Bob McGinn has been through enough to know that he shouldn't get his hopes up.

That's why the mayor of Seattle tried to downplay reports that his city could be a landing spot for the Phoenix Coyotes if prospective buyers for the NHL-owned team can't complete a deal with the city of Glendale, Ariz., this month to operate Jobing.com Arena.

McGinn confirmed Monday that he met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman about the possibility of hosting the Coyotes next season, but he emphasized that a move wasn't about to happen.

"I feel compelled to say this after the experience we've gone through with Sacramento, that the likelihood of us having a team moving here in a couple of weeks, I'd say, is pretty low," McGinn said in a video interview that was posted on The Arizona Republic's website . "We are very clearly the backup plan, the Plan B, only if the NHL and the city of Glendale don't reach some type of an agreement."

Glendale's city council will review details of a proposed agreement between the city and Renaissance Sports Entertainment at its meeting today, The Arizona Republic reported . RSE is seeking a reported $15 million annually to run the arena; Glendale has budgeted just $6 million per year, according to the Republic.

No vote can be taken today because the presentation is being made in closed session. HNIC previously reported that the council would meet June 25 to potentially give its approval.

If the council doesn't give its OK, a group led by New York Yankees minority owner Ray Bartoszek and investor Anthony Lanza is ready to pay $220 million for the Coyotes and head northwest. The relocation would occur in time for next season.

The Seattle plan, according to Hockey Night in Canada, stopped the Vancouver Canucks from moving their AHL affiliate to Seattle's KeyArena; the NHL told the Canucks that the building was spoken for.

KeyArena, at the moment, isn't a long-term option. It seats a little more than 11,000 for hockey, which would make it the smallest arena in the league, and was last renovated in 1995. It, of course, was the home of the Seattle SuperSonics before they moved to Oklahoma City. A group led by Chris Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has an arena deal in place, but that hinges on getting an NBA team to play in it. The group nearly closed on a deal for the Sacramento Kings, and they're not quitting anytime soon.

Still, Seattle seems perfect. The Northwest United States and hockey are a solid fit, and Seattle legendarily supports its teams. Build the arena, whether an NBA team is involved or not, and everything works.

The main takeaway is that the Coyotes saga seems guaranteed to end this summer. The league has tried for years to close on a deal that would keep the team in Glendale, but combining a like-minded, well-financed group with an acceptable arena deal hasn't happened. Now, the squeeze is on.

Asked at his annual Stanley Cup finals press conference last week whether a decision needs to be made before the June 27 meeting of the NHL's Board of Governors, commissioner Gary Bettman smirked and answered "Maybe."

"It's possible the team won't play there next year," deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. "We're in the short strokes with Phoenix now. The ownership group we've been negotiating a deal with has been negotiating with the city of Glendale. I think everybody knows what's on the table, and the puck is in the city of Glendale's end."

Contributing: Tom Gatto, Sean Gentille