Leipold won't fuel any rumors about Wild

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: December 18, 2007 - 10:57 PM

It's pure speculation, but NHL scuttlebutt continues to be that Tuesday's matchup between Nashville and the Wild was a battle between the team Craig Leipold used to own and the team he'd like to own.

Leipold sold the Predators on Dec. 7 for $193 million after claiming he lost $70 million since 1998 and $27 million the past two years.

But the Wisconsin native still clearly loves hockey and wants to stay involved in the sport. That has led to reports that Leipold is in talks to buy into the Wild in some fashion -- whether it's as a minority investor or whether it's buying out the shares of majority owner Bob Naegele.

Naegele has declined all interview requests. Reached Tuesday, Leipold declined to comment, but in Monday's Tennessean, he said, "I love hockey. ... I think I'd like to stay in sports in some way."

Asked specifically about the Wild reports, Leipold told the newspaper: "I occasionally see the rumor mill or I see an article that someone says I'm about to buy them. I just really have no comment. There's really nothing at this point to report."

The operative words? "At this point."

Leipold, extremely respected in NHL circles, was very influential before and during the lockout as a member of the NHL's executive committee that negotiated the new collective bargaining agreement. He was often the voice for small-market teams, believing a salary cap and revenue sharing were needed to compete with the NHL's elite.

"Craig's a real quality guy," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "Unfortunately it didn't work in Nashville. Probably the right solution in Nashville would be the current [local] group and Craig coming together and doing it as a partnership. That would have been ideal, but it didn't happen."

By all accounts, Leipold, who attended most Predators home games despite living full-time in Racine, Wis., did everything he could to make it work in Nashville, pleading for corporate support and stepping up financially by signing free agents like Jason Arnott, Paul Kariya and J.P. Dumont and approving the trade for Peter Forsberg.

"He loves the sport. He loves the passion of the game. He's very passionate about the game of hockey and trying to improve it," Trotz said. "He's definitely not an absentee owner, but he's not an owner that's in the locker room and making decisions. He hires what he feels is very good people to run the organization and doesn't interfere."

Etc.

• If the Wild wants to activate Petteri Nummelin, who is on injured reserve but has been healthy for some time, now might be the time.

Derek Boogaard, who has been playing despite a herniated disk, said he will "shut it down until after Christmas."

Boogaard's back hurt so much Friday in Anaheim, he stood on the bench during the entire third period. "It's tough to sit," he said.

• Matt Foy played for the first time in six games for Todd Fedoruk, out because of a shoulder injury. Defenseman Kurtis Foster was scratched.

• The NHL holiday roster freeze went into effect at midnight and will last until Dec. 27.