Trouble in Tampa?

[DarkStar50 679]

"June 23, 2009, 1:39 pm

The Morning Skate: The Pain of Owning an N.H.L. Team

By Stu Hackel

The Hockey Hall of Fame announces its 2009 inductees today, and handing out the highest individual honor in the game should dominate the news today. But it may not. Not when John Tortorella’s favorite “cowboys” — Len Barrie and Oren Koules, owners of the Tampa Bay Lightning — are galloping wildly in seemingly opposite directions and need the sheriff to rein them in.

Gary Bettman will be sitting down with these guys today, trying to broker some sort of peace. As John Romano in The St. Petersburg Times reports, the two can’t seem to agree on much when it comes to the club’s direction and may even be forced to decide which one of them will run things.

“For months,” Romano writes, “there have been whispers of a rift between Koules and Barrie. Of differences of opinion on payroll, on Vinny Lecavalier, and on general manager Brian Lawton. And that is fine. Reasonable people disagree all of the time.

“But these guys rarely seem to reach the level of reasonable. They do not understand compromise, and they do not grasp the concept of cooperation. Or, for that matter, honesty.

“You see, Koules and Barrie have long denied any hint of boardroom brawling. They have talked and acted as if they are moving in unison, and dismiss anyone who suggests otherwise as a misguided critic.

“Yet numerous people inside the organization and around the Tampa Bay business community have painted a much different portrait of the ownership group during recent interviews with Times beat writer Damian Cristodero.

“They tell stories of various indiscretions, some minor and some serious, in the offices of the St. Pete Times Forum. They hint at money woes and personality clashes. They suggest this is a franchise in disarray, and one whose brand is being devalued in the eyes of fans and sponsors.”

There are also reports that the N.H.L. sent in a respected emissary to investigate and ease the calamity and that person could not get these guys to chill.

Romano seems to think a Bettman decision on giving control to one or the other is a likely outcome (and, he says, Barrie is the lesser of two weasels), but that may not be possible. The loser would likely pull out and the winner probably can’t afford to assume all of ownership.

Could be Bettman will have to ask both Koules and Barrie to cede control of the operation to a cooler head but whatever diplomatic wisdom Bettman has at his disposal will be needed to fix this one. "

JR, watch your back!!

[TBLfan 25]

This kind of uncertainty is why I didn't renew my season tickets.

[K9 Unit 1]

i'm personally not surprised, i just don't know why lol

[shotty 7]

put a real estate developer and a hollywood producer at the same table, both with a little hockey experience, and there's bound to be conflict.

i know a handful of people in both careers and they're all egomaniacs.

[furlanitalia 1]

I can see Bettman having a hard enough time getting just one of these guys to take over, let alone take over and succeed.

[top 1974 0]

How Koules and Barrie were approved as owners is baffling. Add Boots Delbagio (??) to that list. I fear they are next on the list to fold after Phoenix.

The NHL has strayed too far from its core fans.....

[furlanitalia 1]

It seems to be in Bettman's good books to get approved you have to have a love for sunny weather and no idea how to make money in a non hockey environment. I understand Balsillie hasn't gone about things in all the right way but the guy has money, and wants to bring an NHL team to a hockey environment, yet he seems to be pretty hated in the NHL community. While I'm sure I don't have all the information, from an outside perspective it sure looks funny.

[DarkStar50 679]

As JR remains quiet........to cover his butt..............from whoever may be watching in TB................smart move!!!!

TBL: From Cup to Crap in 4 years. This is MY NHL!!

[hockechamp14 0]

As JR remains quiet........to cover his butt..............from whoever may be watching in TB................smart move!!!!

TBL: From Cup to Crap in 4 years. This is MY NHL!!

Does JR have an affiliation with the lightning on anything? I haven't been around much here.

I guess they got upset when Darren Pang didn't want to be their goalie coach and argued weather to hire Milk Millbury as their GM.

[furlanitalia 1]

JR works for Tampa. Mananges the distribution of their use equipment (as far a I know)

[RadioGaGa 162]

Jim Balsillie is taking notes.

[Chadd 916]

Jim Balsillie is taking notes.

JB wouldn't be sharing ownership with anyone.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Jim Balsillie is taking notes.

JB wouldn't be sharing ownership with anyone.

No, but if it goes totally off the rails...the team could end up 100% for sale.

[furlanitalia 1]

But would that mean he can move them?

[RadioGaGa 162]

But would that mean he can move them?

I'm sure that is where the fight would start...

But, it would give JB a chance to do it right FROM THE START. Apply to buy the team, knowing he wants to move it, but also knowing he might not be able to. Be approved as the new owner...take ownership THEN apply to relocate. If he has to do his time (a season or 2) in Tampa...be prepared to do that. If he does it the Leagues way...I see him as an owner. It's his insistence to go outside the 'rules' and piss off the Governors that have kept him out of the League.

[Chadd 916]

But would that mean he can move them?

I'm sure that is where the fight would start...

But, it would give JB a chance to do it right FROM THE START. Apply to buy the team, knowing he wants to move it, but also knowing he might not be able to. Be approved as the new owner...take ownership THEN apply to relocate. If he has to do his time (a season or 2) in Tampa...be prepared to do that. If he does it the Leagues way...I see him as an owner. It's his insistence to go outside the 'rules' and piss off the Governors that have kept him out of the League.

I don't see him ever doing it the NHL way, as they won't approve him as an owner and he knows it. His best chance was to get a judge to force the NHL into accepting him and the judge took a pass on making any substantive ruling.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Bettman to Barrie: "Check please!"

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=284672

[Jordan 13]

Doug Maclean ( the former NHL GM in Columbus) who was originally part of the group that bought Tampa Bay, and is now on sports radio in Toronto has been saying that there are huge problems here for some time.

He knows the team's operating contsraints very well and has said that it's unsustainable.

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

If it were so unsustainable, why did he pitch a fit when Oren bought the team without him?

[Jordan 13]

He pitched the fit, because it was his deal then they went behind his back and cut him out...his belief about the lack of sustainability is related to the changes and signings that current owners made after taking over.

Look, he could be wrong, or he could be right. Not saying which it is, just saying that he has said this on Toronto radio repeatedly...suppose that it could be sour grapes., or... :o

Hope that Maclean is wrong !

[Chadd 916]

He pitched the fit, because it was his deal then they went behind his back and cut him out...his belief about the lack of sustainability is related to the changes and signings that current owners made after taking over.

Look, he could be wrong, or he could be right. Not saying which it is, just saying that he has said this on Toronto radio repeatedly...suppose that it could be sour grapes., or... :o

Hope that Maclean is wrong !

He has every right in the world to be pissed about what happened, and given the stories that have been published, it certainly seems like the current ownership group is an unmitigated disaster.