Taylor's surgery ... and apology

There is so much that is interesting about what Tim Taylor is about to go through, it is difficult to know where to start; so let's get the basic information out of the way first. The Lightning captain will have surgery on his degenerative right hip Thursday at Tampa's University Community Hospital. Orthopedic surgeon Steve Raterman will perform the operation that will shave down Taylor's right femur and insert it into a metal hip socket to ease movement.

If all goes well, and after three weeks when he will need help walking, Taylor could, perhaps, be back in the lineup by February. He will remain captain and rehab with the team. GM Jay Feaster said there is a spot waiting for Taylor if he can come back.

If he can't make it back, Taylor, 38, ends a career that includes two Stanley Cups (with Tampa Bay in 2004 and with the Red Wings in 1997) and 12 NHL seasons. But Taylor would rather not go out that way, and he also wants to make it up to Lightning fans, who he said might believe he never "gave enough'' last season.

"If I could apologize it would be to the fans,'' Taylor said. "I hope I can regain their trust and be the leader I was chosen to be.''

Taylor had a tough 2006-07. He played 71 games but averaged just 7:55 of ice time and needed two cortisone shots in his hip to get through the season. He played better in the playoffs after the second shot but it was apparent his strength and stride were limited.

Taylor hoped to rehab the injury back into shape during the summer. But the pain became so bad he said he had to stop running and could not sleep without taking an anti-inflammatory drug. He said NHL Productions will record his surgery and rehab.

"I'm not nervous about my career. This is my last year no matter what,'' Taylor said. "I'm not excited about it either. I've watched (the surgery) on line. To see a guy cut open that wide, and see the drilling and sanding ... but it's closure.''

Readers of this blog know where I stand on Taylor. He had a bad season on the ice, but I watched him all year behind the scenes help bring together and disparate locker room that by the end of the season was as tight as they come. That to me is leadership.

I hope he Taylor can get back on the ice. How can you not root for a guy who finishes a conversation with this: "I'd like to play one more game where I feel like an NHL player.''

 

A new scoreboard -- finally

Anyone out there as happy as I am about the Lightning and the St. Pete Times Forum getting rid of its antiquated old scoreboard and hanging a new one that is supposed to have one of the largest LED (light emitting diode) screens anywhere in the league.

Team spokesman Bill Wickett said the scoreboard, which is not yet installed and will ultimately be paid for out of the $35-million in tourist taxes Hillsborough County has made available for the arena's upkeep, will be ready for the Oct. 4 season opener with the Devils.

Wickett also said the purchase of the scoreboard was initiated by Lightning owner Palace Sports & Entertainment well before the proposed sale of the team. HiTech Electronic Displays of Clearwater was hired to design and develop the scoreboard system.

Forget those nuts and bolts, though. For fans, the board itself is big stuff. The old scoreboard's video display was almost dirty looking; at least it was fuzzy. And it was easy to miss the action even if you were watching carefully. Well, all that should change with the new multi-million dollar board with screens that apparently are 20 feet high with another four feet of display board on top of that.

If it is anything like some of the LED boards up around the league, you will be shocked -- SHOCKED -- at the clarity.

The difference from the old scoreboard is that there will be no separate space for the score and the time left in the period except on the video board. In other words, all the game information you get will be on the boards. From what I understand, those stats will be displayed much like they are being displayed on your television screen at home when you watch a game. Think ESPN's scoreboard graphic or Sun Sports'.

May take a little getting used to, but the quality of the picture during the game and for replays should make it worth it.

The Times Forum also is putting a 360-degree full-color display ribbon on the face of the arena's lower level. On the face of the its upper level, new scoreboards will be installed at both ends.

It's about time.

       

Palace Sports still in charge -- it's in writing

The letter of intent to purchase the Lightning that Absolute Hockey Enterprises signed with Palace Sports & Entertainment contains an interesting clause. It ensures the smooth running of the organization by putting all decisions in the hands of the current owners while Absolute Hockey waits for league approval to take control of the team and for the sale to close.

The clause states Absolute Sports must be "consulted'' before any moves (such as player trades) are made. But the final word rests with Palace Sports until Absolute Hockey is officially in charge. 

Given the snail's pace of these things, that might take months. There is a seven-section application to the NHL that Absolute Hockey must complete. It likely will take hundreds of pages of material to comply with everything from financial disclosures to background checks. Then the NHL's Board of Governors must vote to approve the transfer of ownership. Then the sale must close. There's more on that in Wednesday's paper.   

The enforced harmony is important, especially if you know your Lightning history.

It was June 1999 and Palace Sports was buying the team from Art Williams. The two sides were jointly running the Lightning, meaning any moves not only needed the approval of Palace Sports, which already had hired Rick Dudley to handle hockey operations and run the upcoming draft, but the approval of Williams.

According to a St. Petersburg Times story at the time, Dudley had worked out a deal with the Stars to acquire goaltender Roman Turek, perhaps for Darcy Tucker. But Williams nixed the deal. As the story stated, "The deal would have increased the Lightning's payroll at least $1-million and Williams wanted no part of that in the event he remained owner of the Lightning into next season.''

Who knows how that deal, had it gone through, would have altered Tampa Bay's future. Maybe Dudley would not have traded the No. 1 overall draft pick that year in a complex, multi-permutation deal that landed the team goaltender Dan Cloutier from the Rangers. Even if he did trade the pick, it would not have been for a goalie. And the Tucker deal with the Maple Leafs in February 2000 for Mike Johnson would not have happened.

The Lightning might have kept the draft's top pick. It turned out to be a weak year but the crop included the Sedin twins, who went to the Canucks, and Tim Connolly, who went to the Islanders. Top pick Patrik Stefan, to the Thrashers, was a bust.

