Jerry Moyes Jerry Moyes is the founder , chairman and CEO of Phoenix - based Swift Transportation , one of the largest trucking companies in the nation . Moyes is also owner of Swift Air A charter airline investigated by the FAA and OSHA in 2009 . He was a majority owner of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League before the Coyotes filed bankruptcy and were sold to the NHL in 2009 , and the Arizona Sting of the National Lacrosse League . Moyes is also a limited partner in the Arizona Diamondbacks , and was once a minority owner of the Phoenix Suns . Phoenix Coyotes . Moyes was originally a minority partner in Steve Ellman ' s ownership group , which bought the Coyotes from Richard Burke in 2001 . On Sept . 26 , 2006 , Ellman sold controlling interest in the Coyotes , Arizona Sting , and the lease to Jobing . com Arena to Moyes . He retained Wayne Gretzky as part - owner and head of hockey operations . Court filings show Moyes was never keen to own the Coyotes and had no interest in hockey . He acquired control of the club in 2006 after falling out over a real estate development with former business partner Steve Ellman . Afterwards , Moyes tried to find a buyer for the Coyotes , and he chafed at the league ' s interference in his attempts . In 2008 , Moyes told Gary Bettman and other league officials that he would stop funding the club , which was losing more than $ 40 - million annually . The league agreed to provide emergency funding in return for Moyes turning over his voting control . The acrimony was made public in May 2009 when Bettman and Daly came close to selling the Coyotes to Jerry Reinsdorf , owner of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox , a move that would have seen Moyes receive almost nothing from the sale . On May 5 , 2009 , Moyes promptly put the Coyotes into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced a plan to sell the club to Jim Balsillie . Moyes also filed a lawsuit against the NHL , alleging the league was an “ illegal cartel . ” Bettman was furious , arguing the league had been blindsided and that Moyes did not have the authority to put the club into bankruptcy protection . Moyes was saddled with massive financial losses that dated to the time the former Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix . Unable to turn around the team ' s fiscal picture , he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 5 , 2009 . As part of the filing , he agreed in principle to sell the Coyotes to a group headed by Research in Motion co - CEO Jim Balsillie , who intended to move the team to Hamilton , Ontario . The league responded by stripping Moyes of virtually all of his ownership authority , though he is still nominally the team ' s owner . The NHL argued that Moyes had no right to make the filing because numerous agreements he ' d signed with the league in return for financial assistance specifically barred him from filing for bankruptcy . It also claims that Moyes effectively surrendered control of the team by signing the agreements . A bankruptcy judge has scheduled a hearing for May 19 , 2009 to determine who actually controls the team . In October 2009 , Baum rejected the NHLs bid , as well as Balsillie ' s $ 242 . 5 - million offer . The judge ruled that Balsillie ' s bid faced too many legal obstacles , however , he said the NHL could revise its bid to include concessions to Moyes and Gretzky . The NHL had originally taken the position that neither Moyes and Gretzky were legitimate creditors because they were owners . Under Chapter 11 proceedings , owners usually rank below other creditors and rarely receive any of the proceeds from asset sales . On November 2 , 2009 , Moyes officially sold the Coyotes to the NHL for $ 140 million .