Report: Florida Panthers sold for $250M

[pwaldo]

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/97...an-report-says

Vincent Viola grew up in Brooklyn, graduated from West Point, is a former chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange and after the Sept. 11 attacks founded a center devoted to combating terrorism.

He's now the new owner of the Florida Panthers, a source confirmed to ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun.

Viola will be introduced in that role Friday after paying $250 million to buy the NHL franchise, said a person familiar with the situation, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms have not been made public. The Panthers scheduled a Friday news conference to discuss ownership but confirmed no other details.

"I know the parties are working very hard on a transaction and they're going to try to consummate it as quickly as possible," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said earlier this week.

Viola will replace Cliff Viner, a longtime Panthers fan who became a co-general partner of the team in 2009 and took over as general partner, chairman and CEO the following year.

Viola is the chairman and CEO of Virtu Financial, an electronic trading firm with offices in the U.S., Singapore and Ireland. He's buying a team that has been to the playoffs only once since 2000 and finished with the fewest points in the league last season.

Viola graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1977, was a major in the U.S. Army Reserves and is a graduate of New York Law School. He's also long been involved with philanthropic projects and is a past winner of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

In 2003, he founded and helped fund the creation of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.

[hugehitter31]

Whoa...

Seems like a lot lol. Considering the Thrashers sold to Winnipeg for $170 million (plus relocation but that was split among league). I would expect to pay less for a team with less recent success and stuck in Florida. But if you got it might as well spend it I guess.

[FanOfSpeed08]

i went to a preseason game there last Tuesday afternoon. I can honestly say there MIGHT have been 150ppl there. $25 got me 9rows of the ice and admission to two games...Was pretty embarrassing being an NHL fan

[doniceage]

i went to a preseason game there last Tuesday afternoon. I can honestly say there MIGHT have been 150ppl there. $25 got me 9rows of the ice and admission to two games...Was pretty embarrassing being an NHL fan

I think that is great as a NHL fan IMO. Have to love good seats at a cheap price.

Don