Sports Properties Acquisition Corp. and Sunrise Sports & Entertainment signed a nonbinding letter-of-intent last month to complete the deal for $230 million, the sources said. Many issues remain and it could be weeks before an agreement is reached, but the NHL is aware of the plans, they said.
The public company, known as a "special purpose acquisition company" or SPAC, raised more than $200 million from investors last year and has until January to use the money. Sunrise Sports & Entertainment is attractive because it owns the Panthers, operates BankAtlantic Center and has plans for a mixed-use entertainment district around the arena, known as City of Oz.
The Panthers declined to comment and Sports Properties Acquisition Corp. vice president Andrew Murstein could not be reached. Sports Properties' board of directors includes Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and former New York governor Mario Cuomo.
If an agreement is reached, it would need to be approved by the NHL's owners and the SPAC's stockholders. In this case, it would be considered a merger in which Panthers owner Alan Cohen and his partners would receive stock in the company. It is expected the new company would have say in the team's operation and management.
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