Gil Dobie
January 10th, 2008, 09:03 PM
At least it's not to Norm Green.
Strib Link (http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/13677817.html)
Bob Naegele’s tenure as owner of the Minnesota Wild ended today when it was announced he sold his interest in the team to former Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold.
The announcement was made early this afternoon at Xcel Energy Center. Jac Sperling, vice chairman of Minnesota Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Wild, said he expected the deal to be finalized within the next couple of months.
"It’s a great day for Minnesota hockey," Sperling said.
Sperling said the two men, Leipold and Naegele, have a tremendous passion for hockey and so are good bookends for the Wild franchise. "Craig will lead us into the future, but Bob Naegele has laid the foundation."
Leipold, a native of Racine, Wis., is extremely respected in NHL circles and was influential before and during the lockout as a member of the NHL’s executive committee, which negotiated the new collective bargaining agreement. He was often the voice for small-market teams, believing a salary cap and revenue sharing were needed to compete with the NHL’s elite.
Strib Link (http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/13677817.html)
Bob Naegele’s tenure as owner of the Minnesota Wild ended today when it was announced he sold his interest in the team to former Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold.
The announcement was made early this afternoon at Xcel Energy Center. Jac Sperling, vice chairman of Minnesota Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Wild, said he expected the deal to be finalized within the next couple of months.
"It’s a great day for Minnesota hockey," Sperling said.
Sperling said the two men, Leipold and Naegele, have a tremendous passion for hockey and so are good bookends for the Wild franchise. "Craig will lead us into the future, but Bob Naegele has laid the foundation."
Leipold, a native of Racine, Wis., is extremely respected in NHL circles and was influential before and during the lockout as a member of the NHL’s executive committee, which negotiated the new collective bargaining agreement. He was often the voice for small-market teams, believing a salary cap and revenue sharing were needed to compete with the NHL’s elite.