Lightning president Ron Campbell on Wednesday would not comment on the letter of intent. But speaking generally said, "We're free to do whatever we want. ... We're going to do things the way we've done them for eight years. That's the marching orders I've been given, to do the right things for the right reasons.''

To the credit of Absolute Hockey, which includes former Blue Jackets president Doug MacLean, Coral Springs real estate developer Jeff Sherrin and Hollywood producer Oren Koules, as well as some still unnamed investors, Campbell said it has not made any demands of Palace Sports. And MacLean is on record as saying the plan is to keep coach John Tortorella and GM Jay Feaster.

"We want to win and they want to win,'' Campbell said. "They pursued a team that has a chance to win the Stanley Cup this year and the next couple of years. We want to build that as much as they do. There's been no animosity, no challenges, no questions. It's kind of like they like what we've been doing.''

It also is in Palace Sports' interest to run the business as if no ownership change was imminent. After all, if the sale falls through, Palace Sports wants its property to retain its value.

"We're trying to deliver the best asset we can,'' Campbell said.

And they can do it without any outside interference.

Can Prospal rebound?

Vinny Prospal has a point. He did play a lot better in the second half of the season than the first. He had just four goals and 22 points through the first 41 games. He ended with 14 and 55. He also had a pretty good playoff against the Devils with a goal and five points (and a plus-2) in six games . But his minus-24 rating in the regular season was tied for 11th worst in the league and considering he played almost the entire season with Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis, his struggles were a bit mysterious.

And on a team that relied way too much on Lecavalier and St. Louis, Prospal's offensive problems exacerbated the situation.

Prospal, who is already skating at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, took some time to talk about how it was tough for him to get rid of the memories of last season, so much so that he began working out for the 2007-08 season almost after last season ended. There will be a lot more in Wednesday's paper, but here are a few highlights:

Prospal said he and wife Monika and son Vaclav, 7, vacationed on Marco Island after the Devils series. Instead of lying on the beach all day, he hit the workout room. As soon as he got back to his native Czech Republic, he got with workout partner Radek Dvorak of the Panthers.

While all the working out is great, Prospal may have hit on the key to his mini-turnaround last season, that he became more responsible defensively and, as a result, started getting a few bounces.

Prospal also is entering a contract season.

So the question is, will Prospal, in better shape, with a finely tuned focus, and with his next contract on the line, get back to being the player who had 60 points in 2005-06? I say he comes on strong. Money aside, there's a lot to be said for an athlete who feels a bit as if his reputation as a player took a hit, and it's not like his skills dropped from one year to the next.

And just think of the havoc Lecavalier's line will cause with Prospal making the contributions of which we know he is capable. In that case, perhaps coach John Tortorella's stated plan to simply outscore opponents this season (that is, rely on the offense to carry the team forward) has a chance after all. 

"I changed the way I get ready for the year,'' Prospal said. "I usually take four to six weeks off. This year I took four days.''

      (Times photo -- Dirk Shadd, click to enlarge)

Things are getting started

It's 17 days until the start of Lightning training camp but a few players have been out playing pickup games for the past week or so at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon. They usually start at 10 a.m. and go for about an hour.

New alternate captain Marty St. Louis is there along with goalies Marc Denis and Johan Holmqvist, defensemen Filip Kuba and Dan Boyle and forwards Vinny Prospal, Brad Richards, Chris Gratton and Jan Hlavac. Also skating are former Lightning forward Chris Dingman and Nolan Pratt, still without a team.

You're not going to see anything thrilling during these games. It's pretty tame as the guys pretty much just pass the puck around and take half-hearted shots. The real fun was after the games when the players set up the nets in the same place as they will be when camp starts and they start skating in circles around the nets.

Even more fun is seeing them in the locker room after the skates. Dan Boyle, clearly winded, slumped down in his seat and said, "It doesn't matter how much you work out.''

For the record, everyone who skated Tuesday looks like they took the summer seriously. Boyle, especially, has put on some muscle, and Denis and Holmqvist both look as if they added muscle at the expense of fat.

And speaking of Denis, let's give the guy credit for his efforts at Ice Fest as he stayed well past his alloted autograph time to accommodate those in line. 

Okay, so this isn't the most thrilling stuff. But what do you expect in August?

Here's something to wet your appetite; a good idea of what to expect from early training camp lines:

Prospal-Lecavalier-St. Louis

Hlavac-Richards-Ouellet

Ward-Gratton-Karlsson

Roy-MacDonald-Tarnasky

   That last one is the most intriguing because it leaves out Ryan Craig. Craig certainly wil get his chance and early lines don't mean a heck of a lot. But if it does shake out this way, it might be a wakeup call for Craig that he will have to earn his place after a weak second half of last season and with questions about his right knee. It also seems to mean Craig MacDonald, 29, who at 6-1, 202 pounds has eight goals, 22 points and 75 PIM in 160 NHL games, will be given every chance to make the team.

Competition always is good.

       

    

DiMaio still won't retire

I'm back after some time off and wanted to do some housekeeping in terms of Rob DiMaio's new job as a scout for the Dallas Stars. We did get this in the paper, thanks to NHL.com, but there are some details that weren't in that report.

DiMaio, whose contract with the Lightning ran out after last season, will be based in Toronto, where he has a home. He said he isn't sure how much travel will be involved but any travel could be troublesome as he said he still has trouble driving at night and air travel can cause dizziness, both symptoms of the post-concussion syndrome that likely ended his career.

And speaking of his career, DiMaio simply refuses to shut the door on playing again, something he reiterated he still wants to do in 2008-09, though he admits it is still "up in the air.''

Still, taking the Dallas job is very practical. He played for the Stars from 2001-04.

"This is a real good opportunity to get my foot in the door and look down the road at different things,'' DiMaio said. "You have to start somewhere and Dallas has given me an opportunity to look at life after hockey and that's what I'm going to do and see if I'm going to enjoy doing that.''

