The Amelie Arena – Photo by Goji on UnsplashIn late October, word broke that the owner of the NHL team representing Tamba Bay—the Lightning—was selling up.
Millions were coming his way via a pair of money managers from New York set to take over during the next 3 years, and the affair seemed like business as usual.
But Lighting Owner Jeff Vinik is anything but usual, and in an email that was both a surprise and not a surprise, he informed the 300 full-time employees of the Jeff Vinik Sports Group they would be sharing in his profits.
$20 million in farewell bonuses would be split between them, depending on conditions currently unreported, but the email stipulated that the minimum amount would be $50,000.
“He’s the best owner in the sport. I have friends who are involved in other sports and they all say the same thing: Jeff is the best,” said Julien BriseBois, the general manager of the Lightning.
It’s not the first time Vinik has opened his bank account for the sake of others, with GNN reporting all the way back in 2011 that he had donated $10 million to “deserving community heroes and charity partners in the Tampa Bay area.”
Johh Romano at the Tamp Bay Times got an exclusive interview with BriseBois after the news of the sale and the email disclosing the bonuses made it to the press.
At the time of Vinik’s takeover, the ‘Bolts’ were nearing insolvency, and were losing both on and off the ice. It was during the 2008 Financial Crisis, when Florida was one of the hardest-hit states.
The GM recounted a conversation he had when Vinik first bought the franchise, when, nearing bankruptcy, losing connection with the fans, and managing one of the worst records in the NHL, Vinik saw an opportunity to do some good.
“He said, ‘Well, I turned 50 and I was wondering what I was going to do with the next chapter of my life,’” BriseBois told Romano for the Times.
“He said, ‘I’ve been very fortunate. I happen to be good at something that made me a lot of money, and I feel I need to give some back. I’ve always been a hockey fan and I thought I could buy a hockey team and use it as a vehicle to improve the lives of people in the community.’”
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Writers are speculating that this is exactly what Vinik is aiming to do. In the wake of the worst hurricane season to hit Florida in recent times, what wouldn’t someone do to have an extra $50,000 lying around?
After Hurricane Helene, the Amelie Arena was used as a collection point during the first two home games, with fans encouraged to bring in non-perishable foods, cleaning and baby supplies, hygiene products, and other household necessities for donation to victims of the hurricane.
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The collections have been completed and donated to Feeding Tampa Bay, Metropolitan Ministries, and the University Area Community Development Corporation (UACDC).
The Lightning Foundation also donated $2 million to relief efforts.
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