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The 2008–09 Tampa Bay Lightning season was the 17th season for the franchise in Tampa Bay. After a season of turnover in ownership, management and players, the team had a turbulent regular season. The Lightning failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. ==Off-season== On June 3, it was announced that Head Coach John Tortorella would not return to the team despite having one year remaining on his contract. The NHL Board of Governors on June 18 approved the sale of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The sale of the Lightning was made to movie and television producer Oren Koules. The deal depended the closing of the financial deal of US$200 million to buy the team and lease the St. Pete Times Forum. Koules, 47, played in Medicine Hat and Calgary in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in the early 1980s. In more recent years, he achieved success with the ''Saw'' movie franchise and the television sitcom ''Two and a Half Men''. Among his business partners in the Lightning deal is former NHL player Len Barrie.〔(Oilers sale to Daryl Katz approved by NHL )〕 On June 24, the Lightning announced that Barry Melrose was hired as the team's new head coach. Melrose had not coached in the NHL since 1995 with the Los Angeles Kings. Since that time, he had served as an analyst for the ESPN networks.〔(Barry Melrose Named Head Coach of Tampa Bay Lightning )〕 Goaltender Marc Denis' contract was bought-out by the Lightning on June 25, almost two years to the date after his acquisition from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Denis had one year remaining on his contract.〔(Lightning Buy Out Contract of Goaltender Marc Denis )〕 The Lightning acquired the rights to left wingers Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a conditional draft pick in 2009.〔(Lightning Acquire Rights To Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts )〕 Malone then agreed to a seven-year contract with the Lightning two days before he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The Lightning acquired the rights to right wing Brian Rolston from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a conditional draft pick in 2009 or 2010. Rolston would later sign with the New Jersey Devils. The whirlwind 32 days of questionable moves by new ownership came to a head on July 4 when, despite coming off a recent contract extension, Dan Boyle was traded along with Brad Lukowich to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Matt Carle (who would be traded in early November), Ty Wishart, a first-round draft pick in 2009 (which was traded in August) and a fourth round draft pick in 2010. Boyle was pressured to waive his no-trade clause by Tampa Bay's ownership, who said they would otherwise place him on waivers where he would likely be claimed by the Atlanta Thrashers. Frustrated at interference in the team's hockey operations by owners Len Barrie and Oren Koules, seven days later, General Manager Jay Feaster resigned, despite having three years remaining on his contract.〔http://lightning.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=484635〕 Indeed, Brian Lawton had already taken over the position, though not officially until October 2. John Tortorella would later go on to label the new owners as "cowboys" for these and other dubious moves,〔http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Tortorella-calls-new-Tampa-owners-cowboys-rip?urn=nhl-105778〕 a moniker that would stick with them. On August 29, the Lightning acquired defenceman Andrej Meszaros from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenceman Filip Kuba, as well as Alexandre Picard, and a first-round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft (obtained in the Dan Boyle deal with the San Jose Sharks). The Lightning would go on to sign Meszaros to a six-year contract worth $24-million. On September 18, the Lightning announced that their new team captain would be Vincent Lecavalier. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「2008–09 Tampa Bay Lightning season」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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