As for his post-concussion syndrome, DiMaio said he has improved enough that his workouts are getting more intense but added, "It's not nearly where it needs to be.''

But he's still in the game, and there is something to be said for that.

New uniforms unveiled

The Lightning unveiled its new logo and jerseys today at the team's annual IceFest, choosing to modernize the long-standing existing logo instead of opting for an entirely different look.

The new Lightning logo looks very similar to the old one, only with a more vibrant bolt, the "Tampa Bay" script more readable and the removal of the repetitive word "Lightning" from the logo.

Several Lightning players, including All-Star Martin St. Louis, walked down the red carpet to a stage the West Plaza of The St. Pete Times Forum, along with local TV personalities. Behind them a 50-foot jersey was unrolled from the top of the parking garage.

The release of the logo coincides with the league-wide uniform change to sleeker, tighter uniforms that are supposed to give players more mobility and be lighter.Both the Lightning's new logo and the new uniforms were designed by Reebok. The Lightning approached Reebok two years ago about changing the logo.

"They were presented with a unique opportunity," said J.J. Stelter, senior designer for Reebok. "They were just coming off the lockout and they were the defending World Champions. You don't want to totally re-invent that look. There are still many traditional quinessential Tampa Bay details."

Lightning's new logo

Filip Kuba slaps hands with fans while walking down the red carpet in the new Lighting jersey with the redesigned logo during Ice Fest at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa on Saturday.

[Dirk Shadd | Times photo]

IceFest '07

The Lightning will host its annual IceFest, a free hockey festival designed to celebrate to the start of the hockey season, tomorrow at The St. Pete Times Forum from 10 to 3. The event will feature player autographs, live music, massage tents and games. It will also be fans' first opportunity to purchase individual home game tickets, but the highlight of this year's event is the unveiling of the team's new logo and jerseys. Fans will also have the first opportunity to purchase merchandise with the new logo.

Here's a schedule of events:

10:30-11:30: Autograph session with Lightning players Martin St. Louis, Vinny Prospal, Jan Hlavac and Dave Andreychuk on the main concourse.

11 a.m.: Question-and-answer session with GM Jay Feaster and head coach John Tortorella for season-ticket holders at Icons Restaurant.

Noon: Unveiling of new Lighnting logo and jerseys

12:30-1:30: Autograph session with Lightning players Chris Gratton, Filip Kuba, Marc Denis, Johan Holmqvist and alum John Tucker on the main concourse.

1 p.m.: Question-and-answer session with assistant GM Claude Loiselle and new assistant coach Mike Sullivan for season-ticket holders at Icons Restaurant.

More names for IceFest

The Lightning announced today that players Martin St. Louis, Vinny Prospal, Johan Holmqvist, Filip Kuba, Marc Denis and Jan Hlavac, along with alum John Tucker, will join the roster of guests for Saturday's IceFest at the Forum. Chris Gratton and Dave Andreychuk were previously announced.

The event will go from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is highlighted this year by the unveiling of the Lightning's new logo and jerseys at noon. Fans will also have the first opportunity to purchase team merchandise featuring the new logo.

St. Louis, Prospal, Hlavac and Andreychuk are scheduled to sign autographs on the main concourse from 10:30-11:30 a.m., followed by Gratton, Kuba, Denis, Holmqvist and Tucker from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Lightning GM Jay Feaster and head coach John Tortorella will participate in a Q & A session for season ticketholders at 11 a.m. in Icons restaurant, followed by a similar session with assistant general manager Claude Loiselle and new assistant coach Mike Sullivan at 1 p.m. at Icons

Talk about Taylor

It's just too bad for Tim Taylor that his career could end with surgery to correct his degenerative right hip. That's no way for anyone to go out.

I like Taylor, a terrific guy, but some mail I've gotten this week (and one really harsh letter in particular) was intent on body-slamming the Lightning captain not only for his play last season but for his work as captain. In a nutshell, the writer wondered who named him captain in the first place (coach John Tortorella and GM Jay Feaster) and that Taylor could not lead AT ALL because of his injury and the fact that he played on the fourth line.

I grant you Taylor's ineffective season on the ice made captaining somewhat tougher. But the guy was great in the locker room. I know that doesn't mean much to most. It is not a part of the game that gets much publicity. But in this case it is worth mentioning.

Taylor worked very hard throughout the year, but especially early, to make sure all the players felt part of the team. That was a big chore as the team started with nine new faces. It also was important given what Rob DiMaio said at the beginning of the year, that when he first came back to the team in the 2005-06 season, he was not comfortable. The Lightning, which had so little turnover after the Cup season, was a bit of a closed society and not as welcoming of a newcomer as it might have been.

Hockey, a truly team sport, is one of the few sports where locker room harmony can have a great effect on how a team plays, so Taylor was proactive. He organized team-wide functions as early as training camp, made sure everyone always was involved. It worked, and it was fun to watch the locker room become pretty tight by mid season. Of course, the resurgence on the ice helped, but a good vibe in the locker room didn't hurt, either. Taylor also was pro-active when it came to talking to slumping players and as a liaison between the players and the coaches.

And don't forget that after Taylor's second cortisone shot, he played his best hockey of the season. And though he did not have a point, he had an even plus-minus, won 53 percent of his faceoffs and averaged 12:01 of ice time. That after averaging 7:55 of ice time in the regular season. Playing well through injury is a leadership.

So, yeah, Taylor had a tough season overall. But after watching him last season continue to be involved off the ice, I believe he was the perfect choice to be captain. And that is why Feaster said this when asked if Taylor had a spot waiting on the roster if he can recover from surgery that may happen in September and could have him on the ice by February if things go really well: "No one in this organization is prepared to close the door on Tim Taylor being able to come back from this. We all recognize the odds are tremendous and stacked against him, but if anybody can do it, Tim Taylor can. Tim Taylor is a hockey warrior. He's an old-school kind of guy, so he's absolutely welcome.''

