Vinik attends Bolts' game with sale in final phase

The potential sale of the Tampa Bay Lightning to Boston-based financier Jeffrey Vinik has moved into the final phase, according to a source close to the deal.

Vinik was in New York this week negotiating to buy the cash-strapped franchise from OK Hockey. Also in attendance were current Lightning co-owner Oren Koules, representatives for co-owner Len Barrie and previous owner Palace Sports & Entertainment.

All interested parties must sign the agreement before a deal can be announced, the source said, but Vinik's presence at the Lightning's 5-2 victory against the Islanders on Thursday night signaled that the deal was close to completion.

After the paperwork is done, the sale still needs to close and the transfer must be approved by the NHL Board of Governors before the team would officially change hands.

While the sale price has not been revealed, it is believed to be well below the estimated $204 million Koules and Barrie paid for the team in June 2008 and lower than the $170 million reported last week by The Hockey News.

Vinik, 50, surfaced in the past month as the leading candidate to purchase the team. A hedge fund manager worth an estimated $500 million to $800 million, Vinik has been a minority owner of the Boston Red Sox since 2002.

Efforts to dissolve the current ownership group began in June when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called sparring co-owners Koules and Barrie to New York for a meeting. Each was given the chance to buy out the other and worked for months to find additional investors so they could part ways.

With Tampa Bay in the midst of the Eastern Conference playoff race, Coach Rick Tocchet said it is important for distractions to be kept outside.

"It's my job to keep a bubble around us," Tocchet said. "Any good team or any team that is in a playoff run, you insulate yourself from all that stuff. You have to, because if you let things creep in, it's excuses and distractions."

Tocchet hasn't heard any sale-related conversations taking place around the locker room.

"Honestly, I don't know if the guys are talking about it at Starbucks, but in the room, I haven't heard it," Tocchet said. "It's just something I don't want in the room. We shouldn't be talking about ownership and what's going to happen on a game day or practice day. We've got too much going on right now."

Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier said being in the thick of a playoff race keeps the team focused.

"I think everybody might be curious to know what will happen, but we keep that out of the room and focus on the game," Lecavalier said. "It's a lot different than it was last year, when guys were talking about it and everything else that went on. This year, I know the coaches and even the players don't want that creeping into the room because it could be a distraction.

"But right now, it's not."