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

While I fancy the idea of a player having to saw his own foot off in order to flee the penalty box following a five-minute major for high-sticking, I'm pretty sure having the producer of the "Saw" films as an NHL owner won't affect that sort of dramatic change. From the Tampa Tribune comes breaking news that the Lightning has (have? God, I hate team names that don't end in an "S") been sold:

The new ownership group is Absolute Hockey Enterprises, which includes Doug MacLean, Jeff Sherrin and Oren Koules. A purchase agreement has been signed by Absolute Hockey, but the ownership transfer is subject to approval by the National Hockey League's Board of Governors, the news release says.

Sherrin is a real estate developer from Coral Springs. MacLean is former general manger of Columbus, Ohio Blue Jackets and former coach of the Florida Panthers. Koules is co-founder of Twisted Pictures, the group behind the Saw movies, and producer of other movies such as John Q, Set It Off. He is also executive producer of the television show Two and a Half Men.

Damian Cristodero of the St. Pete Times has additional coverage, and the press conference announcing the deal is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the St. Pete Times Forum. A few initial thoughts on this deal after the jump...

• "Absolute Hockey" sounds less like a consortium of owners and more like it would be great with a splash of vermouth and about four olives
• The fact that the men who gave us Blue Jackets hockey and "Two and a Half Men" now have control of one of the most successful non-traditional market teams in the league makes me nervous; yet knowing that the same man who produces "Two and a Half Men" also makes torture porn horror flicks makes perfect sense to me.
• It should be noted that Koules is without question a hockey guy: A former minor-league player, a Chicago Blackhawks training camp invite and owner of the Helena Bighorns of the North American Hockey League -- a team that had a prominent place in Koules's contentious divorce recently.
• General manager Jay Feaster said late last season that the Bolts would get the green light from owner Bill Davidson to spend more money in 2007-08 if the team is competitive, despite a $9 million loss for the team. Will the new owners be as flexible financially?
• More to the point, how will the new owners approach a payroll in which $19.925 million in cap space is eaten up by three players? And by that I'm really asking: Are Brad Richards's palms sweating yet?
• All jokes aside, Tampa Bay is one of the best hockey towns in the NHL today. Folks who group it in with more questionable non-traditional markets have either never been to a Bolts home game or never learned how to read. I just hope that the recently fired GM, the torture porn guy and their friend with the money keep that momentum going.