Tom Gaglardi is scheduled to be confirmed the new owner of the Dallas Stars pending a confirmation hearing in Delaware this Friday morning and a fax vote of the NHL’s board of governors. Speculation is beginning on what he’ll do upon taking control of the team and Sportsnet’s John Shannon is reporting that Gaglardi will name Jim Lites (once again) the new president of the Dallas Stars.
Confirmation that Jim Lites will rejoin the Dallas Stars as President/CEO when Gaglardi group buys the NHL club. [John Shannon – Twitter]
It’s just a report at this time and we’ll treat is as such but it seems reasonable given Lites’ long history with the club and reportedly intense desire to be involved with the team once again.
Lites confirmed to local media in April of 2010 that he was forming a potential ownership group with local oil-man Billy Quinn and then free agent Mike Modano. The group hung around the rumor mill for many months but never received the attention that Gallacher and Gaglardi did. Now it seems that, if true, Jim Lites has found another avenue to help this team.
Lites most recently served as President of Hicks Sports Marketing Group before it was dissolved. Before that he was President of the Dallas Stars, but was re-assigned the day after the decision was made to let Doug Armstrong go and try Brett Hull and Les Jackson as the two-headed GM monster that famously signed Sean Avery. He has also served as the President of the Phoenix Coyotes and Texas Rangers.
In an interview with ESPN Dallas last April Lites said “It would be very exciting. I have remained steadfastly a Dallas Stars fan. People I worked with for a long part of my career are still on the management team of the Stars. I feel part of it and always will, no matter what happens.”