By the way, I'm taking a 10-day vacation to recharge a bit before the season, so there might not be much on the blog until the last week of August. Thanks for all your contributions.         

St. Louis gets an A

As we saw in today's paper, Marty St. Louis will wear an A as an alternate captain next season, joining Brad Richards and Vinny Lecavalier.

St. Louis, 32, always has been a good leader but much of it has been behind the scenes. He gets rewarded and some much-deserved public recognition because captain Tim Taylor could miss the entire season because of major surgery on his right hip. You know that story, of course. Taylor, 38, played last season with a degenerative right hip that required two cortisone shots. He hoped to avoid surgery and play the last year of his contract, and his playing career, as he did last season. But Taylor said Thursday his hip has gotten so bad, he can no longer jog and can't sleep without an anti-inflammatory drug to cut the pain. So surgery is a must and could happen in September. After three weeks in which he will not be able to walk without help, Taylor faces a best-case four-month rehab that could get him back on the ice by February. Or perhaps he doesn't play at all.

GM Jay Feaster said Taylor will remain as captain while he rehabs with the team, but St. Louis gets the A to bolster the locker room's leadership.

"This is a natural extension of the leadership in the room already," Feaster said.

Said St. Louis: "I'm flattered and honored to wear the A.''

This is a great and deserving move by the Lightning. St. Louis is the 2003-04 regular-season MVP and last season had career highs of 43 goals, 59 assists and 102 points. He also is one of the reasons Vinny Lecavalier had the year that he did. Vinny is an outstanding talent but St. Louis pushed him to work hard on the ice every shift. Even Lecavalier said you can't watch St. Louis play and not want to keep up with him. Forget anything that happens in the locker room. That is real leadership.

Read the entire story in today's paper.

Ice Fest (and individual game tickets) Aug. 25

The Lightning will unveil their new logo (though you already know what that looks like) and its new sleeker jersey at the annual Ice Fest event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 25 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

The uniform will be unveiled at noon. There will be a Q&A for season-ticket holders with GM Jay Feaster and coach John Tortorella at 11 a.m. followed at 1 p.m. by another with assistant GM Claude Loiselle and assistant coach Mike Sullivan.

Players, such as Chris Gratton, will be available for autographs. Dave Andreychuk also is supposed to make an appearance. Hot dogs and soda will be $1 and some Lightning merchandise will be 50 percent off.

Individual game tickets also go on sale that day at the Times Forum box office.

International exposure

Here is the release sent out by the team announcing that assistant athletic trainer Jason Serbus will join Team USA as athletic trainer for the 2007 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament from Monday through Aug. 24 in Strakonice, Tabor and Pribram, Czech Republic.

“It’s an honor to be invited by my country to work with top 21 U.S. players in their age group,” Serbus said. “These players are the best in their age group now and they will be future NHLers, so it’s an honor to be a part of it.”

It is Serbus’ fourth time representing his country at the Five Nations Tournament.  He has previously attended tournaments in Switzerland, Germany and the United States.  He is one of seven staff members which also includes an equipment manager from the Minnesota Wild and one doctor.

The Five Nations Tournament will host teams from the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States.  Team USA opens the tournament Monday when it takes on Slovakia in Pribram.  They will then play their remaining three games against Germany (Tuesday), Switzerland (Wednesday) and Czech Republic (Aug. 24) in Strakonice.  The team will be in the Czech Republic for 10 days, including two exhibition games and four tournament games.

Team members were chosen from the 2007 USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp, which was held June 23-29 at the ESL Sports Centre in Rochester, N.Y., and featured many of America’s best hockey players born in 1991.  The team will be based in Prague.

Serbus, 32, joined Tampa Bay for the 2005-06 season.  He has a bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls and a Master of Arts in Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology from the University of Northern Colorado.  Prior to joining the Lightning he served as the head athletic trainer for the Pensacola Ice Pilots of the ECHL and has worked with many USA Hockey teams.

Lightning time changes

The Lightning will be on eight national telecasts in North America -- Nov. 19 against the Thrashers at Atlanta and Jan. 29 at home against the Sabres are on Versus; Dec. 27 at home against the Canadiens and Jan. 5 at Ottawa are on Canada's CBC; Oct. 31 at New Jersey, Dec. 11 at Montreal, Feb. 12 home against Montreal and March 19 at Buffalo will be on TSN.

The three home games to be televised from the St. Pete Times Forum will have game times of 7 p.m., rather than 7:30 p.m. weekday start.

Games on NBC, which begin Jan. 20, will offer flexible scheduling for its nine dates to, as the league said, "ensure fans are provided with the most exciting match-ups available.'' NBC will wait until 13 days before broadcasts to pick games it will show.

Here is Versus' season schedule:

