieve Moyes of his duties and state their position that Balsillie has no rights to the Coyotes franchise and their location. Balsillie responded by opening his new website makeitseven.ca and inviting all Canadians to sign up and help bring a seventh franchise to the Great White North.

  It’s not often that the off ice business of the league gets more attention then the (still ongoing) playoffs, but this will likely be the huge hockey story of the summer so stay tuned to 360blog.org as we will definitely be keeping an eye or two on this one.

  Now we’re all huge hockey fans here at 360blog.org and would love nothing more to see a seventh team come to Canada, so if you’re like us and like your hockey Canadian then sign up at Balsillie’s website and make your voice heard.

  Agree with Balsillie’s tactics to bring a seventh team to Canada? Think the Coyotes should stay where they are? Angry Jets fan who still wants them to move back to Winnipeg? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.