Within minutes of meeting Matthew Hulsizer, the Chicago trader who is nearing a deal to purchase the Coyotes, he delivered this message:

"The truth is, I probably care more about winning than I do about money."

I have a crush on that quote.

Hulsizer was in the Valley last weekend to take in a Coyotes game and tour Jobing.com Arena. His arrival followed a surprisingly optimistic statement by the NHL and an announcement by the city of Glendale that an agreement in principle had been reached on a lease that would allow Hulsizer's group to "buy the team from the National Hockey League under the terms they requested."

Hulsizer acknowledged Saturday that "most of the heavy lifting is done."

Dare we feel optimistic?

Know this: During all the ownership drama that has dogged this team, this is as encouraged as I've heard those inside the organization and league sound.

Hulsizer, 40, makes a strong first impression.

"It's not the end-all, but I think there's great value in having someone who knows the game," one Coyotes executive said, "and not just be someone who says, 'Why can't we just go out and trade for Sidney Crosby?' and not understand the process."

Hulsizer traveled the world as a standout youth player, his father, Bill, said. He was captain of his Amherst College hockey team, and all four of his children, whose ages range from 5 to 14, are hockey players or figure skaters. He recently coached one of his young son's teams to the championship "after an 0-5 start," Hulsizer said, smiling.

While acknowledging this is not a "Hall of Fame investment," he believes hockey ownership here can be profitable "despite what Mr. Moyes said."

The comment about former owner Jerry Moyes did not sound like a statement borne out of ego but one based on experience. Hulsizer has been wildly successful in the business world, which led to PEAK6, a highly respected financial institution he co-founded with his wife, Jennifer Just, that offers a variety of investment vehicles including a hedge fund, a proprietary trading firm and an online brokerage.

The company often is applauded for its innovation and cutting-edge technology.

Because PEAK6 has blossomed into one of the larger options-trading firms in the United States, those close to the negotiations say the NHL's enthusiasm stems from Hulsizer's impressive net worth.

"In the five or six groups we've had come through here in the past year and a half, his passion really stands out," the Coyotes executive said. "And there's an intelligence with that group that makes you feel positive about what could happen."

Past experience has everyone treading lightly. The NHL can't move forward with its sale of the team to Hulsizer until a written agreement is in place. An ownership-approval process would follow.

Hulsizer watched Saturday's game against Detroit in a Jobing.com Arena suite with his father, who is in the process of moving to the Valley. Hulsizer's in-laws also are relocating here.

Sure sounds like a family interested in setting down roots.

Sports ownership in this city has come in a variety of forms, from the unapproachable to the affable to the unpredictable.

Hulsizer is Jerry Colangelo-like with his sports background and - at least from early impressions - affability. He is Mark Cuban-like, too, in his appreciation of technology and innovation in his field.

He is not an attention-monger. His meteoric rise in the financial world happened rather quietly and with minimal controversy.

He calls himself a "data guy" and has felt good about his meetings with General Manager Don Maloney and coach Dave Tippett. He respects, he said, how they found a way to succeed last season with a limited payroll.

He sounds like the right man for the job. One who can draw inspiration from both a sports background and a successful business.

Reach Boivin at paola.boivin@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8956. Follow her on Twitter at Twitter.com/PaolaBoivin.