Vinik Sports Group sells part of Tampa Bay Lightning to new investors

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning’s season is in full swing, and the club’s front office is busy.

Yildirim announced Thursday that the team’s president and manager, Jeff Vinik, and Vinik Sports Group have sold part of the team to a group of investors. The transaction was approved by the NHL on October 1 and is effective immediately.

The new investor group is led by Doug Ostrover and Marc Lipschultz, but Vinik will have full control of the Lightning and serve as the team’s manager for the next three years, the team said. After three years, Vinik is preparing to hand over control of the team to Ostrover and Lipschultz. He would later serve as an alternative governor to Yıldırım and a board member of the Vinik Sports Group.

It was reported that the latest transaction will not affect the daily operations of the Lightning and Vinik Sports Group, and general manager Julien BriseBois and CEO Steve Griggs will remain in their positions while serving as alternate governors in the league.

“Since 2010, we have focused on growing Lightning into a world-class organization, and now we have found world-class partners who share our mission of being a community-first organization,” Vinik said in a statement. “Doug and Marc share my commitment to providing the Lightning with all the resources they need to advance and are excited to be a part of the Tampa Bay community. I am confident that, with the continued leadership of Steve Griggs and Julien BriseBois, this organization will continue to achieve success. Tampa Bay Lightning “The way we can ensure lasting success for us is by bringing together the right partners with the right values ​​and a strong commitment to our culture. We have built a legacy that I am proud of, and I want it to last for generations.”

The Lightning have won the Stanley Cup Championship and reached the Stanley Cup Final in three consecutive seasons under Vinik’s ownership since 2010. The team says it has been able to donate more than $60 million to nonprofits in the Tampa Bay area. Vinik Family Foundation and Yıldırım Community Heroes program.

After a drama-filled offseason for Bolts fans Exit of former captain Steven Stamkos Yıldırım started the new season with four wins in its first six matches. The team is in second place in the Eastern Conference Atlantic Group and will play its next match on Thursday, October 24 at 19:00 at Amalie Arena.