Sept. 30       Anaheim at Los Angeles      noon       
Oct. 3          Anaheim at Detroit              7 PM            
Oct. 3          Dallas at Colorado                9:30 PM            
Oct. 9          Carolina at Toronto              7 PM            
Oct. 10         Rangers at Islanders            7 PM            
Oct. 15         Toronto at Buffalo               7 PM            
Oct. 16         Atlanta at Philadelphia          7 PM            
Oct. 22         Boston at Montreal               7:30 PM            
Oct. 23         Rangers at Pittsburgh           7 PM
Oct. 29         San Jose at Dallas                 8 PM            
Oct. 30         Pittsburgh at Minnesota         7 PM            
Nov. 5          Philadelphia at Rangers          7 PM            
Nov. 6          Rangers at Islanders              7 PM            
Nov. 12        Carolina at Florida                 7:30 PM            
Nov. 13        Detroit at St. Louis                8 PM            
Nov. 19          Tampa Bay at Atlanta           7 PM            
Nov. 20          Boston at Toronto                7 PM            
Nov. 26          Buffalo at Washington          7 PM            
Nov. 27          Calgary at Detroit                7 PM            
Dec. 3            Dallas at Columbus               7 PM            
Dec. 4            Detroit at Montreal               7:30 PM            
Dec. 10           Boston at Buffalo                 7 PM            
Dec. 11           Pittsburgh at Philadelphia     7 PM            
Dec. 17           Washington at Detroit          7 PM            
Dec. 18           Ottawa at Boston                 7 PM            
Dec. 31           St. Louis at Detroit              7 PM            
Jan. 2             Atlanta at Carolina               7 PM            
Jan. 8             Colorado at Detroit               7:30 PM            
Jan. 14           Rangers at Pittsburgh            7 PM            
Jan. 15           Montreal at Islanders             7 PM            
Jan. 21           Washington at Pittsburgh       7:30 PM            
Jan. 22           Boston at Montreal                 7:30 PM            
Jan. 26           All-Star Skills                         7 PM            
Jan. 27           All-Star Game                        7 PM            
Jan. 29           Buffalo at Tampa Bay             7 PM            
Jan. 29           San Jose at Edmonton            9:30 PM            
Jan. 30           Anaheim at Minnesota            7 PM            
Jan. 30           Chicago at Colorado                9:30 PM            
Feb. 4            Pittsburgh at New Jersey          7 PM            
Feb. 5            Carolina at Nashville                8 PM            
Feb. 11          Phoenix at Dallas                     7 PM            
Feb. 12          Philadelphia at Islanders           7 PM            
Feb. 12          Anaheim at Colorado                9 PM            
Feb. 18          Detroit at Colorado                   8 PM            
Feb. 19          Chicago at St. Louis                 8 PM            
Feb. 25          Philadelphia at Buffalo              7 PM            
Feb. 26          New Jersey at Carolina              7 PM            
March 03        Boston at Washington               7 PM            
March 4          Buffalo at Philadelphia              7 PM            
March 4          Vancouver at Colorado              9:30 PM            
March 10        Rangers at Buffalo                    7 PM            
March 11        New Jersey at Montreal             7 PM            
March 17        Colorado at Minnesota              7 PM            
March 18        Atlanta at Philadelphia              7 PM            
March 24        Pittsburgh at Islanders              7 PM            
March 25        Philadelphia at Rangers             7 PM            
March 31        Pittsburgh at Rangers                7 PM            
April 1            TBD
April 1            Colorado at Vancouver              10 PM       
 

Ex-Lightning star not an investor

It has been more than a week since would-be Light­ning owners Doug MacLean, Jeff Sherrin and Oren Koules said their group could have up to seven other investors. While the names remain secret, ex-Tampa Bay star Dino Ciccarelli, a friend of MacLean’s, is not on board. Ciccarelli said he wasn’t asked but sounded as if he wished he were. “I’m going to have to call Dougie and bust his chops about that,’’ said Ciccarelli, co-owner of the Sarnia Sting, a junior team. “I’d like to have heard what he had to say.’’

-- Damian Cristodero, Times staff writer

Back to Prince Edward Island?

Not sure this made the web site this morning, but I thought it was mildly interesting enough to include it here. You recall, of course, that the Lightning almost decided to spend part of next season's training camp in Prince Edward Island -- Charlottetown, the be exact, the capital city.

With would-be owner Doug MacLean from the PEI city of Summerside (and don't forget brad Richards from Murray Harbour) , going north in the future might not be so out of the question, which led to this little item:

Basil Stewart, mayor of Summerside, said he already invited would-be Lightning owner and Summerside native Doug MacLean to hold training camp in his hometown. “We’re looking forward to the Lightning coming here,’’ Stewart said. “We have a new arena here. It’s probably the nicest facility east of Montreal.’’

The Panthers trained in Summerside in 1996 with MacLean as coach. The Blue Jackets trained there in 2002 with MacLean as president and general manager. “This time I won’t have to ask the owner,’’ MacLean joked. “I didn’t make any promises.”

MacLean at home

Hope you guys got a little insight into Doug MacLean from the weekend story. Sounds like there's potential there for a wild ride. What did not make it into the story was a conversation I had with the mayor of Summerside, MacLean's hometown on Prince Edward Island. I was just looking for some background, called Mr. Basil Stewart on his cell phone and got him while he was having lunch with two city councilman, both of whom also knew MacLean.

So there they were passing Mr. Stewart's phone back and forth between them while they had lunch. Much of hat they said was what I had heard before. That MacLean can be one of the most engaging and gregarious people you ever meet. But they also spoke of his volatile nature when it comes to hockey.

Passion, they called it. MacLean wants to win so badly and puts so much of his emotions into the game that if things don't go well, he can explode.

"There's no question about that. He can get fired up on the bench,'' Stewart said. "He has proven that in the past no matter what team he is with. You know he's around. He's a very passionate person about the game.''

Next the phone went to Barry Chapel, who is MacLean's neighbor on Shelton Beach where both have cottages. In fact, Chapel said he has cut MacLean's grass ever since MacLean asked him to do if for him one day long ago when MacLean's wife Jill ordered MacLean to do it, though MacLean wanted to play golf with the boys.

"He was always a great man growing up,''  Chapel said. "He hasn't changed. He's a top-notch person.''

Said friend Bill Schurman, who was the third at the lunch: "He still has the same character that he had when we played road hockey or minor baseball or minor hockey together. Doug always had a great sense of humor, a very charismatic smile. If there was anyone who was going to play a prank or hear a laugh that was recognizable, it was going to be Doug. He's one of those people you want to surround yourself with.''

