Jeff Vinik became the new owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning just over two years ago and quickly won over fans and local officials for what he’s done both on and off the ice.
He bought the team with his own money and privately funded $40 million in renovations to the publicly-owned Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Yet when Vinik first arrived in town, sports writers did not get a good first impression.
“I was myself and I’m a pretty reserved person,” Vinik recently told Florida Matters’ host Carson Cooper. “I’m a very competitive person both with my asset management job as well as with the Lightning.”
Learn what fuels Vinik’s competitive fire, his passion for hockey and his desire to contribute to the overall Tampa Bay community. And, listen to why elected officials view Vinik as an important community leader. The Lightning owner and entrepreneur joins Florida Matters for its newsmaker series Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 a.m.
