How's this for a Hollywood horror movie?
The Tampa Bay Lightning franchise is for sale on the open market, again.
Did I just hear screams coming from the NHL executive offices?
Absolute Hockey Enterprises' deal to buy the Lightning for $200 million has fallen apart, a $50-million lawsuit has been filed, and seemingly millions of fingers are being pointed.
And the guy wearing the hockey mask and holding the big-ass knife is Hollywood film producer Oren Koule, the guy who brought you the "Saw" horror movies.
If you believe Absolute's allegations, Koules is playing the role of the bad guy in this flick.
"Jigsaw" bad.
In the lawsuit filed Monday in Hillsborough County, Absolute is alleging Koules defaulted on a $4.17-million payment due Nov. 12, then went behind their backs and tried to buy the Lightning on his own.
Who says no good scripts are being written these days?
The goings-in in Tampa are scary stuff. Surprises usually are.
I fully expected Absolute, the group led by former Blue Jackets president Doug MacLean, to successfully buy the Tampa Bay franchise.
MacLean's a pretty astute guy, been around the game a long time. I figured if MacLean brought a couple of money guys — Koules and real estate developer Jeff Sherrin — on board as partners, they must be solid.
What's that old saying about what happens to those who assume something?
Betcha MacLean and Sherrin feel like a couple of, uh, donkeys today.
This is the latest NHL saga to hit the silver screen.
But, oh, this story is much juicer than the one produced by the Nashville Predators, which has been more of a straight-to-DVD tear-jerker.
What is unfolding in Florida is a classic, big-budget slasher movie.
It's got good guys (Absolute), a villain (Koules), a subplot involving millions of dollars and plenty of unsuspecting victims (Lightning fans). A few twists along the way have kept us guessing.
And it will probably have a bloody ending.