Judge moves up sale deadline for Phoenix Coyotes, Reinsdorf promises bid

Coyotes’ sale deadline moves as new bid arises

PHOENIX — A bankruptcy judge has moved up the deadline for the proposed sale of the Phoenix Coyotes to a local owner. Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf promised a bid in a hearing Monday that would keep the team in Arizona.

However, Judge Redfield T. Baum set a fallback date in September for a bid to relocate the team to Hamilton, Ontario, if a local sale fails to go through.

The new deadline for the sale is Aug. 5. The NHL said it could meet that deadline but the city of Glendale, Ariz., said it didn’t think a new lease agreement could be worked out by then.

An attorney for Reinsdorf said via telephone in court his client would apply to the league to buy the team by Friday.