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Bolts' Lecavalier can call the shots

Tribune photo by JASON BEHNKEN

Lecavalier's 11-year, $85 million, no-trade contract went into effect on July 1.

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 1, 2009

Updated: 07/01/2009 12:35 pm

TAMPA - We interrupt the Forum ice follies for this announcement:

Oren and Len's not so excellent adventure is officially on the hook.

That bump in the night you heard was Vinny Lecavalier's 11-year, $85 million, no-trade, no-move contract kicking in at 12:01 this morning.

Want to know who's in charge over on Channelside?

Try No. 4.

It's like Moe Greene told Michael Corleone:

"No, I buy you out. You don't buy me out."

Granted, we all know what happened to Moe Greene.

But Vinny ain't no Moe.

He hasn't been traded. And now he'll call the shots. Not battling co-owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie - Vinny. He'll start the season with the Lightning. I can't see how he won't.

Vinny has more power right now than any athlete in Tampa sports history, more than Derrick Brooks, judging by recent events.

Make them roll over and play dead, Vinny.

I still wonder if he'll eventually agree to get traded. I'm not sure what free agent would want to join Cutthroat Island, so why would Vinny want to stay? Sooner or later, it could be a legitimate question.

But Vinny holds all the answers.

You can scratch the Montreal Canadiens from the sweepstakes. The Habs traded for top-line center Scott Gomez on Tuesday.

It's just as well. I don't think Vinny ever wanted to go home to play. Some people actually like to eat their breakfast without looking down at a French TV camera disguised as grapefruit sections.

Vinny doesn't want to go anywhere - for now.

And that's his call.

Forget the dysfunction between Koules and Barrie and the unsubstantiated Canadian media report that Barrie used his veto to block a Vinny trade to Montreal.

Let's deal in facts.

Say, here's one: All veto power now belongs to Vinny.

His no-trade clause kicked in. He must OK any deal.

Not that a guy can't be made to feel as if he's not wanted. That happened with Dan Boyle, who was threatened with waivers before submitting to a trade. The new Lightning: "It's about caring."

This is different. This is Vinny.

No threats, no waivers.

Vinny wins any matchup with ownership in the eyes of Lightning fans. Vinny is the good guy. He'll never be the bad guy. Throw in the sad state of the Bolts brand these days. You can count the empty seats if Vinny is traded - if you can count that high.

Vinny speaking up behind the scenes surely speeded Barry Melrose's demise. But it wasn't a power play. Want a power play? Vinny could be the baddest man in town if he wanted. He has the kind of power that gets coaches and GMs fired.

Thing is, he doesn't have a mean streak to do that. Sometimes, I wish he had a mean streak to score 50 goals every season, but enough of that.

But this is real power, just waiting for a Vinny test drive. Who knows, if these owners keep bungling things, miss a few payments here and there, down the road maybe Vinny ends up with the team, just like Mario Lemieux in Pittsburgh. Who knows?

What we do know is that the rules changed this morning.

This ownership battle eventually will end with one winner.

Will that winner want to keep Vinny at $10 million per season?

It's a good question.

But Vinny holds all the answers.

Feel the power.

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