Tampa Bay Lightning's Oren Koules confirms he received payment from his co-owner Len Barrie

Remember that $3 million personal loan Tampa Bay Lightning co-owner Len Barrie owed Oren Koules? Barrie last week cryptically indicated he had made the payment that was due Monday. But there was no confirmation from Koules until Wednesday. Asked if he received the money, Koules texted back, "Yes."

The money was payback for a cash call last season that Barrie missed and Koules covered.

Why is this noteworthy? Because it is a positive step in the process as the owners, under mandates by commissioner Gary Bettman, work through their philosophical and financial differences about how to run and build the team.

Len Barrie, it appears, repays $3 million loan to Tampa Bay Lightning co-owner Oren Koules

Was another benchmark reached in the ongoing feud between Lightning co-owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie? It seems so. Barrie on Friday cryptically indicated he has repaid a $3 million loan to Koules. “The process is moving forward on the commitments that have been agreed to by the NHL, myself and Oren,” Barrie said.

But there was no confirmation the money was received by Koules, who put up the funds last season when Barrie missed a cash call. Barrie had until Monday to make the payment, part of a multi-part plan by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who has demanded Koules and Barrie resolve their financial and philosophical differences.

Son helps former Lightning executive find new job

When Ben Gullett saw a businessman carrying a sign in Tampa that said he was looking for work, he got an idea to help his own father’s job prospects. The son of a Tampa Bay Lightning marketing director knew his father was in danger of being laid off. So he set to work on a video that boasted his dad’s qualities just in case.

Last Thursday, Mark Gullett lost his job and the video was posted on YouTube.com. Within 24 hours, they had already gotten a couple hundred e-mails and a couple of job leads, the father said. Currently, the video has been viewed more than 15,000 times.

Mark and Ben are filming a segment in their Brandon home this afternoon that will appear on the Today Show tomorrow morning, said Mark Gullett.

Summer on the ice

Sean Miles, 8, from Sarasota, gets some advice from Lightning owner Oren Koules at the team's Summer Hockey Camp at the Brandon Ice Sports Forum.

The Lightning Summer Camp has about 250 kids, ages 4-15. The team also offers a holiday hockey camp in December.

[Times photo | Dirk Shadd]

Lightning sale hinges on one more vote

The proposed sale of the Lightning faces another hurdle today as the NHL’s board of governors votes in New York on the transfer of ownership to OK Hockey from Palace Sports & Entertainment.

A three-fourths vote (23 of 30 teams) is needed for approval, which is expected, pending the closing of the $200-million deal for the team, the St. Pete Times Forum lease and 51/2 nearby acres.

“I’m sure most people are sick and tired of reading about it,” defenseman Dan Boyle said of the 10-month process that began with Absolute Hockey Enterprises’ aborted purchase attempt. “We’re excited for things to get done and to start looking ahead instead of back.”

-- Damian Cristodero, Times staff writer

Barry'd under circumstantial evidence

Happen to catch ESPN's sign-off from the Stanley Cup Finals last night?

Steve Levy congratulated analyst Barry Melrose for going out "on top," having picked the Red Wings to win the series. He then said, "Good luck next year, wherever you are."

Melrose grinned ... knowingly. (kind of like this, but even more knowingly)

Melrose has expressed an interest in returning to coaching after 13 years in the booth and has been heavily speculated upon as the replacement for the recently fired John Tortorella. Atlanta, Florida, Ottawa and Toronto also have openings. But Melrose has a buddy in in-coming Lightning owner Oren Koules.

-- BRANT JAMES, Times Staff Writer

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

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.