Sale of Sabres announced after WJC

[A.E]

Report: Buffalo Sabres sale expected to be announced after WJC tournament

If a WGR report is true – not to mention plenty of speculation in various hockey circles – then Terry Pegula might manage to become the new owner of the Buffalo Sabres by the end of the 2010-11 season.

Scott Brown reports that the Sabres could announce the team’s ownership change sometime after the 2011 World Junior Championships tournament concludes next week. Brown notes that although team president Larry Quinn denies the sale, Pegula’s deep pockets and interest in keeping the team in Buffalo would make an approval from the NHL’s board of governors a “mere formality.”

Brown writes that current Sabres owner Tom Golisano (seen in this post’s photo) wants to wait to spread the news until after the WJC tournament because the event is a “source of pride” for the Sabres organization and he doesn’t want the sale to steal its thunder. If the $175 million price tag is accurate, Golisano could stand to make quite a profit after bailing the team out of bankruptcy in April 2003.

As we noted before, Pegula’s love of hockey and big gobs of cash could make him a great owner for the Sabres if the rumors are correct. While the Sabres have been on-and-off competitive since the lockout, having solid money behind their team would likely make their Emerson Etem-disapproved market more palatable to free agents in the future.

Considering all the tough luck Buffalo sports teams faced over the last two decades (or more), it would be great if this works out and Pegula lives up to the predictions that he would be a strong owner for the Sabres.

-PHT

This story is close to home for me. Tom Golisano is actually a pretty big name in my hometown and he basically spared the Sabres at the worst time. This sale to Pegula is a great thing for this franchise and the city of Buffalo. Golisano saved the Sabres but he's a businessman that only saw the potential in a major profit. His gamble paid off and the $175M pricetag is nowhere near what he paid for the team originally. Pegula is a true man of the game and as the article suggests, he's filthy rich. This deal keeps the Sabres in Buffalo, they will see an increase in payroll, and a new arena will be on the horizon. Despite my roots, I was never a fan of Buffalo sports teams, but I've been around them for the better part of my life and I am related to a lot of their faithful. I am happy for the team and the city.

 

[Mr.Baller]

Sounds like we gonna see the nordiques back

 

[playmaker7]

^^Deep post, AE

If the team's only going to prosper like you say they will, then I can't help but be happy for the the team and the city. They've kind of fallen off over the past few seasons, so its something they needed anyways.