After years of wondering in the desert, the Phoenix Coyotes ownership saga appears to be over. Emmanuel Ogbah Jersey . An arena lease out clause could bring into question where theyre playing five years from now, but on Monday the NHL finalized the sale of the Coyotes to the IceArizona group led by Renaissance Sports & Entertainments George Gosbee and Anthony LeBlanc. Approval of the US$170-million sale came from the board of governors, which ended the leagues ownership of the beleaguered franchise. "This was an incredibly complicated deal that didnt get wrapped up quite literally until 8 oclock this morning after pretty much a full weekend of working on it going through the night," LeBlanc said on a conference call. "No rest for the weary, as they say, and were jumping right in now." LeBlanc, Gosbee and nine other owners - the vast majority of whom are Canadian businessmen with connections to Arizona - are jumping in to a long process that includes adding staff on the business side and trying to sell tickets to grow the Coyotes reach. Part of the effort includes a name change to the Arizona Coyotes, likely effective for the 2014-15 season. The NHL had owned the Coyotes for the past four years, shortly after Jerry Moyes put the team into bankruptcy and through failed attempts by Ice Edge Holdings led by White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and then Chicago investor Matt Hulsizer to buy it. With IceArizona now officially in charge, the next step is strengthening the fan base. "What this franchise has not had over the past 12 years is theyve never had that combination that I think you need to be successful in the majority of sports markets," LeBlanc said. "That is strong, stable ownership combined with at least the understanding that you have the potential of your franchise winning." The Coyotes missed the playoffs during the lockout-shortened 2013 season but made it the three previous years under coach Dave Tippett. Before bankruptcy, the team most recently made the playoffs in 2001-02. LeBlanc had tried to purchase the team before as part of IceEdge. He teamed up with Gosbee last year, bringing in Daryl Jones, Avik Dey and others before securing NHL approval and financing. "I think its every Canadian boys dream to own a hockey team," Gosbee said. "Ive always wanted to. But it had to be the right deal. When I started talking with Anthony and Daryl over the years, I think the right deal was in the making here in January. I wanted to own the team because I thought, at the end of the day, its a sound investment." Negotiating a five-year out clause as part of a 15-year lease deal with the city of Glendale for Jobing.com Arena was made for business reasons, but it also raised skepticism, especially for a group of men with Canadian roots. "Im a good, solid Canadian like a good number of people in this ownership group and unfortunately its very difficult for people to accept that hockey can be successful in a non-traditional market," LeBlanc said. "But we like to point to markets like San Jose and Dallas, even in the Carolinas, where hockey has really thrived. We feel that the same will happen here. But the reality is its an investment and we have to protect ourselves, and hence the reason for the out clause." LeBlanc told the board of governors that the out clause was the most "negative" part of the Coyotes long and winding sale process, which included contentious Glendale city council meetings that cast doubt on the final resolution. "I think the onus is on us to put the product out there and to sell the suites and the tickets so that this is no longer a conversation piece," LeBlanc said. Even with that conversation piece, Gosbee was "ecstatic" about getting the deal finalized. His Calgary home was damaged in Junes flooding, but Monday brought some good news on the Coyotes front. "The home can be built up again," he said. "Ill start working on that project in the fall. Its a great day for me with the announcement that weve got this team." For general manager Don Maloney, Monday brought even stronger emotions than the arena lease deal that gave the Coyotes at least five years of security. "It feels like Christmas morning around here," Maloney said in an interview from his office in Glendale. "Were just very, very happy, relieved, grateful." The ownership group will be led by Gosbee and LeBlanc and include Dey, Jones, Gary J. Drummond, W. David Duckett, W.R. Dutton, Robert Gwin, Scott Saxberg, Craig Stewart and Richard Walter. Asked about the Edmonton Oilers large ownership group that existed before Daryl Katz took over, Gosbee likened the Coyotes structure more to that of the Calgary Flames after their move from Atlanta. "Theres a strong, tight-knit ownership group here," Gosbee said. "Everybody really knows of each other. If we werent doing this deal, theres a good chance a lot of us would be out for dinner next week or watching a football game." Instead, theyre working together to own a hockey team. "The National Hockey League believes in Arizona as an NHL market and that these new owners can provide the Coyotes the opportunity to secure a stable, long-term future in Glendale," commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. Giving the Coyotes a stable, long-term future has a lot to do with business, which LeBlanc and Gosbee will be heavily involved with. As far as hockey operations, not much is expected to change, with the exception of some more money being available. "Our involvement will be almost exclusively on the business side and let Don continue to work his magic," LeBlanc said. Magic off the ice involves trying to sell out the arena and building more of a following in Arizona. If IceArizona is successful at doing that and the franchise does not lose $50 million in the next five years, the out clause will be moot. "This is obviously a franchise that has historically lost money," LeBlanc said. "You look at the track records of the individuals: Nobody in this group gets into anything with the expectation of failing. Our view is this is a franchise that has not had the opportunity to really show its potential." The potential is there, finally, and LeBlanc and Gosbee hope winning and financial success follow. "This is an exciting franchise," LeBlanc said. "Now that were the owners we think weve got the Stanley Cup contender for the next 10 years, but we truly feel that fans are going to look at this club and say, This has a real strong potential of winning. And what do you know? For the first time in years this franchise, there is no question it is tied to Arizona, and we have good, strong local ownership." Damien Williams Jersey . