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Phoenix Coyotes owner Dutton attends alumni game

He didn't think he would be on hand for his induction into the Bruin Builder Hall of Fame, but he found a way to get there.
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Bill Dutton, left, took some time to reconnect with old friend and former Bruins coach Gary McKechney during the alumni festivities.


He didn't think he would be on hand for his induction into the Bruin Builder Hall of Fame, but he found a way to get there.

Former Estevan Bruins president Bill Dutton, now a co-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, was honoured alongside Tom More, also a former president and long-time supporter who guided the club through tough financial times.

The ceremony took place prior to a game between the Bruins and Weyburn Red Wings on Jan. 1, shortly after the alumni game between the two teams.

Dutton happened to be in his hometown of Virden last week and made the trip to Estevan to accept his recognition in person.

Now a resident of Qualicum Beach, B.C., Dutton is one of 10 members of Renaissance Sports and Entertainment, the Calgary-based group that bought the Coyotes last August.

The transaction put an end to four years of uncertainty for the club, which was taken over by the NHL until it could find a new buyer. That proved challenging until RSE entered the picture.

Dutton said fans and employees of the team have expressed their gratitude that the club is staying in Arizona for the foreseeable future.

"We walk down the hallway, and we meet people that were for them staying and they say thank you. The guys that work in the rink, the security people, even the personnel on the team. They couldn't buy a house, their kids were going to school, they didn't know where they were going to be right up until the fourth of August. There was nothing stable at all," he recalled.

Although the Coyotes have struggled more than most NHL teams since they moved to the desert in 1996, battling low attendance, Dutton said there are already encouraging signs that things might turn around.

"We've had three sell-out crowds this year. That's something they never had before we took over. Things are looking up.

"I think we're starting to get a little stability, and they're starting to believe in themselves. The people are starting to believe in the hockey club too."

That likely goes hand-in-hand with a recent reversal in the Coyotes' on-ice fortunes.

After struggling in mediocrity for most of their time in Glendale, Ariz., the Coyotes made the playoffs three straight years from 2009-12, including a division title and trip to the Western Conference final in 2012.

They narrowly missed the post-season last year in a shortened season, but are currently in a playoff position, sitting eight games over .500 in a tough conference.

The ownership group is led by George Gosbee and Anthony LeBlanc, and Dutton's representative on the RSE board is his son Scott.

"I didn't really take any responsibilities," Dutton laughed. "I said I would be a good cheerleader, whatever they wanted me to do. I'm just getting a little too old. I can travel with the team. I just kinda stay in the background but I still have all the perks that go along with it."

Not many can say they own a pro sports team and Dutton said the experience has been rewarding so far.

"It's more than what I thought it'd be. The next best was probably when I was involved with the Estevan Bruins."