Ruling on Coyotes move could come Wednesday - The Business Review (Albany):

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U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Redfielx Baum struggled to stay on taskat Tuesday’ds hearing as attorneys representing Balsillie, Coyotese owner Jerry Moyes, the city of Glendale, the and other professional sports leagues delivered hours of oral argumentsz over bankruptcy code, anti-trust law, relocation and other legal issues. Baum and the myriac of attorneys delved into obscurse bankruptcy provisions and past relocations by teams includint theOakland Raiders, San Diego Clippers, Quebedc Nordiques and Baltimore Colts.
Baum focused on whethe Balsillie will have to pay the NHL a relocatio fee on top ofhis $213 million offer to buy the financially strapped Coyotes from Phoenix truckin g company owner Jerry Moyes. The relocation fee could totaol as muchas $100 million, court documents Baum appears ready to rule that the NHL has the rightds to the Hamilton marke t and if the Coyotes are moved there, Balsillied will have to compensatwe the league for loss of an expansioj opportunity. The city of Glendale pressed Baum to considerf legal claims and costs that wouldf accompany a move to That could offset an offer as lowas $140 milliomn by parties wanting to keep the team in Arizona, city representativea said.
Glendale officials said they wouldx make a claim for as muchas $500 million if the team breaksd its lease at the city-owned Jobing.comn Arena. Arena concessionaire Aramark Corp. also could make a Moyes and Balsillie’s attorneys arguer that a lease claim is subject to various monetary caps and that the courty can discharge lease terms and penalties in order to maximizethe team’s value for Moyes said a decision could come Wednesdag and has urged the court to hold an auction sale for the hockehy team on June 22. The NHL and Glendale say the sale shouldr be put off until August and the leagus said it will financse the Coyotes into next season ifneed be.
Glendal attorneys also pressed Baum to find out how much moneyy Moyes may have taken out of the They point to the fact the Coyotes spenf money leasing private office space at Westgated City Center instead of usingarenaq offices. Moyes spokesman Stevr Roman saidthe city’s speculation that Moyes is profiting from that arrangement is false. Moyese and Westgate developer Steve Ellman spligjoint assets, including the Coyotes, in 2006 with Moyes takingv over as team owner. The Coyotes have lost more than $300 milliobn since moving to Phoenix from Winnipegin 1996.