Lightning owners need intervention

Posted Jun 22, 2009 by Erik Erlendsson

Updated Jun 22, 2009 at 09:32 PM

The Lightning co-owners apparently can no longer co-exist.

Tampa Bay owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie flew to New York on Monday in preparation for a meeting with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to help resolve who has the final say in team-related decisions, a source close to the situation said.

While rumors of dissention have been rampant for months, both Koules and Barrie have publically denied any kind of a rift between the two, who purchased the team a year ago.

The purpose of the meeting, according to a source, is to determine which of the two owners has the final say in team related issues. Now Koules allegedly wants to keep Barrie from having any say in personnel decisions, including trades and free agency.

There is no clear indication of exactly what, if anything, will be resolved between the two sides today. Barrie declined to comment while a league source would only confirm a meeting was taking place.

The immediate issue in need of a resolution concerns July 1, which is the start of NHL free agency. It is also the day captain Vinny Lecavalier’s 11-year, $85 million contract extension begins. The team has been contemplating dealing Lecavalier before the contract, which includes a no-movement clause, kicks in. Barrie is believed to be opposed to trading Lecavalier while Koules has been reported to want to move the team captain in order to help pare player payroll down in the low $40-million range.