Hockey

Owner of Tampa Bay to sell club for NHL record sum

Jeffrey Vinik, the owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, is set to sell a controlling stake in the club for a record amount in National Hockey League (NHL) history. 


According to insider Elliotte Friedman from Sportsnet, the buyer will be Doug Ostrover, co-founder and CEO of investment firm Blue Owl Capital. The transaction will be multi-faceted, and the sale process for the Lightning has already commenced. The valuation of the club in this context is estimated at $2 billion.

However, Vinik will remain a co-owner of the Lightning and will retain operational control over the franchise for the next few years. 

«I can confirm that we are in discussions to further expand our ownership group of the Tampa Bay Lightning. There will be no change in the day-to-day operations of the Lightning and Vinik Sports Group. I am very excited about what is to come for the organization and we look forward to sharing more when the time is right," Vinik is quoted by the Tampa Bay Times.

Jeffrey Vinik purchased the Lightning in 2010 for $170 million. Under his leadership, the team has won the Stanley Cup twice (2020, 2021) and reached the finals on two additional occasions (2015, 2022). 

Currently, the most expensive transaction in NHL history was the purchase of the Ottawa Senators last September, when billionaire Michael Andlauer acquired the club for $950 million.