Okay, I know, none of this means anything as far as MacLean being a hockey man. But it is telling. The guy obviously can have a short fuse when it comes to hockey, and being a hands-on owner, I don't know how that is going to work (if the sale of the team from Palace Sports to Absolute Hockey Enterprises goes through). But it's nice to know the guy has a human side.

And a dogged side as he helped put together a purchase proposal that was accepted in principle in just seven weeks. Not bad after his firing from the Blue Jackets as the only GM and president the franchise had ever known.

"I'll tell you what the last seven weeks have told me how Doug MacLean is,'' Schurman said. "I hope I can grow up and be like him in a way. He was the father of that franchise. Many of us would have licked our wounds, took our salary buyout. But he took his buyout and risked it doing this. If I was in Tampa Bay, I'd say 'Geez, there's a guy in the trenches.' ''

   

Denis happy MacLean could be owner

Well, come on, what else is he going to say? Not that it isn't true (Denis had his best years under Doug MacLean's leadership), but if MacLean is approved by the NHL and takes over the Lightning, it would not have been the smartest thing for Marc to say anything else.

Whatever his sentiments, Denis is in a strange spot. MacLean traded him away to another organization and now that person is again his boss. Denis said, well, that's hockey. He played with Luke Richardson in Columbus and also in Tampa, so who is to say what really is strange.

MacLean and his group will not be able to take over the Lightning until at least mid to lat September, so, unless another hidden bombshell breaks, it seems unlikely anything will change with the Lightning's goaltending situation before training camp. GM Jay Feaster has made it very clear he plans on entering camp with Denis, Johan Holmqvist and Kari Ramo as the top three. And even if MacLean and his boys could take over before then, there were no commitments to increase payroll, so, chances are, the goaltending would have stayed the same, anyway.

So there has to be hope Denis improves and Holmqvist can get more consistent. It will be interesting to see Ramo, though, get some real work in the preseason. For Denis' part, he sounded anxious to get going. Said he is working hard to get in shape and no doubt he is. Can't say I ever saw a guy work as hard as he did last season. Can't say he didn't care, and that is what Tampa bay is counting on this season, because Denis is not only playing to keep a job in Tampa, considering how he fell off a cliff last season, he is playing to resurrect his career and standing in the league.      

The one to watch

Doug MacLean will get the bulk of the attention as the sale of the Lightning goes forward because he will have his hands in the one-ice product. But the member of the ownership group to really watch is Jeff Sherrin. The Coral Springs resident and South Florida native is the real estate guy, and the Lightning as a commodity has been tied up in real estate since it was bought by Palace Sports & Entertainment in the summer of 1999.

You all remember that first press conference, right? Owner Bill Davidson was honest that he wanted the building more than the team. But he also wanted the land around the St. Pete Times Forum that was to be developed and the real way the company was going to make money. But things changed during Davidson's stewardship as two of his partners in the transaction, both of whom were real estate point men, died within a short time of each other. That, Lightning executives said when I reported on this several years ago , dampened Davidson's passion for developing the land.

Enter Sherrin, a big-time developer who is poised (if the NHL Board of Governors approves the sale of the team to Absolute Hockey Enterprises) to have 5.5 acres of prime land to develop around the Times Forum. Sherrin said he has no plans yet as to how the land will be developed. But you can bet there will be plans, and probably sooner rather than later.

Who knows what the fortunes of this new ownership group will be. Perhaps it is destined the lose money at the same rate as Palace Sports claims it did. But for sure, the odds will be a lot better if Sherrin, who, by the way, made a play for the Ducks during the lockout, can get those parcels developed.    

New ownership group: Lightning to stay

The Lightning's new ownership group has no plans to move the team out of Tampa, it announced during a news conference Tuesday morning at the St. Pete Times Forum. Watch video.

"Absolute zero thought of that,'' said former Florida Panthers coach and Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Doug MacLean, who will join Coral Springs developer Jeff Sherrin and Hollywood producer Oren Koules as co-owners. "Quite honest(ly), it never entered our minds.''

The group, called Absolute Hockey Enterprises, purchased the Lightning, its lease agreement with Hillsborough County, the St. Pete Times Forum and two pieces of adjacent property from Palace Sports & Entertainment. The deal awaits league approval, which is expected to be a formality. Sherrin declined to reveal the price "until we go through the NHL approval stage.'' He said there will be nine or 10 principal owners in all, including another partnership group that is out of town this week.

As a show of their commitment to keeping the franchise in town, MacLean, Sherrin and Koules said they will move to the Tampa Bay area. "I only have one hurdle,'' said Koules, a former minor pro hockey player who will work to improve the team's marketability, "and that's the humidity.''

MacLean said the group's goals are to "create a great business model, and we also want to win hockey games, because I think the two have to go hand in hand.'' With respect to the payroll (current owner Bill Davidson had set a $44-million ceiling for this season), MacLean said the new owners will step back and take a look at their business model and make decisions as a group. "It's something we're going to look at and evaluate the team on a weekly basis,'' he said.

Tom Wilson, the Lightning's chairman and governor, said Palace Sports had not planned to sell the team and had turned down previous offers. But they felt good about Absolute Hockey's passion for hockey, Florida roots and commitments to the game, the city and to making the Lightning the best franchise in hockey. "We never made money but for our Stanley Cup year, but that wasn't the driver,'' Wilson said. "To be honest, I can't really tell you what the driver was.''

MacLean said he met with Lightning GM Jay Feaster on Monday and will get together with coach John Tortorella today. He said the new ownership plans to keep the Lightning administration in place, specifically naming Feaster, Tortorella, team president Ron Campbell and director of player personnel Bill Barber as people they'd like to keep on board.

Mayor Pam Iorio issued this statement: "The City of Tampa has had a positive relationship with Palace Sports and Entertainment. We look forward to meeting with the new owners and continuing this valuable partnership. It is important to the city and to the region that the Tampa Bay Lightning remains a part of our community. We wish the franchise on-going success and we will do all we can as a partner to ensure their future.''

