Last year on June 30, no one knew whether Glendale's first professional sports team, the Phoenix Coyotes, would stay long-term in the Valley. Today, the answer to that question remains uncertain.

But the city has made steps toward securing a permanent owner willing to keep the Coyotes in Glendale. The process involves a complicated mix of parties with varying interests in the outcome. Glendale has until Dec. 31 to keep the team by getting everyone on board.

One major milestone occurs Thursday. Westgate City Center developer Steve Ellman is due to pay Glendale his yearly $1 million fine for being behind schedule on the shopping center's development.

Last year, amid the confusion of the Coyotes bankruptcy, Ellman did not pay the fine. The payment could be delayed again, as a point of negotiation between the city and Ellman over a special taxing district.

Here's a look at how the ownership saga stands one year later.

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GLENDALE At stake: - $180 million investment to open Jobing.com Arena in 2003. Busy game nights and concerts, which bring thousands of fans to eat and drink in the Westgate City Center area, generating sales taxes for Glendale to pay off its arena debt. In addition, the Coyotes pay the city rent and arena fees that go to the debt, which rises to more than $300 million once interest is added. - $25 million "insurance" account promised to National Hockey League to pay for arena operations and team losses until a new owner is in place. The Glendale City Council voted to subsidize the team, starting Thursday, in order to guarantee another season. The league has been paying the team's losses for close to two years. In March, when the city still had not secured a new owner for the team, the league demanded assurances that it would not have to subsidize the team any longer. Needed: - Long-term arena lease with a new owner. Glendale reached a preliminary lease deal June 8 with Ice Edge Holdings and is hashing out the remaining details of a final lease. - Agreement with Ellman to include his property in a special taxing district. The council last week agreed to create a "community facilities district" that would use property taxes to pay off bonds that would finance Coyotes losses. Ellman's cooperation is key to the viability of the district.

NHL At stake: - The league's estimated $160 million to $190 million costs for owning and running the Coyotes. The NHL began covering team losses of roughly $30 million in fall 2008 after former owner Jerry Moyes said he needed to get a new lease deal from Glendale or sell the team. He claimed he had lost more than $300 million on the Coyotes. Moyes put the team into bankruptcy in May 2009 and the league purchased it for $140 million with plans to sell to a buyer willing to stay in Glendale. The NHL then spent an additional $20 million to run the team through the 2009-10 season. - The NHL also deployed a fleet of attorneys to bankruptcy court, an expensive task, to fight Canadian billionaire and BlackBerry co-CEO Jim Balsillie's unsuccessful attempt to buy and move the team to Ontario. Needed: - Purchase agreement with Ice Edge. The NHL must negotiate a purchase price with the group of investors that pays back the league for its costs to purchase and run the team, along with paying back Glendale for any losses it covers in the upcoming season. - The league's 29 team owners must be convinced that Ice Edge is financially capable of buying the team and vote to accept Ice Edge as an owner.

ICE EDGE HOLDINGS At stake: - A year's worth of work, $1.5 million in attorney and public-relations fees and a Scottsdale home. The group of Canadian and American investors started aggressively pursuing the purchase in early July 2009. CEO Anthony LeBlanc (pictured) moved from Canada to Scottsdale to be closer to negotiations, as well as to attend games and meet fans. Needed: - Long-term arena lease with Glendale. - Purchase agreement with NHL. The group must agree on a purchase price with the league, believed to be between $160 million and $190 million, and convince the NHL's 29 team owners that it's financially capable and has a sound business plan in place.

STEVE ELLMAN At stake: - Business at Westgate City Center shops and restaurants. The outdoor shopping mall reaps sales from the thousands of fans that attend Coyotes games 40-plus nights a year. If the team leaves, Ellman could lose a big chunk of revenue from tenants closing down. But he must weigh keeping the team and its fans against the cost to join a special taxing district, which Glendale and Ice Edge plan to use to finance team losses. - Ellman's yearly $1 million fine paid to Glendale since 2005. The fee was designed as an incentive to keep Westgate's development schedule on track. Last year, Ellman did not pay the fine. The payment could be delayed again, as a point of negotiation between the city and Ellman over the special taxing district. Needed: - Agreement with Glendale to join the special taxing district. City officials and Ellman's staff won't talk much about negotiations over the community facilities district. But Ellman likely is seeking some sort of financial concessions before agreeing to tax himself to help the team.

PHOENIX COYOTES At stake: - Location of future seasons. The Coyotes are guaranteed to play the 2010-11 season in Glendale. But the team could be relocated if Glendale and the NHL cannot agree on a new buyer. - Team finances. Uncertainty surrounding the Coyotes' future hurt season-ticket sales, sponsorships and suite sales last year. Ticket sales have fared better this summer since Glendale guaranteed money for the coming season, but fans are ready for the ownership saga to end. Needed: - A new owner that can turn the team's fortunes around. The Coyotes have not turned a profit since moving to Arizona in 1996. Some say hockey will never be successful in a warm climate. Others say owners that know hockey, can invest in a winning team and connect with fans can make the Coyotes profitable.