Stars Deny Reported Gretzky/Modano Ownership Group

I thought April Fools Day was last week?

The Dallas Observer reported that Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull and Mike Modano are linked in a possible ownership group interested in purchasing the Dallas Stars from owner Tom Hicks. A triumvirate of hall of fame players: Quite an intriguing possibility, but doesn't it sound a bit outlandish?

Hey, what happened to the last team partially owned by Wayne Gretzky?

Here's the Observer:

With long-time owner Tom Hicks intent on selling the team, a group led by Wayne Gretzky, Mike Modano and Brett Hull has emerged as a serious bidder.

"It's nothing formal, as if they're about to sign on the dotted line," says one source. "But it's gone past kicking the tires. This could happen."

It is not clear who else is involved in the group's bid and it's too early in the process to have developed an ownership structure. It is certain, however, that the Gretzky group would keep the Stars in Dallas.

The Stars immediately release a statement from Mike denying it: [Andrews]

"I haven’t spoken to Gretzky about any possible ownership situation," Modano said in a statement released by the Stars. "I don’t know anything about this."

Even TSN ran a little something on it.

Puck Daddy has a post up on it as well.

Mike Fisher at Dallasbasketball.com had a conversation with Modano about it. With colorful language, even.

My gut feeling tells me that this is extraordinarily bogus. What about you?

After the jump, Mike Heika actually has some positive news about possible ownership change that I had not previously heard...

Heika says this on his DMN blog:

I had heard Hull was interested in putting together a group to buy the team, so I called him last week and he also shot down the rumor at the time.

I'll keep asking questions, but most are leading to dead ends right now. There are three ownership groups who are trying to get approved by the NHL, and that is where the process is right now. I have some ideas on who the ownership groups are, but I have not been able to confirm them by the standards of our paper.

There are three groups trying to get approved. So things are working behind the scenes. Very slowly, mind you. It's a very long, slow process, but that's actually an encouraging bit of news, however unsubstantiated it might be as of yet. Knowing Mr. Heika a tiny bit as I do, if he feels comfortable saying that much, then that's good enough for me.