By Jeff Gordon

Forget all that brave chatter from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. His league faces severe ownership instability in this difficult economic environment.

The Phoenix Coyotes are bankrupt. The league ran the team this season and Glendale, Ariz., had to eat the arena rent.

Blackberry chairman Jim Balsillie is on the prowl again, willing to buy the Coyotes off the pile for a fair price ($212 million) and move a team to Hamilton, Ont.

The NHL is reluctant to add Balsillie to its club, owing to some of his earlier antics while trying to bring another team (Penguins, Predators) to Canada. So he faces an uphill battle to make this move.

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/hoc...l-instability/