Offseason drama is being played out on a couple of fronts…

In the Coyotes saga…

Jim Balsillie got a smackdown from the board of governors yesterday. According to deputy commissioner Bill Daly, he was called on the carpet for his reneging “on commitments and representations he has made to the owners.” Pretty clear message being sent here.

Now the Puppet swings into action.

Phoenix Coyotes “owner” Jerry Moyes filed a motion in bankruptcy court yesterday, basically stating that there is not a bid that can be “approved as a matter of law.” He’s trying to challenge the Reinsdorf bid for the Coyotes.

Why? Because he’s trying to walk both sides of the fence, Moyes has lost a boatload of equity in this franchise and is trying to claim it as “unsecured debt.” The puppet says he is “owed” about $300 million. How can you be owed anything from something you already own? Financial acrobatics at its’ best.

For years now we’ve heard businessmen talk about how they deserve big profits because they take all the risks. Mr. Moyes… you took the risk, and you lost. There are real creditors that deserve to be paid before you.

More documents will be filed today in this mess.


Meanwhile… in another part of the hockey world…

In a situation that looks semi-familiar to Pred Nation, Red Wings forward Jiri Hudler is smack dab in the middle of a controversy that involves the KHL. Imagine my surprise.

The KHL registered a contract for Hudler to be paid $10 million for two years in order to play for the KHL’s Moscow Dynamo. The NHL is not happy and has registered a protest with the IIHF.

The KHL is claiming that the absence of a transfer agreement allows the action. The NHL is claiming that Hudler is still Detroit property due to his filing for arbitration earlier this summer.

I’d like to be a fly on the wall for that arbitration hearing… if it happens.

I wrote about this earlier this month, this nasty situation will give the league plenty of cover to not be part of the Sochi games in 2014.

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Countdown to Training Camp… 43 days to go!

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Ek reported yesterday that the Predators have “SERIOUS interest in Zherdev should the Rangers let him go”

I’m hearing things more along the lines of John Glennon’s blog yesterday, that the Preds have a great deal of interest in Vinny Prospal.

I’m sure if Zherdev’s price were right, the team may show some interest, but I don’t see a hot pursuit if things fall like a lot of observers seem to think.

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