Timeline unchanged for Bill Haslam to take over as Nashville Predators' majority owner
The timeline hasn't changed for Bill Haslam to take over as Nashville Predators majority owner.
Haslam, 64, joined the Predators' ownership group in 2022, and the former Tennessee governor is scheduled to buy Herb Fritch's majority stake by July 1, 2025.
Fritch, 73, underwent surgery for an undisclosed health issue earlier this month that prevented him from attending Monday's news conference to announce the end of David Poile's general manager tenure, effective July 1. Poile, the winningest GM in NHL history, will be replaced by Barry Trotz, who won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals after becoming the winningest coach in Predators history.
"I don't see anything in his current health situation that will change our timeline," Haslam told The Tennessean. "... There's a lot of different ways to make a transition. One is one person walks out the door, the other person walks in the door and starts from square one. I think what we have the luxury with David and Barry is two people who have worked together for a long time. They know each other well. So there's not this question of, 'OK, when's the new guy taking over?' ... Herb has been great in the same way and working together."
Fritch and Poile have overlapped to some extent through the entirety of their involvement with the Predators.
Fritch was a Day 1 season-ticket holder who joined the ownership group in 2007, when the franchise was close to moving to Canada. He became majority owner in 2018, replacing Tom Cigarran.
Haslam agreed to buy 9% of Fritch’s stake in 2022 and 16% on each anniversary of the deal through 2025.
Fritch owned "a little less than 60%" of the team at the time of the transaction. Haslam will own “roughly 57%” of Fritch’s stake when the deal is complete, making Fritch the team’s 18th minority owner.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Timeline unchanged for Bill Haslam to become Predators' majority owner
