Jeff Vinik might soon end his 14-year run as the main owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Tampa Bay is starting a multi-step process to sell the team. Doug Ostrover, co-CEO of Blue Owl Capital and part-owner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders, is set to take over.
Ostrover will pay big bucks for this deal. The sale values the Lightning at nearly $2 billion, about twice what Michael Andlauer paid for the Ottawa Senators at $950 million.
Vinik will keep his role with the team and hold onto a large share of ownership. He bought the Lightning in 2010 for $170 million when things were bleak for Tampa Bay fans despite their 2004 Stanley Cup win. Vinik brought in money and hired NHL legend Steve Yzerman as GM. Yzerman led Tampa’s rise back to NHL glory with key hires like coaches Guy Boucher and Jon Cooper, and draft picks such as Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point, and Anthony Cirelli. This new leadership took Tampa Bay to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final but it wasn’t until Julien BriseBois took over GM duties that they won Cups in 2020 and 2021.
Changes Ahead:
This summer has been full of changes for the Lightning. They lost franchise star Steven Stamkos to free agency but added Jake Guentzel, Cam Atkinson, and Conor Geekie to their roster. However, they haven’t named a new captain yet to replace Stamkos.
Fans might think this sale won’t change much on the ice since Vinik is staying involved. But it’s still worth watching how Ostrover plans his future investments in American sports.
What do you think about these changes?
