"OK (Not Really) Hockey" indeed

by John Fontana on Jun 23, 2009 10:40 AM EDT in The Franchise Comment 9 comments

via www.tampabay.com

Months of rumors of ownership squabbling had looked like just that: rumors. The sources were always from the Great White North and local reporters dare not report on anything off-color regarding the Tampa Bay Lightning professional hockey franchise. The rumor mill from Canada was creating a story of problems for the drama aspect... or so it seemed.

And from all we knew in Tampa, everything was hunky-dory for the most part. The obvious exception being overall operations of the franchise being run rather eccentrically by a Hollywood producer, with a former-#1-draft-pick-turned-agent-turned-GM at the helm of team operations, and an out-of-town former-player-turned-real-estate-developer tied to ownership as well and dealing with his resort in British Columbia most of the time.

Yeah, things were all right... well, not including nickel-and-dime money saving attempts, cost cuts in order to serve you better, and a disjointed operation of the roster where a revolving door policy of players and coaches was (unofficially) put into place.

So it was a bit surprising to see in on the cover of this morning's edition of the St. Petersburg Times, reporting that OK (Not Really) Hockey was in disarray and that Oren Koules and Len Barrie would be meeting with Gary Bettman today to discuss what may amount to the first step of a messy divorce.

This is not the first time Oren Koules hasn't played well with others. No, this is the 2nd ownership group he has been involved with that has faced interal strife and disolvement. The first was Absolute Hockey, which had come to an agreement with Palace Sports and Entertainment to buy the franchise in August of 2007. Things fell apart by November of that year with financial payments being witheld by Koules. His partners sued... But it was settled by December.

Other local suitors were interested in grabbing the Lightning when Absolute Hockey died, but ultimately Koules OK Hockey group won out.

And now? A year after OK Hockey assumed full control of the Bolts?

This morning, the woes grow deeper. Perhaps, by this evening, they will turn uglier.

There is unrest in the ownership group. There is dissension in the ranks. And, almost one year to the day after OK Hockey took control of the franchise, the possibility of a messy divorce between bickering owners is a real possibility.

Oren Koules and Len Barrie are scheduled to have a meeting today with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to determine which one of them will have the authority to make decisions for the franchise. In essence, the commissioner is determining custody of a hockey team.

Which owner should control the Tampa Bay Lightning?

Oren Koules - he faces his critics, at least!

10 votes

Len Barrie - Koules may face critics, but has run the team into the ground

43 votes

Neither - The lesser of two evils is still evil!

64 votes

117 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Four days before the draft…. What timing!

Cassie
"And will that be cash, hip check, or Raw Charge today?"

by Cassie McClellan on Jun 23, 2009 10:48 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

yes…worst timing possible. This wouldn’t have been as bad (still very bad) if it was done right at the beginning of the off-season.

by AustinxBolts on Jun 23, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Custody Hearing

This just makes me ill! First John and Kate, now Klueless and Barrie. Can we please get Dudley back and give him full range of authority?!

WB Philp

by LightningShout on Jun 23, 2009 11:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Let’s face it. Barrie is clueless and thinks $ = wins. He displayed that in his first few press meetings. Koules knows the hard decision is best for the team long term. In this market, in this economy, in this post lock out NHL, you can’t pay 1 guy 10 million dollars. The ONLY way this makes any sense is if Vinny scores 50 goals and 100 points every season for the next 5 seasons. I love Vinny, but he’s not gonna be a 50 goal 100 pt man for the next 5 seasons.

Dump the idiotic contract. Learn your lesson when you have to resign Marty and Stamkos in a few years, get a stud (heh) at the draft this year and rebuild.

Vinny’s contract will tie the hands of even the greatest of GMs if we can’t get payroll the upper limits of the salary cap.

Now, if we keep Vinny, i’ll be happy. Because i’m a huge fan. But if they trade him, i’ll know it’s probably in the best interest for this team 4 or 5 years from now (see the bruins trading Joe Thornton as an example).

by AustinxBolts on Jun 23, 2009 12:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm sorry but the contract isn't the entirety of the situation

Koules has in fact run the team into the ground. I’m not saying Barrie hasn’t had some involvement (on the contrary) but trying to give Oren the benefit of the doubt after a season of miscues, mistakes, screw ups and all around stupidity at every turn with the franchise… Well, that’s a mistake in itself.

If the Lecavalier contract is the problem, they should be lobbying Bettman to let them restructure the deal — or give Lecavalier an equity stake in the franchise instead of the full 10 million cap hit.

You can say how stupid the contract is — and any contract of that length in Hockey is downright stupid — but the fact remains we have two screw ups in control of the Bolts. And trying to paint one as worse than the other (which Romano does in the column that covers the issue) is looking blindly at how badly things have been handled since day one last year.

The Raw Charge -- the Tampa Bay Lightning weblog at SB Nation.

by John Fontana on Jun 23, 2009 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

it’s tough to say who’s the one making the bad moves, Koules or Barrie. Everything is hearsay at this point. In fact, Duemig said in his show that Barrie was the one who went running his mouth to the press. So obviously, Koules was painted in evil light.

Either way, the contract is horrible, and it will help the team to move it. For me, personally. If Vinny stays, i’m happy. If Vinny goes, i’m happy.

And nooooo way is Bettman going to restructure the deal or go into equity sharing. has anything like that been done before? that sounds like dangerous ground to step into that will have implications for the whole league.

by AustinxBolts on Jun 23, 2009 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

"Everything is Hearsay" - not quite

Fact is that Koules runs the day to day in Tampa. Barrie is far removed from the day-to-day being out at Bear Mountain resort in BC. Oh, there are times Barrie sticks his hand in teh cookie jar, and there are others where it’s not clear if it was just him or both he and Koules.

Barrie may be the mouthpiece, but Koules doesn’t win brownie point for not being mouthy in the media. Being silent doesn’t mean he’s less guilty, nor does being vocal for that matter.

What I’d call hearsay right now is anything out fo Steve Duemig’s mouth. This is the guy who went public last week to trumpet the fact the Lightning asked him personally to go to the NHL draft and cover it for them. How do you know what he is saying that comes from himself, and what he is saying that those who invited him, those in the know and in control in Tampa (Koules/Lawton) have told him to say and are paying him to say?

By Boasting, Duemig has compromised his objectivity.

As for restructuring the deal — the CBA agreement says no-can-do, while other leagues (read: NFL) allow it. As for the precedence it sets for a player to get an equity stake in and ownership group… well, is it such a bad thing with players getting quarter-billion-dollar contracts in this day and age?

The Raw Charge -- the Tampa Bay Lightning weblog at SB Nation.

by John Fontana on Jun 23, 2009 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs