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The National Hockey League (NHL) has denied reports that a deal is in place to move the Phoenix Coyotes to Winnipeg if a lease agreement cannot be secured at the team’s Jobing Arena home.

However, the Press Association reports that the League said the prospect of bringing a franchise back to the Canadian city was an “intriguing possibility”.

The NHL fought a campaign through the courts last year to keep the Coyotes in Glendale, Arizona, and took over the bankrupt club to stop prospective owner Jim Balsillie relocating the team to Canada.

There has since been speculation that the League is in talks with Toronto billionaire David Thomson and Winnipeg-based True North Sports and Entertainment over a plan to move the Coyotes to Winnipeg, the franchise’s original home.

But NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said: “We would like to make clear that at this point in time the National Hockey League has no ‘deal’ in place to move the Coyotes' franchise to Winnipeg – or to any other city for that matter – in the event a transaction cannot be timely consummated in Glendale.

“Our focus continues to be on completing a transaction with local ownership that is committed to operating the team in Glendale. Based on the communications and information we are receiving on a regular basis, the stakeholders involved continue to express a high level of confidence that that can be successfully achieved. We will not focus on completing arrangements for one or more alternative options until such time as it may become necessary.

“With respect to Winnipeg and Messrs. Chipman and Thomson, we have had ongoing discussions over time regarding their potential interest in owning an NHL franchise – as we have had with a number of other individuals and cities around North America – and potentially bringing an NHL franchise back to Winnipeg. It remains an intriguing possibility and one we would consider given appropriate circumstances, but there is nothing new to report on that front at this time.”