Lightning owner gives employees $20 million in bonuses
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been easily the most successful NHL franchise through the first part of the 2020s, and now, those who played a roll in that success off the ice are getting some incredible bonuses courtesy of the team’s owner.
$20 million worth of bonuses.
According to Sports Business Journal, Lightning owner Jeff Vinik sold a majority stake in the team to a group led by Blue Owl Capital co-CEOs Doug Ostrover and Marc Lipschultz.
This sale was approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors on October 1, and considering the franchise is valued at $1.8 billion dollars, it left Vinik — who will retain control of the team and serve as its governor for the next three years, per CNBC — a nice chunk of change.
Now he’s using some of that money to pay a whopping $20 million to the team’s full-time employees.
“In recognition of the hard work and dedication that has made VSG a world-class organization, I am pleased to announce that all full-time employees will receive a bonus on behalf of the Vinik family,” said a memo obtained by Sports Business present diary reads. “Thank you for the role you have played in making Vinik Sports Group and the Tampa Bay Lightning an organization we can all be proud of. Together we have built something truly special.”
Bonuses will reportedly range from $50,000 to $66,000 per employee.
It’s so cool to see employees being rewarded for such a great run. Sure, what happens on the ice is the biggest measure, but the Lightning play in a “non-traditional” (I hate that term) hockey market and yet have become one of the league’s most successful franchises over the last 25 years.
That’s up to everyone who is part of the machine, so enjoy those bonuses, people!
