Written by Chris Wassel | 31 May 2008

William Davidson has had the Tampa Bay Lightning for sale for some time now. He thought he had found a buyer in 2007 in a group lead by Doug MacLean, but the group self destructed internally when two of the partners decided they couldn't work with one another. Since then another group, this one lead headed up by Oren Koules, has stepped up in an effort to acquire the Lightning. Their issue is the banks don't want to lend them money. In most cases that's a problem. It also raises red flags as to just how good the ability this Oren Koules has to repay any money loaned to him, let alone pay the interest that is always attached to borrowed money. That's of no concern to Willaim Davidson though. He is going lend money, so that Oren Koules, can buy the Tampa Bay Lightning and give the money right back to Davidson. Yes, the Koules group will have to pay interest, but the entire thing smells to me. In business if I sell something, I want my money so I can move on and invest it some place else. I don't want to lend it out, sign over an asset to another person, and have my money returned to me in exchange for the asset I just sold!!. The kicker to this, and maybe the cause for real concern as a hockey fan, is that the NHL is going to approve it. Jim Balsillie could just cut a cheque for an NHL team and the league told him to screw off. Yet an owner that has to borrow money from a current owner of a NHL team is all good? It doesn't make sense to me.

Shenanigans I tell you. It gets better.

The rumor mill says Berry Melrose will be the new head coach of the Bolts once the new ownership group is in place. Now, Melrose is saying that there is truth to this. The Lightning are saying there is no truth to this. The fans are saying there is no truth to this. Forgive me for being a sync, but when all groups involved say it's not happening, but sources in the main stream media say it is, it usually means it's going to happen. What the hell do you think these groups are going to say? Until the sale is approved at the end of June and the new owners have control of the team, of course these groups will deny everything. At the same time spitting in the face of the men like Jay Feaster and John Tortorella, who in the end will be the victims of all this if it plays out. Which I bet it will.

Then again, this is just a damned opinion.

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