A little more than one week after word first broke that a “mystery buyer” was well on his way to purchasing the Phoenix Coyotes, spawning an understandable reaction of yawns and speculation, the reports now say the mystery buyer is none other than former San Jose Sharks President and CEO Greg Jamison, giving the reports life and legitimacy.
If you’re a Coyotes fan, right now should be time a time of cautious optimism. Yes, the City of Glendale scared away Jerry Reinsdorf… and Ice Edge Holdings… and Matthew Hulsizer.
But what makes the name Greg Jamison so intriguing is the fact that he brings a winning track record like the one that Reinsdorf carries, plus the enthusiasm for hockey that Hulsizer has.
And Jamison is no stranger to turning hockey franchises around. When he took over the CEO post, the Sharks were a young, but sputtering franchise. But under Jamison’s watch, the franchise became a hit at the box office, Stanley Cup contenders on the ice, and the brand was strengthened in the business office.
Jamison also became head of Silicon Valley Sports and Entertainment (a company which specializes in marketing, communications, and building management, amongst other things) and the HP Pavilion in San Jose, which is home to the Sharks, the San Jose SaberCats arena football team, the SAP Open tennis tournament and is a “must stop” arena for many major concerts and shows.
When people think about the Coyotes ownership soap opera it’s easy to forget about Jobing.com Arena, which is a state-of-the-art facility that is underutilized and operates in the red. Jamison’s experience could surely be needed there, too.
And now Jamison (pending closing the sale with the National Hockey League and surviving the torturous Glendale gauntlet) will now try his hand at a second revival project.
Some might look at Jamison like he’s crazy and ask, “why?!?” But he could be the savior for Phoenix hockey and his resume fits that of someone who has the tools needed for this crazy situation; an executive with ownership experience and unique ideas who understands what it takes to own a pro sports franchise in this part of the country.
If someone were to make a job posting for this position, that’s exactly what part of the job description should look like.
The big question now is how likely is it that this deal can still fall apart? This could be the best and last hope for everyone involved.
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