What's Up With The New Preds Partner...???

((HT: Tennessean/Glennon via Howard Bloom))

It's been almost five months since Calgary investor Brett Wilson was reported within several weeks of joining the Predators' ownership group.

He's still not a member of the club, but both Wilson and Predators majority owner David Freeman say the delay is not cause for concern, and that Wilson should be approved by the end of the summer.

Wilson's prospective share would be less than five percent of the team and no current owners would be displaced. The matter has nothing to do with Boots Del Biaggio's approximate 26 percent share in the team, which is still being contested in bankruptcy court.

"The Wilson deal is all but done — we just need to dot a few I's and cross a few T's," Freeman said. "But it's a done deal outside of a few formalities."

Freeman said the NHL has been dealing with higher priority events for months, such as the financial difficulties of the Phoenix Coyotes and the sale of the Montreal Canadiens.

"All the league's lawyers … have been a little preoccupied in Phoenix," Freeman said. "And I'm sure the Montreal situation — because that's a majority-ownership change — jumps ahead of us in terms of a priority. But everyone feels very comfortable we'll get it done sometime this summer."

Freeman said he's confident Wilson will get league approval.

"I think it's fair to say we wouldn't be here if we didn't feel confident in that process," Freeman said. "His background check has already been completed and everything came out perfectly fine."

Wilson, too, is confident of eventual approval.

"Is it a foregone conclusion? Never," Wilson said. "Is there anything that's likely to get in the way? I'd be surprised.

"We're financially solvent and have enough money to do what we're going to do. I think we've proven that to the league."

Wilson and Freeman are already involved as co-owners in two sports franchises — the Double-A West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx baseball team and the First Division English soccer team Derby County.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, asked about the length of time in adding Wilson to the ownership group, deferred to the Predators, saying it wasn't the kind of matter on which the league typically comments.