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MacLean Upbeat About Lightning Sale Progress

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By CARTER GADDIS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 5, 2007

TAMPA - Opening night was made for optimism, so perhaps it was natural that the potential future owners and the potential former chief executive officer of the Lightning sounded similar upbeat notes Thursday regarding the impending sale of the franchise.

'I think we're really excited about the progress,' said Doug MacLean of Absolute Hockey Enterprises, a group of investors who agreed in August to buy the team, the Forum and 5.5 acres of adjacent land for about $200 million. 'And the process is really moving along smoothly, maybe better than ever, I guess is the way to phrase it.'

MacLean said he learned from his group's financial and character references that the NHL has begun its due diligence, which he and Absolute Hockey partner Oren Koules took to be a good sign.

'Really in this last week or so, everything's just scooted along,' Koules said. 'We're on the same page as Palace in all issues and with the NHL. So, we're in good shape.'
Palace Sports President and CEO Tom Wilson gave no firm timetable for completion of the deal, other than to acknowledge that 'if everything goes right,' it could happen at a board of governors meeting Nov. 26-28 at Pebble Beach, Calif.

Wilson also seemed optimistic in terms of the process reaching a point where deals like this generally begin to accelerate.

'I think we may be there,' Wilson said. 'If we can get everything solidified from any time from today to a week from today, I think things happen very quickly from a lender standpoint and a league standpoint.

'I think we're feeling about as good about it as we have since we started.'

MacLean said the group still must submit more paperwork, which will happen 'in the next couple of days.'

The known investors in Absolute Hockey Enterprises are MacLean, the former general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets; Hollywood producer Koules and his partner Mark Burg; South Florida real estate developer Jeff Sherrin; and Tampa attorney Steve Burton.

Wilson contrasted this deal with the one in 1999, when billionaire Bill Davidson essentially bought the franchise from Art Williams. Even though there was a single buyer for the league to investigate, Wilson said, the process took 'four or five' months.

'In this deal you have five or six people, and that means five or six sets of attorneys talking to each other and negotiating with each other,' Wilson said. 'I think the battles have been a little bit internal, but I think we're very, very close to getting everything agreed and going simultaneously to the NHL.'

Reporter Carter Gaddis can be reached at (813) 259-8291 or igaddis@tampatrib.com.

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