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. Mecole Hardman Jersey . Their 38th instalment is arguably their biggest fight card to date, including three-title fights and a main event which was selected by the fans.  The promotion boasts 14-straight years of business and is operated by MFC president Mark Pavelich, who is often overlooked in this country for the foundation hes established for MMA in Canada. http://www.prochiefsauthentic.com/Youth-Jared-Cook-Elite-Jersey/ . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Even after a dramatic Dota 2 offseason filled with roster swaps and retirements, the dust still hasnt settled since the conclusion of The International 6. Theres been precious few international LANs to gauge the performance of the new lineups, and there are still a good number of unknowns going into the 2017 season. The Boston Major set at the Wang Theatre will be the venue to quell doubts and establish the tone of the 2017 season. After so many of the traditional favorites fell to new faces in the Boston qualifiers, a new balance of power has arisen in Dota 2. If you havent watched any Dota since August, a lot has changed.Still, theres been just enough interregional play and major LANs to start drawing lines. Whos a favorite for the title in Boston? Who will need to make some miracles happen?1. Wings GamingThe reigning champs of The International, Wings Gaming were one of the few teams to stick together in the offseason, and for good reason. No other squad looks as consistent or solid as Wings. Watching recent matches, you would think a day hasnt passed since August, as key players like Chu shadow Zeyu and Zhang Faith_bian Ruida continue to put up impressive performances. Wings have been humbled a couple times in the months since TI6, falling to EG at The Summit 6 to finish third, but its still hard to bet against them. Even in losses, teams have to work uphill to earn the victory against this team, and you can never really count these five out of any match.2. Evil GeniusesQuestions about Evil Geniuses capability without Peter ppd Dager may have been exaggerated, as Andreas Cr1t- Nielsen has stepped up to the captains role with aplomb. Evil Geniuses have been one of the most consistent teams coming out of the offseason, winning the MarsTV Dota 2 League 2016 Autumn and finishing third at The Summit 6. Even in a single-elim, best-of-three format, EG have a history of excelling. This squad is 9-1 in Game 3 situations, and have only been swept 2-0 three times in the last couple months. A solid bet for a top-three finish in almost any tournament, and certainly for the major.3. Virtus.ProEven a few weeks ago, I would have questioned placing Virtus.Pro so high. After The Summit 6 though, theres little doubt in anyones mind that VP are going to be a team to beat in Boston. Virtus.Pro are aggressive, in the way most CIS-region squads are known for, but their offensive-oriented mindset masks crisp, clean execution. This team clicks together like few others do, with well-timed rotations and pristine team fights. The fact that VP was under-the-radar for so long makes it a challenge for most teams to adjust as well; analysts and coaches will likely be picking apart VPs Summit matches in a hurry to dissect the team before Boston. VP may be a qualifier team, but its one of the most daunting matchups for any team bar-none headed into the main event.4. OGThough the green dream looked shaky, theyve since got their feet underneath themselves and started to sync up, most notably at The Summit 6. Rookie mid-laner Anathan ana Pham was a big question mark, as he was filling some big shoes on the roster while veteran mid Gustav s4 Magnusson was working up confidence in the offlane. Both have since proven their mettle in their respective roles, and as the team begins to shake some of its nerves, OG may prove to be a force to be reckoned with again. For now, theyre still in the upper-tier, but just outside the top three.5. Newbee After a low placement at The International, Newbee have since bounced back and looked competitive in their precious few interregional tournament appearances. Though Newbee have not competed in any significant international LAN in the last few weeks, you cant discount the talent and prowess already shown, even within the Chinese region. Undefeated runs in brackets are not uncommon for this team when playing other Chinese squads, and under captain Hu Kaka Liangzhi, theres no question that Newbee will be a strong contender in Massachusetts.6. Team NPThe trend of pro players forming their own organization has been fairly successful in the past year or so, and Team NP is the newest poster child for it. Made up of many talented North American pros, this team harkens back to the glory days of Cloud9 Dota 2, and not just because of lineup similarities. The balance of baffling brilliance and unpredictability of this team is something to watch, and keeps every NP game exciting from start to finish. Where other teams might need consistency headed into Boston, Team NP may need just the opposite; surprise picks, aggressive play and executing specific lineups has worked well for NP in the past, and could mean the difference between finishing in or out of the top three.7. EHOMEA more recent success story to hail from China, EHOME have had mixed results in recent LAN showings. A few losses to some upper-tier teams have snubbed EHOMEs runs early, but in-game, this team shows promise. The talent of players like Wang old chicken Zhiyong can lead to some explosive matches for the team, but the sticking point will be consistency. EHOME need reliable showings, and to avoid major lane implosions, which have allowed teams to steal away the game early from EHOME in the past.8. Digital Chaos The runner-up at TI6 has had a few stumbles in the months since August. Precious few LAN matches have doubled those concerns, as its sole pre-Boston appearance at The Summit 6 resulted in a less-than-desirable fifth-sixth finish. There may be too little data to determine whether DC has truly deteriorated frrom its top-two finish, but as it stands, Digital Chaos are not a clear favorite for the top spot at Boston, and given results from the Summit, barely cuts into the top eight. Sammy Watkins Jersey. .9. Team Faceless Made up of veterans and fresh faces, Team Faceless have some of the most potential of any qualifier team headed into Boston. Led by Daryl iceiceice Koh Pei Xiang, eyes should be on Dominik Black^ Reitmeier in the hard carry role. Not only one of the best Anti-Mage players outside of BurNIng, Reitmeier has been a playmaker for this team in the carry role. Having already pulled off some significant upsets in the SEA region, the team looked a little less promising at The Summit 6, landing in the bottom two at the tournament. Still, potential exists here for Faceless to make a run in the tournament, as one of the most promising dark horses among the qualifier teams.10. Ad Finem Hailing from Greece, Ad Finem have tried and failed twice to make the cut for a major: Manila, and again for TI6. Third time seems to be the charm for Ad Finem though, finally making it into Boston, and this team looks like a promising candidate for some upsets in the main event bracket. These are five talented players who have stuck it out since the teams inception in 2015, and most recently took games off NP and FDL. Ad Finem might be easy to overlook, but thats more than likely an advantage here, as this EU squad took a qualifier spot over lineups like Team Liquid and Secret while flying under the radar.11. LGD Forever Young Despite securing a first-place finish over top Chinese teams to get into Boston, more recent results have cast some shadows on LGD Forever Youngs chances for the top. A strong showing in the group stages of the Dota 2 ACE Provisional tournament was followed by a quick two-and-out exit from the bracket, courtesy of Vici Gaming J. Never count out captain Zhang xiao8 Ning, who earned his title of Director 8 for a reason. LGD.FYs Boston hopes will rest on the captains shoulders, and though it may not look promising, Zhang has captained TI-winning squads before, so anything is possible for this uneasy lineup in Boston.12. MVP Phoenix A top team at most international LANs, MVP Phoenix have had some trying times as of late. After losing key players to Team Secret in the offseason, MVP didnt look quite like the team that took fifth-sixth at TI6. The recent substitution of Lee Forev Sang-don back onto the team is the X-factor, as the teams Boston hopes will rest squarely on his shoulders in the one-role core position. MVP Phoenix could once again pull off an incredible LAN run, like it often does at major Valve events, and make a real contest for a top spot. Given recent performances in the SEA region, though, its hard to do anything more than speculate what-ifs.13. Warriors Gaming UnityA surprise to anyone not well-versed in the region, WG Unity came out of the SEA qualifiers looking solid, edging out Fnatic and Mineski to take the second spot. In the past, this team had some impressive wins on its resume, including several over Execration. It remains to be seen if this team has the talent needed to edge out other competitors, but going off its SEA performances, WG Unity could be looking at some quality wins coming into Boston.14. Complexity A team that looked promising coming into Boston, especially in a highly competitive North American region, recent incidents have introduced a lot of variables into coLs Boston prospects. The sudden departure of Justin jk Rosselle shook up the Complexity lineup, and now there is some ambiguity as to whether new sub Jaron monkeys-forever Clinton or offlaner David Moo Hull will fill Rosselles spot. The team has exhibited the ability to compete at a high level, and to take teams like EG and NP to full sets, but with so many question marks and unknowns, its hard to know what version of Complexity will show up in Massachusetts.15. Execration What was one of the more surprising direct invites to the Boston Major, Execration certainly looked strong out of the gate coming into the 2017 season. After a third-place finish in the TI6 wild cards, the team seemed promising after beating a few of its uppermost interregional opponents, a status boosted further by a direct invite to Boston. But while Execration can take games off other SEA teams, this lineup struggles against international competitors. A recent second-place finish at ROG Masters masks the fact that Execration didnt face a team that had been to a major or International until the grand finals, where it got swept 3-0 by Team Secret. Even within the region, Execration has often fallen to teams like WG Unity and Fnatic. Despite their status as direct invite, Execration doesnt have much on their resume to assure theyll make a dent in the Boston bracket.16. Invictus Gaming Vitality The second-place qualifier for the Boston Major from the Chinese region, Invictus Gamings Vitality lineup has had precious few triumphs this season besides the qualifier win. Besides emerging victorious to make it to Boston, Vitality has otherwise fallen to many other Chinese competitors, including a last-place finish at the Nanyang Cruise Cup and only one win overall at the MarsTV Dota 2 League 2016 Autumn. This team has often floated around the middle of the pack in regional LANs, but Vitality will need to seriously up its game and focus to make it past the first round of eliminations in Boston. ' ' '