Balsillie’s Man Ruffles Feathers
There is another battle brewing for an NHL franchise, and a gentelman with ties to our past battles in Nashville is making headlines.
From Steet & Smith’s Sports Business Journal on the fight for the Phoenix Coyotes:
Rodier is the lead adviser to Research In Motion CEO Jim Balsillie in the billionaire’s bid to buy the Phoenix Coyotes out of bankruptcy and relocate the team to southern Ontario. Over the course of the five years he’s advised Balsillie, Rodier has been described by people who have dealt with him as everything from the derogatory (Balsillie’s henchman) to the praiseworthy (a tough and uncompromising negotiator).
“He certainly doesn’t mince words,” said Mayor Fred Eisenberger of Hamilton, Ontario, where Balsillie hopes to move the Coyotes. “If you were a medical doctor, he’d have a lousy bedside manner, but he’s very engaging and we’ve found him good to work with. I respect his passion for Mr. Balsillie, his passion for hockey and his directness in his approach.”
Rodier’s employer, Balsillie, declined to comment about him, but a series of conversations with those who have worked with him offer a glimpse of one of the central figures in the Phoenix Coyotes’ bankruptcy case. The case will resume with arguments about relocation June 9.