Photo by Ken Helle | Times: The new owners, from left to right: Jeffrey Sherrin, an Orlando developer, Oren Koules, a Hollywood producer, and former NHL coach Doug MacLean.

Lightning sale Q & A

Who says you can't keep a secret anymore? The sale of the Lightning, the St. Pete Times Forum lease and some surrounding property was a clandestine undertaking that was so far off the radar, the word is some Lightning officials in Tampa did not know until Monday. Here is what we know (and don't know) heading into an 11 a.m. news conference.

Who bought the team?

A group headed by former Panthers coach and former Blue Jackets general manager Doug MacLean, right. Also involved is Coral Springs, Fla., developer Jeff Sherrin and Hollywood movie producer Oren Koules, who is behind the immensely popular and immensely gory Saw series, below right.

What are the particulars?

The group bought the team, the St. Pete Times Forum lease and some surrounding land held by former owner Palace Sports & Entertainment

Is it official?

The sale must be ratified by the NHL's Board of Governors, though that is considered a formality.

How much did they pay?

Hard to say, though former owner Bill Davidson, who in the summer of 1999 bought the franchise, the arena lease and the surrounding land for around $98-million, always has said he would never take less than $200-million. More realistic is that he wanted to recoup the $76-million his company says it has lost on its Tampa operation since its purchase.

Will the team stay in Tampa?

That seems to be the case. Also, the group likely would not have taken the building and surrounding land if it was planning a move. But that question will be asked.

What about front office personnel?

With the season so close to beginning, it seems the transition period would be too short to make a change. Tortorella also has two years left on his contract. Feaster has four, so unless the group was interested in large buyouts, stability is probably the way to go, for now at least.

What about player payroll?

A good question. The Lightning set a self-imposed salary cap of $44-million this season. Was that because ownership new about the sale and wanted to give the new owners some wiggle room to reach the $50.3-million league salary cap? (A new goaltender, anyone?) Or was it to keep costs down so the new owners could get a running start? And considering the big losses incurred by Palace Sports, is it possible the payroll could be cut? All questions to be asked.

How could this transaction have been kept so secret?

Another good question. The scuttlebutt is that CEO Tom Wilson handled all the details in Auburn Hills, Mich., where Palace Sports is located. Apparently there was little said outside those offices, and only a limited number of Lightning officials in Tampa got word about it, in some cases not until Monday.   

Why should we believe this group can make this a profitable endeavor?

Yet another good question. Palace Sports was very successful running the Pistons at the Palace at Auburn Hills, but that is quite a different setup than it has in Tampa. Palace Sports owns the Auburn Hills building, controls all the parking revenue. The Times Forum has little parking outside city-owned lots. Also, Palace Sports said it never could charge for tickets what it really wanted. Part of that is because the team was so bad at first, it had to literally give tickets away to get people in the building. And when it had a chance to pump up prices after a Stanley Cup season, there was a lockout that destroyed any momentum and forced Palace Sports to keep prices down to make sure it could recapture fans that had not seen hockey in two years. What is the plan for the new owners? We'll have to wait and see.          

The Lightning has been sold

In one of the best-kept secrets in a while, Lightning owner Bill Davidson has sold the team and the lease to the St. Pete Times Forum to a group that includes former Panthers coach and Blue Jackets general manager Doug MacLean. It is believed the group is committed to keeping the team in Tampa.

Here is the release sent out by the team:      

The Lightning will host a press conference at 11:00 a.m. in the XO VIP Club on the arena level of the St. Pete Times Forum to announce the sale of the team, the leasehold rights to the St. Pete Times Forum and adjacent properties. Thomas S. Wilson, Chairman and Governor of the Lightning, will introduce a new ownership group, Absolute Hockey Enterprises, which includes Doug MacLean, Jeff Sherrin and Oren Koules. A purchase agreement has been signed by Absolute Hockey, but the ownership transfer is subject to approval by the National Hockey League’s Board of Governors.

Palace Sports and entertainment, which is owned by Davidson, has owned the team since the summer of 1999. It bought the team because, as Davidson said at the time, he wanted the building and the adjacent land that was to be developed. The Lightning has turned its on-ice fortunes around under Davidson, winning the 2004 Stanley Cup and reaching the playoffs four straight years. But things were tougher financially.

The team claims it has lost $76-million on its Tampa operation, and after the death of two partners whose expertise was real estate, the development plans never got on track. The team always claimed it was never formally for sale, but it always said if someone backed a truck of money up to the door, it would listen. It also last season hired a New York investment banking company, Galatioto Sports Partners, to do an analysis of the team's finances, though it claimed at the time the goal was to help figure out ways to help the bottom line.

Clarification on 50-man roster

A post in the previous thread about Ryan Craig's $850,000 arbitration award, wondered about GM Jay Feaster's comment about "unforeseen'' trade opportunities. Thought I'd take a sec to explain more clearly.

With $43.666-million committed of the $44-million the team said is available for NHL salaries, the Lightning will not be signing any other players to one-way contracts that would automatically count against that self-imposed cap. If they were to add an NHL-caliber player, it would have to be through trade so as to compensate for the payroll coming in. Right now, Feaster said he doesn't see any trades anywhere on the horizon.

However, the Lightning right now has 49 players under contract throughout the organization. That includes goaltending prospect Riku Helenius, who is expected to play North American juniors. As soon as he is assigned to a junior team, his contract comes off Tampa Bay's organizational roster for the purposes of being counted as "under contract.'' So the Lightning will have 48 under contract and an ability to add two depth players.

Hope that helps.

