In 2009, a scant 4 years ago and what now seems like an eternity in the Coyotes saga; Ice Edge which has now morphed into Renaissance Sports and Entertainment; which has now has a subsidiary called Ice Arizona was in the hunt to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes. Its competitor at the time was Reinsdorf and Kaites.

McCullough

Keith McCullough

Keith McCullough was part of the Ice Edge group and was interviewed on July 31, 2009 by Bloomberg TV. During that interview he was asked about the Ice Edge bid and during the course of his answer at one point he said, “We actually have a 3 to 5 year plan coming out of an economic cycle in an area that we think is opportunistic.”

When asked about their intent to play Coyotes games in Saskatoon and Halifax, Mr. McCullough said, “People in Phoenix don’t want to go to a hockey game anyway. You might as well bring them to Canada where people will go bonkers to watch a hockey game.”

Both of his answers sent the Coyote nation into shock. There was fear and anger that this group’s real intent was to move the team in 3-5 years because in their view the hockey market in Phoenix was not nearly as profitable as the market in Canada.

Recently McCullough has tweeted confirming his involvement in what is now known as Ice Arizona, scheduled to receive the NHL’s Board of Governors’ blessing at any moment as well as consummating the NHL’s sale of the team. Ice Arizona’s current slogan is “Here to stay.” It’s time for McCullough to stand up. Does he still hold to the sentiments expressed on that Bloomberg TV interview? Will he disavow his previous remarks? Has he fully embraced Ice Arizona’s intent of “Here to stay?” Legitimate questions requiring legitimate answers for the Coyote nation.

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