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New local owners to take over Thunder hockey team within weeks
Bloomington attorney named president of Coliseum tenant
By Mike Egenes and M.K. Guetersloh
megenes@pantagraph.com
mguetersloh@pantagraph.com
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BLOOMINGTON -- Bloomington attorney Tim Leighton was named president of the Bloomington PrairieThunder on Tuesday, the first step toward his investment group taking ownership of the minor-league hockey franchise.

Leighton told The Pantagraph that he is a part of a group that eventually will buy the two-year-old franchise from Tony Lisman, a Muskegon, Mich., businessman.

“Tony has believed that there should be local ownership, and we’re making it happen,” Leighton said.

Leighton has served as Lisman’s legal counsel since October and has been at the front of the negotiations to buy the team.

Lisman also owns the Muskegon Fury, which along with the Thunder is a part of the six-team International Hockey League.

Leighton and his group would be the team’s third owner after Lisman bought full ownership of the Thunder last May from partners John Butler and Mike Nelson of Central Illinois Arena Management.

Talks have remained active with Leighton and his group, with hopes that a deal will be finalized in the next few weeks, Lisman said in a statement.

Leighton, who said he hopes to make a formal announcement of the change of ownership in the coming weeks, said Bloomington-Normal has a strong potential for a hockey team.

“It’s business as usual for the PrairieThunder, and the focus right now is that the team finish the season on a high note,” he said.

Leighton said he had never been to a hockey game before he bought four season tickets for the Thunder’s first season.

“I got hooked on hockey,” he said.

In his late 40s, Leighton is a native New Yorker and lived for 20 years in Washington, D.C., before moving to Bloomington 11 years ago. He counsels clients in Central Illinois and Washington on legal issues relating to trusts, estates, business planning and other matters.

Rumors have long circulated that the players had stretches during the season when they were not properly outfitted with enough equipment. Leighton said he was “sorry the players had some bumps in the road.”

He added that in the past couple of weeks that the players have had what they needed.

“Bills are getting paid, and the players have equipment,” he said.

According to the contract between the city of Bloomington and Central Illinois Arena Management, owned by Nelson and Butler, the management group must have a hockey team as a tenant at U.S. Cellular Coliseum. Included in that contract is a clause that the hockey team must be debt-free.

A letter dated Feb. 20 between the attorneys for the management group and the hockey team indicated the team was not debt-free.

In the letter, Bill Mueller, attorney for the management group, said BMI Hockey, which owns the Thunder, was in default of several terms of the lease including, “BMI Hockey’s failure to pay license fees/game fees, parking fees, facility fees and reimbursable expenses. (BMI Hockey) is also in default because it is not debt free, is under-capitalized and in violation of International Hockey League rules.”

Mueller sent the letter, which threatened to end the lease with the hockey team, to Leighton as well as Bloomington City Manager Tom Hamilton, city attorney Todd Greenburg and IHL officials, including league President Paul Pickard.

After the letter was sent, city officials, including Mayor Steve Stockton, met at Bloomington City Hall with Pickard, Nelson and Mueller to discuss the financial status of the hockey team and the possibility of a local group taking over ownership of the team.

A day after the meeting, Nelson would not comment on how much Lisman owed the management group and the city. He added, “It’s getting done.”

However, Mueller’s letter indicates there had been a long-standing problem. The letter was sent after a notice of default was sent to the team Jan. 9.

“Further, BMI Hockey LLC has failed to cooperate with and respond to the reasonable requests of Central Illinois Arena Management Inc. and the city of Bloomington,” Mueller wrote.

Take a look
The Bloomington PrairieThunder take on Port Huron during a March game at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum. The Thunder may have a new, local owner soon. (Pantagraph file photo/B Mosher)
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Reader comments on this story - 14 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

justaperson wrote on Mar 19, 2008 2:15 PM:

" First order of business..... Remove and replace Booth. Perhaps Rozanne can go with him. He'd like that. "

newshound wrote on Mar 19, 2008 12:54 PM:

" I recently went to a Rivermens game. Apparently the knowledgeable are avoiding Peoria as well. Didnt take me long to figure out why Peoria doesnt get a crowd. "

AM wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:32 AM:

" Now the next thing should be get rid of the IHL/UHL. Bring in an ECHL team and don't look back. A league with some credibility would go a long way in producing a ton more season ticket holders, myself included. Until the IHL/UHL is gone most knowledgeable hockey fans will continue to pass up Bloomington for hockey. "

pseudo-intellectual wrote on Mar 19, 2008 11:15 AM:

" What a hoot... first we read of an exchange of letters (from one group of attorneys to another) that the Thunder is not "debt free" as required by contract. Then toward the end of the article, that the team actually has received a notice of default. Not debt free, indeed! "

Red Reeky wrote on Mar 19, 2008 9:31 AM:

" I admire anyone who'll step into a mess and try and clean it up. He's obviously an intelligent man, so I assume he knows what he's getting himself in to. Good luck Mr. Leighton! "

pounder wrote on Mar 19, 2008 8:55 AM:

" All Great News!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO..... THUNDER111111111111 "

Rozanne wrote on Mar 19, 2008 8:52 AM:

" Bloomington PrairieThunder new owner, I am the happiest person in the world! Thank you so much Mr Tim Leighton for saving us the Hockey League and reassuring the people who like the sport. I knew in my heart that we would not lose the Hockey. I have my season tickets ordered for next season. This will also stop all the rumors, and letting the guys on the Team to know that they can come back next season. Mr Leighton you are awesome!! " GO THUNDER GO"" "

BrettinBloomington wrote on Mar 19, 2008 7:54 AM:

" This could be a good thing,if it happens. I thought for a person to own 2 teams in the same league was a conflict of intrest, especially considering the standings the last two years. Maybe we could get rid of Booth and get a coach that can teach team play and how to set up a play, the Thunders two biggest problems. It's sad that a fan can see the issues and the coach cannot. We have the potential( with a few player trades) to become a competitive team, and bring more pride to town. "

newshound wrote on Mar 19, 2008 7:51 AM:

" Its a step in the right direction. They deserve better and by this (local ownership)they will be getting better.

The hockey team and the arena are 2 different issues here.

Go THUNDER!!! "

iraT wrote on Mar 19, 2008 6:02 AM:

" so more debt for the arena to pas to the good people of bloomington. lower my taxes! "

puckglory wrote on Mar 19, 2008 1:42 AM:

" A few questions or comments to get the gallery thinking. The article says "debt free hockey tenant", well that is interesting because the actual contract that is available to anyone says debt free professional hockey tenant. Lets see if anyone picks up on that, especially when it is rumored that the USHL is coming to town. If you dont know, the USHL is not a professional league. That would be breach of contract between the city and CIAM. Also, this article states that it seems equipment was not supplied to the boys. That is very interesting, since an earlier article quotes the GM as saying, No that is untrue, I just went out and got goalie sticks. I ask this because, the team wants us to support the team, buy tickets, spend money yet they wont give the boys the equipment they need to go out and win. Our team is fighting for a playoff spot, but we are not going to give them twigs to put biscuits in the net. That says to me we have second class, maybe even lower ownership. The boys deserve better. "

BloomingtonPT wrote on Mar 18, 2008 8:39 PM:

" WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!! Welcome Mr. Leighton! I know you've been a major sponsor for a long time, but it's good to have you aboard! "

Not so Political wrote on Mar 18, 2008 7:42 PM:

" If you can not beat them, sue them !! "

Simple Simon wrote on Mar 18, 2008 7:42 PM:

" "hope to have things finalized in the next few weeks"

It should be interesting to see what happens in the next few weeks "
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