'Saw' Movie Producer's Bid To Own Tampa Bay Lightning Turns Into Horror Show

Several weeks ago, I watched potential Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules interviewed on AMC's Sunday morning Tinseltown wonk-off "Shootout," and he immediately moved near the top of my list of people with whom I wanted to talk hockey. While the sport hardly came up in his conversation, I was blown away listening to a producer who helped turn the "Saw" movies into hugely profitable franchise and is so confident in his marketing skills he's betting that a slasher opera starring Paris Hilton can be a hit at the box office. I was enamored with the notion of this man bringing some of that marketing genius to the NHL's ownership brain trust.

Unfortunately, it appears his bid to co-own the Lightning is looking about as good as Cary Elwes at the end of "Saw I." St. Petersburg Times writer Damian Cristodero has the details of this crumbling $200 million deal between Absolute Hockey Enterprises and Palace Sports & Entertainment:

Palace Sports terminated the purchase agreement on Nov. 14, when Absolute Hockey did not come up with a scheduled $5-million payment. Now the investment group has splintered as the companies and partnerships owned by Coral Springs real estate developer Jeff Sherrin and former Blue Jackets president Doug MacLean are suing Hollywood producer Oren Koules for allegedly failing to make a capital contribution of $4.17-million which was to be part of the $5-million payment due Nov. 12. It also claims Koules went behind Sherrin's and MacLean's backs to make his own arrangements with Palace Sports. The lawsuit seeks $50-million in damages.

FanHouse's James Mirtle offers a few more critical details on his blog. John Fontana over on Bolts Mag files this one under the "WTF" category, and believes fans will be thankful in the long run "because if they can't get their act together to make a money payment - how are they supposed to cover player paychecks and other franchise bills?" Good point, Fontana; I mean, there's a reason John Spano doesn't own the Islanders today, right?

Previously on FanHouse:
Producer of 'Saw' Horror Flicks, Ex-Jackets GM Buy the Tampa Bay Lightning