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Bolts Not Broken, New Owners Say

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By JOANNE KORTH

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 23, 2008

Looking hip and sounding confident, new Lightning owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie made several bold statements in their first official news conference Monday at the St. Pete Times Forum.

The franchise is not "broken," but needs to be "tweaked," Barrie said.

The team will be "shockingly aggressive" when free agency begins July 1.

The "MVP" line of Marty St. Louis, Vinny Lecavalier and Vinny Prospal will be reunited.

A new coach, to be named soon, will bring a new philosophy.

The team will not be moved.

And the Lightning, like the new owners, will be fun.

Any questions?

Wearing blue jeans, open-collared dress shirts and sport jackets, Koules and Barrie met with members of the local media and mingled with select sponsors and season ticket holders. Both are new to sports ownership, Koules having risen to prominence as a Hollywood producer and Barrie as a real estate developer. Both, however, have hockey ties.

Koules played minor league hockey and Barrie is a former NHL player.

"This is going to be fun," Barrie said.

Koules indicated the team has reached a deal with Prospal, though a contract has not been signed because Prospal is in the Czech Republic with his family. This will be Prospal's third stint will the team and reunites the popular MVP scoring line. Last week, the Lightning acquired Prospal's rights and negotiating exclusivity with the free agent winger in a trade with Philadelphia.

All eight members of the OK Hockey group were revealed. In addition to majority partners Koules and Barrie, the ownership team includes Mark Burg, Koules' partner at Evolution Entertainment; investment banker Russell Belinsky; advertising executive Jordan Zimmerman; orthopedic surgeon Richard C. Lehman; Kane's CEO Irwin Novak; and businessman Craig Sher.

Check back at TBO.com for more details on the new owners.

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