The St. Louis Blues have announced that the team has been sold to a group headed by former Madison Square Garden executive Dave Checketts. The team's present owners, Bill and Nancy Laurie, had the club on the market for the past 10 months.
In addition to the Blues, the deal includes the club's home arena, the Savvis Center. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The deal is still subject to the approval of the NHL's Board of Governors. The club's present lease will keep it at the Savvis Center until the end of the 2010-2011 season.
The Blues have hit hard times while awaiting the sale. The team dealt veteran players with high-priced contracts such as Chris Pronger and Doug Weight. As a result, the Blues will miss the playoffs for the first time in 26 years this season. Attendance has also fallen to just 14,080 per game after averaging 18,560 the year before the NHL lockout.
Checketts, 50, has experience with the NHL from his tenure with Madison Square Garden. His group, known as Sports Capital Partners, was founded in 2001. They currently own Real Salt Lake of the MLS and a minor league hockey club.
For the Blues and their fans, this is a new beginning. The club has a new ownership group that gives the organization hope for the future.
