The battle to become the Excel Hull Stingrays third ownership group in nine years took an unexpected turn yesterday following a cryptic tweet from three-year player/coach Sylvain Cloutier.
Details of negotiations between a number of parties looking to takeover the Elite Ice Hockey League club from current Coventry based owners for the 12/13 season - their ninth in existence and seventh in the British top flight - have largely been kept behind closed doors.
Last week, it was believed at least three separate parties were interested in the club with confirmed bids from last season's assistant coach Bobby McEwan and local businessman Paul Fielder as well as a mooted bid from former player Slava Koulikov, while a rumoured bid from agent Ben Milhench was refuted.
Indeed, aside from McEwan and Fielder making their intentions known in the media through the Hull Daily Mail, any details of the negotiations and potential bidders have been sketchy with the current owners silent as they review the best course of action.
Last night, it appeared that three bidders may soon become four as Cloutier took to Twitter to write, "should my brother and I do it or not do it, that is the question".
Though that is as specific as the message got, many immediately interpreted that suggestive message to mean Sylvain and younger brother, and former NHLer, Dan Cloutier were looking at making a bid for the club. As quickly as the message was read and understood, the Rays fans threw their full support behind the Canadian's bid - unsurprising since he guided the club with his blend of passion and determination to three consecutive record years on-ice.
He and Dan were rumoured to be at the heart of a potential takeover earlier in the month only for this to be denied by Sylvain during a Stingrays Fans Forum live on West Hull Community Radio (WHCR) prior to the Stingrays EIHL Playoff Semi-Final defeat to Nottingham.
According to Hockey Zone Plus 35 year old Dan Cloutier earned $12,075,000 during a ten year NHL career that saw him ice in more than 300 NHL games with the likes of New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks and LA Kings, and so he, it is believed, would hold more than enough financial clout to back his brother in a joint ownership of the Rays.
Though the rumoured bid is flaky at best, his tweet has already received backing from player Tristan Harper, Coventry Blaze coach Luc Chabot and agent David Imonti - who have added credibility and credence to the speculation that the tweet was regarding the Stingrays by weighing in to encouraging the Canadian to do the deed - whatever that may be.
Of course, despite universal and unequivocal support from the Rays fanbase and beyond, there would be no guarantee that any bid - should it materialise - would be accepted by the current Coventry based ownership - who have already stated they may yet remain for a third season in Hull as unlikely and possibly unpopular as that may be.
The seven to ten day time frame which club director Andy Buxton promised would make the club's future "clearer" has now been and gone, and with every day that passes goes another crucial day of preparation for any new owner or coach ahead of the 12/13 campaign.
The clock is ticking, though it appears it may be only a matter of time before the Stingrays are on to their third set of owners - at least if the fans have anything to do with it.
The seven to ten day time frame which club director Andy Buxton promised would make the club's future "clearer" has now been and gone, and with every day that passes goes another crucial day of preparation for any new owner or coach ahead of the 12/13 campaign.
The clock is ticking, though it appears it may be only a matter of time before the Stingrays are on to their third set of owners - at least if the fans have anything to do with it.
