.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Minnesota Wild Sold

From NHL.com:

    Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (“MSE”), the parent company of the Minnesota Wild, announced today that an agreement has been signed to sell the Minnesota Wild and its related entities to Craig Leipold. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the final sale requires approval by the National Hockey League and other regulatory approvals.

    Bob Naegele has been the majority owner of the Minnesota Wild since the NHL granted an expansion franchise to the team in 1997. Mr. Leipold, a resident of Racine, Wisconsin, recently completed the sale of the Nashville Predators, a team he owned since the expansion franchise was awarded to Nashville in 1997.

    “Our goals were to return the NHL to the State of Hockey, to establish a winning tradition dedicated to the hockey fans of Minnesota, and to ensure the long-term success of the Wild,” said Naegele. “It is now time to pass the torch on to a new owner who will insure that long-term success. Craig is as committed to winning the Stanley Cup as I have been, and he represents proven, committed leadership, hockey passion and Midwestern values that have been the bedrock of our organization’s success to this point – and will serve as the foundation for the success of the future.”

The sale is - by all measurable means - a solid and fair deal. It is very unlikely the Wild will move out of Minnesota. Craig Leipold, from what I know about him, has a history behind him in the NHL from Nashville. The financial losses he suffered in selling the Nashville Predators is separate from his prowess in knowing professional hockey.

Finally, anyone who enjoys the NHL - especially the Wild - owes Bob Naegele a debt of gratitude for him being a major player in bringing the NHL back to Minnesota. Thanks Bob, and good luck in whatever you pursue in the future.

©2008

Comments: Post a Comment



<< Home

eXTReMe Tracker



Web Site Traffic Counters
Alabama Internet

Listed on BlogShares

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

This site uses photographs and material from other sources in strict
accordance and compliance with Fair Use Section 107 U.S. Copyright Code.
All other images and content © 2005-2009 David Drake.
Not responsible for content contained at linked sites.

Policy on commenting:
- Anonymous comments have little chance of being published.
- Comments made on posts 60 days old or older have little chance of being published.
- Published comments do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog author.
- Discretion of publishing or rejecting submitted comments rests solely with the owner and creator of this blog.
- Comments that egregiously "plug" (i.e. advertise or promote) another site or blog will be rejected. This doesn't mean you cannot include a link to your story, blog or to another site, but don't go overboard.
- Profanity is not a disqualifying factor, but profane rants solely for purposes of profanity are unlikely to be published.
- The owner and creator of this blog is not liable or responsible for the opinions of those who comment.