Barrie provides financial records to NHL
Whatever acrimony there might have been between Tampa Bay Lightning owners Len Barrie and Oren Koules, a meeting Friday with NHL officials has smoothed things over -- at least for the time being.
Although none of the principals would say what happened, Barrie apparently provided the financial assurances the NHL needed to ensure his continued status as part of the team's ownership group, which remains status quo.
The St. Petersburg Times reported earlier that Barrie was ordered by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to produce $10 million by Friday's meetings to prove that he could continue to fund his share of expected losses by the team in the coming season. Sources would not confirm the $10 million figure but did say the two owners remain in control of the team after Friday's meeting.
Barrie the Times on Friday, "the league is satisfied and things are progressing nicely."
Barrie and Koules met with commissioner Gary Bettman in June and were ordered to settle their differences after it became clear they did not agree on the direction the franchise would take going forward.
There were rumors the Lightning would trade captain Vincent Lecavalier before his no-trade clause kicked in, but that never transpired.
Koules remains CEO and governor of the team although Barrie's input is required on all major personnel decisions.
Questions about Barrie's financial situation have dogged the former NHLer for months although it was recently announced he'd sold a portion of his Bear Mountain golf and real estate development in British Columbia to an group from Dubai that would provide an injection of capital in the range of $350 million.
Scott Burnside is an NHL reporter for ESPN.com