   

Craig gets $850,000

Ryan Craig was awarded a one-year contract for $850,000 by arbitrator Elizabeth Neumeier. The right wing had asked for $1.2-million. The Lightning, which has slotted Craig as a fourth-line player with special teams duties, asked $650,000. Craig had 14 goals, 27 points in 72 games last season and made $495,000.

GM Jay Feaster said the contract is in the process of being signed. He also said the award fits into the team's budget and he will not try to trade the player. Craig will start training camp as the fourth-line center with penalty kill and power play duties. Feaster said had the award been greater than $900,000, an attempt at a trade would have been more likely.

During negotiations, the Lightning offered a three-year deal at $750,000 each season, a two-year deal at $750,000 and $800,000 and a one-year deal somewhere in the eights. Craig pushed for up to $1-million.

Including Craig's award, the Lightning has committed $43.666-million of the $44-million it has said is available for payroll. Craig was the final player Tampa Bay needed to sign. Feaster said that barring any "unforeseen trades, the Lightning will not make any more moves on the NHL level.

"This is the team,'' he said, "with which we will go into training camp.''

More in tomorrow's paper. 

Craig arbitration hearing has no hard feelings

The Lightning and Ryan Craig finished a three-and-a-half-hour arbitration hearing Friday in Toronto at about 12:30 p.m., and both sides said the practice, which sometimes can get contentious, ended without any hard feelings.

"Both sides shook hands at the end,'' assistant GM Claude Loiselle said. "It was a very cordial affair.''

"It went as expected and I echo the same sentiment,'' Craig said.

As expected, Craig's side asked for $1.2-million. The Lightning countered with $650,000. The arbitrator can award any salary deemed appropriate. Craig, 25, slotted next season on the fourth line and on special teams, had 14 goals, 27 points in 72 games last season and made $495,000.

A decision is expected Monday.

I'll have a lot more about this in Saturday's paper.

Affy back to Russia

Not a big deal but just interesting. Former Lightning underachiever Dmitry Afanasenkov apparently has signed a contract to play in Russia next season for Moscow's Dynamo team.

I always liked Affy but the guy just never could harness that incredible talent into a coherent package. I mean, he could stick handle and skate, but he just wasn't a finisher. And when he got the chance to play with Brad Richards, he tanked. Having said that, Affy's 11 goals last season and 21 points with Tampa Bay and the Flyers were career highs.

Nice guy, tried hard and really cared. I guess the thing I'll remember about him most was how, after he got caught, he admitted to using a too-big curve on his stick ... and then said he would do it again.

Show us your logo

You wanted it, you got it. In response to readers' complaints over early images of the Lightning's new logo, we're inviting you to design your own Lightning logo and send us a picture of it. Send them to submit@tampabay.com, and we'll post them on our site at a future date.

Here are the images of the new Lightning logo.

View a gallery of reader-submitted logos here.

Craig, Lightning head to arbitration

I'll have some more on this in Thursday's paper, but wanted to give you guys a heads up on where things stand between the team and forward Ryan Craig. It certainly doesn't seem as if arbitration can be avoided. Craig said the sides are still talking, but GM Jay Feaster said he is not optimistic anything will get done before Friday's hearing in Toronto. Feaster also said that a too-high arbitration award could cause the team to try to trade the player.

That would be too bad. It would be hard to find a more standup guy than Ryan Craig. You can never question his commitment, and now that his knee is probably feeling better, he might be able to become a more consistent goal scorer. He certainly earns his money in front of the net on the power play. And money, of course, is the problem.

Feaster declined to comment on the numbers but conversations with others who should know what's going on paint this picture:

The Lightning, it is believed, offered Craig three years at $750,000 each year which would buy out one year of unrestricted free agency. Craig it is believed, proposed two years at $1-million each. That gap will widen further during an arbitration hearing at which Craig is expected to ask for one year at about $1.2-million. The Lightning could counter at around $650,000.

Arbitrators can award any salary they deem appropriate.

Why would $1.2-million be a strategic request? The collective bargaining agreement this season does not let teams walk away from arbitration awards unless they surpass $1.221-million. There also is a player, Chuck Kobasew of the Bruins, who will make $1.2-million next season. Kobasew scored five goals and had 19 points in 50 games last season. Craig had 14 and 27 in 72 games. That is a good comparable for Craig, 25, who would enter camp slotted on the fourth line and with special teams responsibilities.

Here's the other problem for Feaster. He already has committed $42.816-million of the $44-million the team has said is available for salaries. Said the GM, "So we're going to wait until the arbitration decision comes in, and if it's a number that doesn't work for us in our budget, then we'll have to look at other options, including moving the player. ... We like Ryan Craig. We think he can play a very valuable role on our team. But certainly not at those kinds of numbers.''

         

Ramsay to Bruins; did he help, hurt?

Former Lightning associate coach Craig Ramsay was hired as a Bruins assistant. I liked what he did for the Lightning and the defense and the way his quiet demeanor was an opposite to Torts. But I wanted the distinguished board to weigh in.

I always found fascinating the divergence of opinions about Ramsay. Many did not like his stick-first philosophy and seeming disdain for having the blue liners play a more physical style. But there were others who thought he got all he could out of a defensive corps that, really, was never at the top of the league. There was no question he was a good teacher. And granted I only spoke to two defensemen after he left Tampa Bay -- Dan Boyle and Nolan Pratt -- but both seemed genuinely upset Ramsay was leaving.

Then there was the bad cop/good cop thing with Tortorella. Having seen that in action for quite a few years, there definitely was something to it. The best part was, when Ramsay decided to go all John Tortorella on a player or on the group, everybody was so shocked this mild-mannered man raised his voice, jaws dropped everywhere. But the message got across.

The bottom line is Ramsay helped the Lightning to a Stanley Cup title. He left, in part, because his relationship with Tortorella had run its course. Will he be missed? Or is that even a fair question before we see what new assistant Mike Sullivan can do?